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87-591: The city was founded alongside Dammam by the Dawasir who moved there in 1923 fearing British persecution with the permission of King Abdulaziz Al Saud . Khobar experienced rapid growth during and after the discovery of oil in Saudi Arabia as it served as the port for the oil exports of Saudi Aramco in the company's early days. Traditionally, Khobar has also been a city of shopkeepers and merchants, and today has several shopping malls in and around it. The city

174-542: A revolving restaurant on the top, overlooking the city. It has been called the Eastern Province 's "top tourist attraction". The tower hosts fireworks shows on special occasions such as the arrival of Ramadan , Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha . The Prince Sultan Science & Technology Center (also known as SciTech) is a science exhibit located directly in view of the Khobar Water Tower and north of

261-445: A landscaped area of 46,200 m (497,292 ft²). The architecture of the mosque is an amalgamation of modern architecture with traditional Islamic architectural elements. The mosque can accommodate up to 2,000 worshippers and access to it can be easily gained from the passenger terminal through two enclosed, air-conditioned bridges equipped with moving belts, in addition to a third open bridge. The airport has its own plant nursery with

348-524: A large number of schools, universities and colleges. Schools teaching various syllabus and in several different languages of instruction can be found. The largest school in Saudi Arabia and in the MENA , International Indian School Dammam is situated here Dammam has a large number of both Saudi and international schools that are either public or private schools. Most of the Saudi schools are public and run by

435-401: A maximum capacity of 4,930 cars. Two open parking areas are available beside the rentals to accommodate additional cars. Recently, a new long term Open Parking Area was opened to accommodate long term staying cars. Travelers can use the shuttle bus provided by the airport to go to the passenger terminal and come back. The Airport Mosque was built on the roof of the car park and in the middle of

522-462: A minor road and spur of Highway 40, links the highway to Route 605 and the airport. SAPTCO offers bus connections from Khobar and Dammam to the airport. Taxis are available at fixed prices to every major city and town in the kingdom, with private companies such as Careem , a subsidiary of Uber , providing similar services. The total area of the parking complex is 176,752 m (1,902,540 sq ft), distributed among three covered floors, with

609-482: A network of healthcare facilities within the Dammam Area. These are supplemented by hospitals and clinics operated by the private sector. Within a few decades, a locality that had several hundred inhabitants some sixty years ago now boasts a population of more than 1.5 million, and is still growing at a sustained high rate. The Dammam area, unlike other oil towns, has developed in multiple fields. Including hosting

696-454: A plan. One of the most significant factors contributing to the growth of the area was land reclamation; vast stretches of the shallow Persian Gulf were reclaimed. Water is provided by desalination plants that pump approximately seven million cubic feet of treated water every day. The supply of water underpins the urban and industrial growth of the Dammam Area, being made for expanding existing desalination facilities to satisfy future growth. Dammam

783-459: A result, Khobar retained its status as the residential core of the area, but over time, its streets slowly became densely packed with markets. Its northern waterfront along the Persian Gulf has been transformed into a corniche , with beaches and resorts to the south on Half Moon Bay . While most of Khobar's districts are built upon the grid system, unlike Dammam , most of the buildings in

870-410: A rising water table . Various sources, including precipitation, seawater intrusion and leakage from underground water networks and sewage pipes, were anecdotally suspected to be contributors to the rising shallow water-table problem. A recent study by T. M. Iwalewa and others has revealed that leakages from drinking-water supply and sewage-collection pipe networks are the major contributors to the rise in

957-435: A total area of 327,000 m (3,520,000 sq ft). Approximately 247,500 m (2,664,000 sq ft) were built in the first phase, in addition to 11 fixed passenger boarding bridges serving 15 gates. The original design included 31 fixed boarding bridges. The departure terminal is equipped with several customer counters of which 66 were allocated to Saudia (now shared with flynas ), 44 to foreign airlines, and

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1044-699: Is a member city in the World Energy Cities Partnership (WECP). Much like most of Saudi Arabia, Dammam features a hot desert climate ( BWh ) under the Köppen climate classification . Winter temperatures range from mild to warm, but regularly drop to as low as around 1 °C (34 °F) at night. Rainfall in Dammam is generally sparse, and usually occurs in small amounts in the winter months of November, December and January; with periodic heavy thunderstorms. Hail generally falls during

