Abha is cool and misty, so a majlis sofa here can use warm fabrics that would be too heavy on the coast: velvet, chenille or suede. Sofhu manufactures each set in Türkiye to your wall measurements, with 32 kg/m³ foam and removable covers, in colours chosen to sit with Asiri wall painting or a plain modern room. Shipping is free.
On this page
In an Asiri guest room the walls do the talking. Al-Qatt Al-Asiri, the brightly coloured geometric painting that women of the region apply to the walls of rooms where guests are received, is on UNESCO’s heritage list, and it is the region’s signature. The climate does too. Abha, capital of the Asir region, sits high in the mountains and is cool and often misty when the rest of the Kingdom is hot. A majlis sofa for Abha has to answer both. Sofhu makes each set in Türkiye to measure and ships it free.
Sofhu makes two kinds of Arabic seating, and the photographs on this page show the first. The Arabic majlis is raised to sofa height, with an upholstered base, tall fixed backs and arm bolsters. The Arabic floor sofa is a low cushion set at floor level with loose back cushions, lighter and easier to rearrange, which can suit a chalet or an everyday family room.
Seating beside Al-Qatt: two ways to choose colour
Al-Qatt is painted in strong colours on a white gypsum ground. Seating placed in front of it can go one of two ways, and both are sound.
Stay quiet. A cream or sand-coloured set with a little pattern lets the wall remain the main event. The beige velvet majlis at the top of this page works like this: the seat is calm and the detail is kept to the gold-striped backs and the framed bases.
Join in. A single bold colour, such as mustard, sky blue or green, picks up one note from the wall and repeats it around the room.
The mustard majlis above shows how much warmth one colour brings to a pale room. Avoid a busy multi-colour fabric next to a painted wall, because the two patterns compete.
This is design advice, not a claim about historic Asiri cushions. The sources describe the painting, not the seating. For help deciding see how to choose majlis colours and majlis patterns and motifs. The Saudi majlis page explains how Asir differs from Najd and the Hijaz.
Warm fabrics for a cool, misty city
On the coasts the advice is always to choose cool, washable fabric. In Abha you can reverse it. The fabrics that feel heavy in Jeddah are welcome here.
| Fabric | Sofhu’s description | In Abha |
|---|---|---|
| Velvet | Durable, easy to clean | The main choice for a guest majlis |
| Suede series | A good option in autumn and winter | Family rooms used in the evening |
| Chenille | Very low shedding | Everyday sitting rooms |
| Linen | Porous, refreshing in hot weather | Best kept for sunny summer rooms |
A thick rug across the centre of the room matters as much as the upholstery when the floor is cold. All covers are zippered and removable. The series are listed on the existing fabrics page and compared in velvet vs linen vs jacquard.
Family homes: the guest majlis and the everyday room
In a family house the guest majlis usually takes a U shape on three walls, with the open side to the door. The everyday sitting room is often open to the kitchen or a hallway, and there the seating simply follows whichever walls are free.
The room above shows that arrangement with a raised grey majlis: seating along the walls, the centre left clear. The Arabic majlis hub explains each layout.
Chalets and summer rentals
Abha draws visitors in summer, when families from hotter cities come up for the cool air, and many stay in rented chalets. A chalet majlis is a working room. It needs to seat a large family, survive children and be reset quickly.
- Keep to long, simple runs with few loose extras to go missing.
- Choose a fabric that hides marks, and make use of the zippered covers between stays.
- Ask for a firmer seat if the cushions will also be slept on.
Owners fitting out several units can ask for a project quote for all of them together.
The foam, in plain terms
Seats are filled with 32 kg/m³ polyurethane foam, written 32 DNS. That is the density. Denser foam generally keeps its height and support longer than light foam, which is worth having in a rental that is full all season. Hardness is a separate matter, and a softer or firmer cushion can be requested.
Ordering a majlis for Abha
Measure each wall the seating will run along and mark the doors, windows and heaters. Send the figures and photos, including a photo of any painted wall you want the set to sit with, through get a quote by measurement or WhatsApp. Sofhu proposes a layout and a price, makes the set, vacuum packs it and ships it free from Türkiye. Duties or taxes may apply depending on the destination, so ask first.
The national guide is Arabic sofa in Saudi Arabia. The coastal cities are covered on the Jeddah and Dammam pages.
