Hail hä´ēl, hīl [key], city (1993 pop. 176,757), N central Saudi Arabia. The city grew because of its location on a pilgrimage route from Iraq to Mecca. It was the capital of the independent emirate of Jabal Shammar, which Ibn Saud conquered in 1921. The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2012, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved. See more Encyclopedia articles on: Arabian Peninsula Political Geography