1131-549: Is about 20 km (12 mi) to the northwest of the city and is connected by a six-lane highway. Being the main airport in the Eastern Province, Dammam is well connected by air with other cities in the Middle East, Asia, Africa and Europe. The airport is a hub for Flynas . Dhahran International Airport was the old terminal and was the busiest Airport in Saudi Arabia. The King Abdul Aziz Sea Port , located on

1218-768: Is bounded by the Persian Gulf to the northeast and the Khobar Governorate to the southeast. To its south lies Half Moon Bay , while its west is covered by the comparatively larger governorates of Jubail in the northwest and Buqayq in southwest. Its northern reaches are bordered by the smaller Qatif Governorate to the northwest and the Tarout Bay to the northeast. King Fahd International Airport King Fahd International Airport ( Arabic : مطار الملك فهد الدولي ; abbr. KFIA) ( IATA : DMM , ICAO : OEDF ), also known as Dammam International Airport or simply Dammam Airport or King Fahd Airport ,

1305-537: Is classified as Code E by the ICAO which means aircraft such as the Boeing 747-400 and A340-600 could be easily accommodated. It is practically possible for an A380 to use the airport, but this is not recommended, as, in order to accommodate such aircraft, an airport is required to be Code F; only the runways at Dammam Airport meet Code F requirements; the taxiways and gates do not. The six-story main terminal building has

1392-448: Is common during winters and spring; with small episodes of hail taking place during the winters. Much like Dammam, Khobar also experiences the urban heat island effect. The average annual temperature is 33 °C (91 °F) during the day and 22 °C (72 °F) at night. January is the coldest month with temperatures ranging from 12 to 22 °C (54 to 72 °F) during the day to 3 to 18 °C (37 to 64 °F) at night. In

1479-505: Is considered to be a major terminal in the Saudi railway network. Dammam will serve as an important junction on the proposed Gulf Railway connecting all six GCC member states. The city is located along the proposed main line connecting Kuwait with Oman via Saudi Arabia and the UAE. A branch line connecting Bahrain to Dammam are also part of the proposed project. Two future railway projects connecting Dammam to Jeddah via Riyadh and Mecca in

1566-505: Is located in the nearby city of Dhahran , which also hosts the Residential Camp of Aramco. First oil well in Saudi Arabia was discovered in Dammam, by which, Saudi Arabia today leads in the global oil and gas industry. The well was later named as "Al-Khair". Jubail Industrial City , world's largest industrial city is located in nearby city of Jubail. Dammam is an import hub for agricultural products, beefs and dairy cattle. 3M

1653-664: Is one of the 12 governorates of the Eastern Province. The governorate includes parts of other cities in the Dammam metropolitan area , most notably the entirety of Dhahran , as the city is not part of its own governorate. The majority of its area besides the cities of Dammam and Dhahran is uninhabited desert, with the two major exceptions being the King Fahd International Airport and the Second Industrial City of Dammam. The governorate

1740-495: Is popular among the South Asian expatriates living in the city. Shopping Dammam is home to many local markets and malls. Among the local markets are "Souq Al hob" and "Souq Al Dammam". Both of these markets sell commodities that are local to the region and regular commodities as well. Some of the malls in Dammam are "Al othaim Mall", and "Marina Mall", they both provide the customers access to brands that are known around

1827-416: Is process of constructing a large manufacturing plant in Dammam. Hitachi Energy operates a High Voltage factory in Dammam. German multinational Siemens operates a large facility in Dammam to serve its regional customers. Dhahran Techno Valley is a tech hub for Aramco. Dammam is served by the King Fahd International Airport , the largest airport in the world in terms of land area. The passenger terminal

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1914-402: Is served by the largest airport in the world in terms of surface area: King Fahd International Airport . The airport plot is about 77,600 hectares (776 square kilometers) in area, which is slightly bigger than the country of Bahrain . and it is located 20 km (12 mi) northwest of Dammam . From Khobar, the terminal is approximately 50 km (31 mi) away. Khobar is connected with

