Jubail Church

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Jubail Church is an ancient Christian church near Jubail, in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province along the Persian Gulf. Its age is debated, with some sources placing it in the 4th century and others in the 7th. The building has stucco decoration and two crosses carved on the wall near the doorway from the nave to the sanctuary. It was discovered in 1986 by picnickers and excavated in 1987 by the Saudi Department of Antiquities. By 2008, excavation results had not been published due to sensitivities about artifacts of non-Islamic origin. The church was part of the Church of the East (Nestorian Church). By 2009 the site was fenced and not open to visitors or researchers. A local visitor, Faisal al-Zamil, was not allowed to publish information about it in Saudi media.