Shaqra (Arabic: شقراء) is a town in central Saudi Arabia, located near Ushaiger and about 190 kilometers north-west of the capital Riyadh. The name "Shagra" means "blonde" or "blondie" which is taken from "the blonde mountain" which is north of Shagra. Shaqra is strategically important because it is a good farming area and historically was a strategical trading place with Makkah, Syria, Yemen and Kuwait. Many famous merchants were born and raised in Shaqra and then became very large companies such as: Al-Sadhan family (owner of Al-Sadhan Hyper Market), Al-Jomiah family (Agent of General Motors cars), Al-Essa family (Manufacturer and distributor of air conditioners HAAS, Hitachi, and Gibson). Al-Ruqaib family (owner of Sahara Mall) and many others.