2001-464: Is the capital of the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia . With a population of 1,532,300 as of 2022, Dammam is the kingdom's fourth-most populous city after Riyadh , Jeddah , and Mecca . Dammam constitutes the core of the Dammam metropolitan area , also known as the Greater Dammam area, which comprises the 'Triplet Cities' of Dammam, Dhahran , and Khobar . The region is closely linked to

2088-434: Is the international airport serving Dammam , Saudi Arabia . The airport is located 31 kilometres (19 miles) northwest of downtown Dammam and is named after the former King of Saudi Arabia , Fahd ibn Abdulaziz (1921–2005). The airport serves the entire Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia and is one of the four primary international airports in the kingdom. After its construction it became a US airbase used primarily during

2175-470: Is the national sport of Saudi Arabia and the most popular sport in Dammam. The Prince Mohammed bin Fahd Stadium is the city's primary stadium and football venue. It serves as the home ground for Saudi Professional League 's Ettifaq FC and Saudi First Division 's Al-Nahda Club . More traditional sports such as camel racing , falconry , basketball and equestrianism are still practiced. Cricket

2262-537: Is the newest in the Dammam metropolitan area , facing the Persian Gulf with its 16-km long Corniche Road, which runs parallel to the city's eastern coast. Khobar is also considered a resort town as its southern suburbs of the city face the Half Moon Bay and host several beaches and beach resorts . By night, the quiet city turns into a bustling one, with some of the largest malls in the kingdom, such as

2349-588: Is unknown. The bus rapid transit system was launched in 2023. It mainly covers Dammam, AlKhobar , Qatif , and Dhahran , over a distance of 453 kilometers, with 212 bus stops. As part of the Saudi Government's Vision 2030 program that aims at diversifying the non-oil revenues in Saudi Arabia, the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) has planned to establish entertainment destinations in the Eastern Province. This would include

2436-649: The Corniche which is lined with several international and local chain restaurants , coffee shops, and boutiques of all kinds. People from the neighboring GCC states and from the rest of the country visit the city to do activities such as fishing, scuba diving, water sports, and shopping. Khobar hosts several government-funded public and private hospitals including the Mouwasat Medical Services Al Khobar, AGH Khobar, Mohammad Dossary Hospital (MDH), King Fahd University Hospital (KFUH), and

2523-532: The Gulf War , the airport has been overseeing commercial operations since 28 November 1999 and has since expanded to provide connections to 43 destinations. Before King Fahd International, the primary airport serving the region was the much busier Dhahran International Airport , which has since been converted for military use and is now designated the King Abdulaziz Air Base . Since 1 July 2017,

2610-766: The Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University (formerly known as the University of Dammam ) located off Highway 610, the King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (also known as KFUPM and UPM) which shares its compound with Saudi Aramco and the Prince Mohammad bin Fahd University which is located in south-west Khobar . The Dammam Governorate ( Arabic : محافظة الدمّام Muhafazat ad-Dammām )

2697-494: The Mall of Dhahran and the al-Rashid Mall . The city is also home to the historic Suwaiket Street , officially known as Prince Bandar ibn Abdulaziz Street, which is home to some of the oldest markets in the city. The same could said about King Khalid Street and Prince Mohammed Street. The Khobar governorate is further divided into several municipalities, with Khobar as their capital. 'Issam ibn Abdullatif al-Mulla has been serving as

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2784-799: The Saudi Arabian Armed Forces are the Security Forces Hospital and the King Fahd Military Medical Complex. In addition to these public hospitals and polyclinics, several private hospitals and medical centers are also present within Dammam. The most well-known of these is the AGH Dammam or Al Mana Group of Hospitals, Dammam which is part of the Al Mana Group of Hospitals run by Ebrahim Al Mana and Bros., which claims to be

2871-543: The United Arab Emirates . While the historic port of Khobar was destroyed, a new port is being constructed south of Khobar's South Corniche and is expected to handle civilian port activities. The nearest railway station to Khobar is the Dammam railway station , which offers connections via its 449 km (279 mi) Dammam–Riyadh line to Abqaiq , Hofuf and Riyadh . Khobar is a city with multiple lifestyle centers and shopping malls, The city also has

