We rode as part of "Best of Western Hajar" from bikepacking.com
We thought it was going to be really bad, but actually we only had to push a short section above Hat village and from around 10.5km from the Bait at Bimah where we stayed. So about 1.5km distance, or around 200-300m of vertical. Riding/walking time around 4 hrs. 5hrs 15 mins total time to the top. stunning views all the way and whilst hard, the slow speed allowed you to take in the views more than descending!
There was a tap about 2km from the summit so if you want to go lightweight you could do. It's super dusty. We had 2x10 geared (42 tooth cassette) touring MTBs with big tyres and it helped a lot to reduce pushing, but I was maxing my heart rate after maybe 15-20m distance in some sections and having to stop. I would say leave your gravel bike at home! I would want an MTB if going down this.
We started early to stay cool, but some parts are in the shade.