The ground we're named for
Our name comes from the volcanic fields that surround Madinah. Here is what they are, and what the name asks of us.
Harrat (singular: harra) are volcanic fields: wide plains of black basalt left by lava flows over thousands of years. They cover large parts of western Arabia, and the rock is sharp, broken and slow to cross.
A natural wall
Madinah sits at the northern edge of Harrat Rahat, one of the largest volcanic fields in Arabia. The lava fields to the east and west of the city made it hard to approach, and for centuries they served as a natural wall.
In 627, when the city prepared for a siege, its defenders dug a trench only along the side the rock left open. The ground did the rest.
The strongest defence is ground that holds.
What the name asks of us
We chose the name as a standard to meet. In cybersecurity, it means infrastructure that holds under pressure. In artificial intelligence, it means ambitious ideas built on foundations that can be trusted.
And it means building from Madinah, for the world.