2958-427: The unification of Saudi Arabia , Dammam was made the capital of the newly formed Eastern Province. Dammam is known for being a major administrative center for the Saudi oil industry, contributing to the export volume of the city's King Abdul Aziz Sea Port . With a cargo capacity of 2,038,787 TEUs as of 2022, the port is the second largest on the Persian Gulf , the third largest in Saudi Arabia, and eight largest in

3045-411: The urban heat island effect. Dust storms , known locally as shamals , are common in summer, and generally come from the north. Extreme temperatures in the area have ranged from 50.8 °C (123.4 °F) on 12 July 2024 to 0.8 °C (33.4 °F) on 16 January 2008. There is evidence that several building foundations and underground infrastructures in Dammam have been structurally weakened by

3132-532: The 'Prosperity Well,' that proved that the kingdom possessed an oversized supply of hydrocarbons. The discovery of recent oil fields around Dammam within the 1940s and 50s, which now account for 25% of the world's proven oil reserves , triggered a construction boom. The Al Bin Ali family, led by Sheikh Muhammad bin Nasir Al Bin Ali and his brothers, played a vital role in the development of town and also

3219-580: The Aramco Terminal, providing connections to its employees to faraway company locations such as in Yanbu , Tanajib , Shaybah and Haradh , in addition to some remote pump stations , using their own fleet of Boeing 737s and Embraer ERJ-170LRs . The Royal Terminal is reserved for the royal family of Saudi Arabia, government personnel, and official guests. It covers an area of 16,400 m (177,000 sq ft) and has four bridges linking

3306-639: The Dr. Sulaiman Al Habib Hospital. The first school in Khobar was established in 1942. Today, Khobar is home to more than 100 public and private educational institutes. Saudi Arabian International School Pakistani Section (SAISPS) is one of the most popular and affordable school in Eastern Region for Pakistani community. Indian schools affiliated with the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) are

3393-749: The King Fahd International Airport and opened it to commercial traffic on 28 November 1999, and all airlines transferred their operations from the Dhahran International Airport , which had been in use until then. Dhahran International has since been converted for military usage and was designated the King Abdulaziz Air Base . As part of the Saudi Vision 2030 and the National Transformation Program, King Fahd International

3480-495: The Kingdom are linked with Dammam by 8-lane highways. Dammam is connected to the Saudi capital, Riyadh and Jeddah on the west coast by Highway 40 . It is also linked to Bahrain by the 28 km (17 mi) long King Fahd Causeway . Dammam also has highways to other Middle-Eastern countries such as Kuwait ( Abu Hadriyah Highway ), Oman , Qatar and the United Arab Emirates . Intra-city public transport service in Dammam

3567-464: The Middle East and North Africa ( MENA ) region by cargo capacity. The city and the rest of the Eastern Province are served by the King Fahd International Airport (KFIA), the largest airport in the world in terms of land area (approximately 780 km  [300 sq mi]), located about 31 km (19 mi) northwest of the city. In 1866, the British attacked the fort of Dammam, which

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3654-474: The North Corniche of Khobar. The center has five permanent exhibits, known as Scientific Halls, each dedicated to a different branch of science . The center also hosts an IMAX cinema which generally only shows movies that are scientific and/or non-fictional. The center is open every day of the week from 9 am till 9 pm, except for Friday, where it opens from 4 pm till 9 pm. The most popular sport among

3741-621: The Royal Terminal is reserved for use by the Saudi royal family. The busiest route operated between Dammam and another city is round trip to Dubai , with 70 weekly flights, an average of 10 flights a day. The airport is named for King Fahd ( r.  1982–2005 ), under whose reign it was constructed and inaugurated. Design of the airport building began in 1976. The site master plan was created by architecture firm Yamasaki & Associates and Boeing and completed in 1977, with construction beginning in 1983. The basic infrastructure of

3828-692: The Saudis of Khobar is football . The Al-Qadsiah FC ( Saudi Professional League ) and the Al-Nahda Club ( Saudi First Division ) are two of the teams based in Khobar and Dammam , with their home grounds being at Prince Saud bin Jalawi Stadium and Prince Mohammad bin Fahd Stadium , respectively. Expatriates of the city have brought with them several sports, such as cricket , volleyball , badminton , and kho kho , among others. Dammam Dammam ( Arabic : الدمّام ad-Dammām )

3915-453: The administration of the Saudi oil industry, it is also a contemporary urban and industrial center. As this sector was growing within the early years, the Saudi government took steps to facilitate the evolution of the area. New roads and highways connected the booming city to other urban and industrial centers within the Kingdom. A railway line connected Dammam to the agricultural center of Kharj and on to Riyadh . Dhahran International Airport

4002-695: The airport has been operated and managed by the Dammam Airports Company (DACO). Commercial transport was only halted once throughout the history of the airport when, on 21 March 2020, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) announced the suspension of all domestic and international travel both within and to and from the kingdom due to the COVID-19 pandemic . Domestic operations were reinitiated on 31 May 2020, and international operations resumed on 17 May 2021. The third largest airport in

4089-694: The airport was complete by the end of 1990, which allowed the U.S-led coalition forces to use the airport during the Gulf War in early 1991 for the storage of military aircraft, including 144 A-10 Thunderbolt IIs , among other aircraft such as the AH-64 Apaches and CH-47 Chinooks of the 101st Airborne Division , before operations were transferred to the Ahmad al-Jaber Air Base in Kuwait . The General Authority of Civil Aviation of Saudi Arabia inaugurated

4176-525: The city along the Persian Gulf and hosting some of the cities most famous attractions. It has been divided into two parts, the South Corniche and the North Corniche. The King Fahd Causeway is a series of causeways and bridges between Saudi Arabia and the Kingdom of Bahrain . The bridge is about 25 kilometers long from the Saudi toll plaza to the Bahraini toll plaza, and 23.2 meters wide. It

4263-691: The city of Dammam . Being a residential area, Khobar is famous for its many recreational parks which are decorated with different monuments including Prince Ibn Jalawy Park, Eskan Park. In March 2019, the Sharqiah Season, part of the Saudi Seasons initiative, attracted an estimated 730,000 visitors to multiple cities in the Eastern Province including Khobar under the supervision of the General Authority for Entertainment , with 83 events held across 17 days in 9 cities, celebrating

4350-467: The city through social, economic, and cultural ties. As of 2022, the Dammam metropolitan area's population was 2,743,318. The area that eventually became Dammam was settled by the Dawasir tribe around 1923, with permission of King Ibn Saud . The area was originally a fishing hamlet. It developed after the discovery of oil in the region, becoming a port city and an administrative center . Following

4437-523: The city's main districts are a mix of commercial and residential complexes, with masjids of varied designs and colours adorning its many streets. Islamist militants carried out attacks in 1996 and 2004 . Khobar has a desert climate ( BWh ), like the majority of the Saudi Arabian desert under the Köppen climate classification ; with very hot, dry summers and mild to warm, dry winters. Light rain with frequent heavy spells and thunderstorms

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4524-731: The coast of the Persian Gulf , is the second largest and second busiest port in Saudi Arabia . It is also the largest port in the Persian Gulf. It was founded in the late 1940s. It has large equipment that allows it to receive various types of vessels. The most important equipments are 56 multi-purpose hoist, 8 container cranes, and 524 tanker containers. There are a number of berths for ships and fishing, as well as ship repair yard. Eastern Province cities like Abqaiq , Dhahran , Hofuf , Jubail ( Dhahran–Jubail Highway ), Khafji , Khobar (Dammam-Khobar Highway), Ras Tanura , Sihat and Qatif ( Gulf Road ), as well as many cities in other parts of

4611-400: The colder months of December and January. Lighter showers occur during spring but are much rarer. Summer temperatures are extremely hot, owing to the region's geographic location; and continually exceed 40 °C (104 °F) during daylight hours from March to October. Nights during summer generally feature temperatures higher than 35 °C (95 °F) and very high humidity , due to

4698-473: The country's diverse culture, Most notable of the events that took place in Khobar was the Bollywood Festival, designed to attract the city's expatriate majority, featuring Salman Khan . Other artists who participated in the Khobar events of the Sharqiah Season include Tiësto and Sean Paul . The Khobar Corniche is a 16-km stretch of parks and a corniche running parallel to the eastern coast of

4785-415: The establishment of amusement parks and the building of several entertainment facilities such as theatres . The King Salman Energy Park (SPARK) is planned to be established by ARAMCO between Dammam and Ahsa . covering an area of 50 km (19 sq mi). The beaches overlooking the Persian Gulf have always been a main destination for locals, especially for fishermen. Football

4872-400: The first Industrial City of Dammam was quickly surrounded by an urban mass. As a result, a second industrial city was established further far from the Dammam Area along Highway 615. Located on nearly 6,000 acres (2,400 ha) of land, the second Industrial City is home to 120 factories, with 160 others under construction. These plants manufacture a range of products that are marketed throughout

4959-407: The government, while most of the international schools are private. Most of the international schools are Indian schools affiliated with the Central Board of Secondary Education , although a few schools teaching American, British, Pakistani, Filipino , Bangladeshi curricula, along with schools teaching curricula of other nations also exist. Some of the well-known universities in the region include

5046-401: The kingdom and also exported to other countries. Handling such exports and other imports is carried out by several shipping agents and commercial companies spread throughout the area. The Dammam Area was designed from the outset on the principles of contemporary urban planning. Residential areas are clearly separated from commercial ones, the roads are broad and straight and buildings conform to

5133-422: The kingdom by passenger volume, more than 10 million passengers use King Fahd International each year, and 37 airlines operate flights in and out of the airport. The airport serves as a hub to Flynas and Flyadeal . It previously served as a hub to Saudia as well as the now defunct Sama airline and SaudiGulf Airlines . In addition to these airlines, Saudi Aramco Aviation, the airline operated by Saudi Aramco ,

5220-501: The kingdom gathering to assist in the hunt for new oil fields and bring them on-stream. New pipelines, storage facilities, and jetties were also constructed to handle tankers. Service industries sprouted up to support the industry and meet the needs and requirements of individuals living within the newly founded metropolitan area. As it has in other parts of the dominion, the Ministry of Health has established several modern hospitals and

5307-619: The largest medical company & healthcare provider in the Eastern Province . Other private hospitals in and around the city include the Arrawdha Hospital, Al Mouwasat Hospital, the Dammam Private Medical Complex (Formerly Dammam Medical Dispensary), Gama Hospital (formerly Astoon Hospital), among others. One of the largest medical complexes in the kingdom, the Dr. Sulaiman Al Habib Complex is located between Dammam and Khobar off Highway 605. Dammam has

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5394-624: The major highways in the region including the Dhahran–Jubail Expressway , Highway 95 and Highway 605 (also known as the Khobar–Dammam Highway) which links Khobar directly to the King Fahd International Airport via the heart of Dammam. Khobar hosts the King Fahd Causeway , which links Saudi Arabia to Bahrain. Khobar is also connected to highways to other Middle-Eastern countries such as Kuwait , Oman , Qatar and

5481-502: The mayor of the governorate since the Islamic year 1428 AH (2007 CE). The city shares a similar history with Dammam . In the early 1930s, Khobar was mainly a fishing hamlet inhabited by members of the Dawasir tribe, who moved there in 1923, fearing British persecution with the permission of King Abdulaziz. The tribe settled in Khobar for its proximity to Bahrain as they had hoped to return to their homeland. The Khobar Governorate

5568-428: The most common forms of international schools with countries such as Pakistan and Bangladesh also operating their own schools with their own curricula. Private American and British educational institutes are also present. King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals and Prince Mohammad bin Fahd University are two universities that are located within or close to Khobar. Students may also go to other universities in

5655-457: The national economy. The GDP per capita of Dammam is ر.س  87,570. With plethora of oil reserves and presence of necessary infrastructures such as international airport, seaport and cargo terminal contributes to the city's development. Dammam is predominantly an industrial city, whose economy relies on the local petroleum industry. Saudi Aramco dominates much of oil sector in the city, as well as in Saudi Arabia. The company's headquarter

5742-443: The outskirts of the city. The light rail system will have two lines. The first line will link Tarout Island with King Fahd Causeway via Qatif , Dammam and Dhahran . The second line will connect central Dammam to the King Fahd International Airport . Studies to finalize the alignment and location of the stations should have taken an estimated 18 months. The Dammam Metro is expected to open in 2021, but its current official status

5829-430: The population of Khobar a lift, together with the formation of close ties with the larger city of Dammam. The planning of drilling wells in Dammam started in the spring of 1933 In Jeddah , when an oil concession agreement was signed by both the government of King Abd al-Aziz Al Saud and the representatives of The Standard Oil Company of California. A team of geologists was sent to Dammam. They finalized their plans for

5916-944: The public/government-funded hospitals operated directly by the MoH include the Dammam Medical Complex (also known as the Dammam Central Hospital), the King Fahd Specialist Hospital (KFSH) which shares its compound the Maternity and Children's Hospital (MCH), and the Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal Hospital which shares its compound with the Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University. Two hospitals targeting members of

6003-579: The region in various fields. Their company, Al Bin Ali and Brothers, was the primary Saudi construction company that took part within the expansion of Aramco. a number of their projects were the roads connecting Dammam to the northern oil wells, Highway 40 , which connected Dammam to Riyadh ; now referred to simply as the Dammam Road, and multiple expansions of the King Abdul Aziz Port . This led to experts and technicians from in and round

6090-477: The rest for customs and immigration. King Fahd International Airport was the first Saudi airport to adopt duty-free stores. In addition to the spaces allocated to duty-free stores, the airport has a separate area for shops specializing in the sale of gifts and all passenger-related goods. This area includes restaurants, cafeterias, and banks, and is located on the arrivals level. The private airline operated by Saudi Aramco , Saudi Aramco Aviation, operates out of

6177-404: The runways and a cross taxiway to connect the two runways. The two runways are separated by 2,146 m (7,041 ft). The east runway is generally used by Saudi Aramco while commercial airlines use the west one. The terminal can only be accessed via Route 605, a secondary expressway linking the cities of Khobar and Dammam in the south, and Qatif in the north; to the airport. Route 6466,

6264-452: The sixth most populous city in Saudi Arabia and the most populous in the Eastern Province. According to statistics released by the Ministry of Economy and Planning, in 2011, home ownership among Saudi citizens in Dammam was 42.4%. The Saudi Arabian Ministry of Health oversees the medical facilities across the kingdom. Hospitals and polyclinics located in the urban core of Dammam tend to be concentrated around one central building. Some of

6351-479: The state-owned oil giant, uses it to transport employees in and out of strategic locations such as Yanbu , Tanajib and Shaybah . The airport is served by two runways; both 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) long, and consists of three terminal buildings: the Passenger Terminal serves mainstream passengers, the Aramco Terminal is used exclusively by Aramco employees to board Saudi Aramco Aviation flights and

6438-443: The surrounding area of Dammam No. 2. Between June and early September 1936, the production of all of these drills were monitored closely, and most of them were disappointing. On December 7, 1936, the work started on Dammam No. 7. At the beginning the drilling didn't produce promising results. However, by 4 March 1938, Well No. 7 started producing a promising amount of oil. Saudi Aramco dug the famous Dammam Well No. 7, now designated

6525-447: The terminal to aircraft. It is luxuriously furnished and decorated, and includes extensively landscaped exteriors and grounds. Despite its specialized purpose, the terminal is rarely used by the royal family, who generally prefer to utilize a similar special terminal at King Abdulaziz Air Base . The airport has two parallel runways with a length of 4,000 m (13,123 ft) each: 16L/34R and 16R/34L, in addition to taxiways parallel to

6612-410: The warmest month, June, the typical temperature ranges from 36 to 50 °C (97 to 122 °F) during the day to about 33 °C (91 °F) at night. Generally, summer lasts about five months, from May to September. Two months, April and October, are transitional, but the transition between seasons is rather quick. Large fluctuations in temperature are rare, particularly in the summer months. Khobar

6699-434: The water table in the city. The study showed that the rising shallow water-table problem represents a serious threat to the present and future development of the city. Dammam is an industrialized zone in the eastern province. It is primarily due to the discovery of oil reserves. The city is location of the country's oil and gas industry. Dammam has been a major industrial city of the Middle East. The city contributes greatly to

6786-508: The wells in the beginning of June 1934. The work on the cellar for the first drilling rig in Dammam started approximately in January 1935, and ended on 19 February 1935. On 30 April 1935, the work began on drilling the firstst oil well in Dammam. When Dammam No. 1 didn't produce promising result, the work on it stopped on 4 January 1936, and Dammam No. 2 was drilled. Because of the promising results, there were plans to drill 5 more wells in

6873-459: The western region and Dammam with Jubail have been proposed. An integrated public transport system for Dammam was approved by the Council of Ministers on 19 May 2014, and publicly announced by Mayor Fahad Al Jubair on 21 May 2014. The project includes 50 km (31 mi) of light rail , 110 km (68 mi) of bus rapid transit , and 350 km (220 mi) of feeder buses to link

6960-479: The world's top 100 places to visit and attracted one million visitors in 2019. In 1950, Dammam had a population of 22,000. By 2000, the population soared to 759,000 people. Dammam was the world's tenth fastest growing city during that 50-year period. According to a report released by the Central Department of Statistics and Information, the population of Dammam was 903,000 as of December 2010, making it

7047-573: The world. Many expats choose to congregate in Dammam's shopping and entertainment hubs which at the moment also boast a multiplex showing films in both local and foreign languages. The King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture , also known as Ithra, incorporates a museum , children museum, library, cinema, theater, and exhibition halls. It was designed by the Norwegian architectural firm Snøhetta. The center has been listed in Time magazine as one of

7134-505: Was corporatized in July 2017 under the Dammam Airports Company (DACO), which operates and maintains the airport. In an effort to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 , all domestic and international flights were suspended until further notice on 21 March 2020. Following strict curfews and lowering in case numbers, domestic flights were allowed to operate once again on 31 May 2020. International flights were finally resumed on 18 May 2021. The airport

7221-438: Was established to further enhance the region's connection to other parts of the country and the world. Later, all commercial air transport facilities were transferred to the larger King Fahd International Airport , approximately 20 kilometers (12 miles) northwest of Dammam. To encourage the expansion of non-oil industries, an industrial city was established within the open space between the three cities. Now home to 124 factories,

7308-515: Was incorporated in 1942 and with the discovery of oil in nearby areas, a port was built in the southern parts of the modern city to facilitate the export of petroleum to Bahrain. The city quickly transformed into a residential hub and a commercial and industrial port. It soon lost these privileges as commercial operations were transferred to the King Abdulaziz Port in Dammam and the petroleum exports were transferred to Ras Tanura . As

7395-466: Was officially opened on 25 November 1986 and is named after King Fahd of Saudi Arabia . The bridge has a maximum capacity of 28,000 cars and 1000 trucks. It has achieved many economic and social benefits for both countries. The Khobar Water Tower is situated on a man-made peninsula in the northern reaches of the Khobar Corniche. The Khobar Water Tower is a 90 meter tall, eight-story tower, with

7482-581: Was recently launched. Inter-city bus services are operated from Dammam by the Saudi Public Transport Company (SAPTCO) services connect Dammam with Khobar and other cities across the Middle East. The headquarters of the Saudi Railways Organization (SRO), one of Saudi Arabia's two railway operators, is in Dammam. The passenger terminal in Dammam was the first built in Saudi Arabia and was built in 1981. It

7569-605: Was under the control of the Emirate of Nejd . However, the attack failed. Dammam was founded in 1923 by the Al Dawasir tribe that migrated from Bahrain after King Abdul Aziz allowed them to settle within the area. The tribe initially settled in Khobar , which was chosen for its proximity to the island of Bahrain as the tribe had hoped to go back there soon, but the British made it tough for them to maneuver. However, this gave

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