Dammam (Also
Ad Dammām) is the capital of the Eastern Province of
Saudi ArabiaSaudi Arabia , is an Arab country and the largest country of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Jordan on the northwest, Iraq on the north and northeast, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates on the east, Oman on the southeast, and Yemen on the south...
. Dammam is the largest city in the Eastern Province and third largest in Saudi Arabia after
RiyadhRiyadh is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia. It is also the capital of Riyadh Province, and belongs to the historical regions of Nejd and Al-Yamama. It is situated in the center of the Arabian Peninsula on a large plateau, and is home to 1,444,500 people, and the urban center of a...
and
JeddahJeddah is a Saudi Arabian city located on the coast of the Red Sea and is the major urban center of western Saudi Arabia. It is the largest city in Makkah Province, the largest sea port on the Red Sea, and the second largest city in Saudi Arabia after the capital city, Riyadh...
. Dammam Port is the largest on the
Persian GulfThe Persian Gulf, in the Southwest Asian region, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula. Historically and commonly known as the Persian Gulf, this body of water is sometimes controversially referred to as the Arabian Gulf by most Arab states or simply The...
. Its port for import-export traffic is second to
JeddahJeddah is a Saudi Arabian city located on the coast of the Red Sea and is the major urban center of western Saudi Arabia. It is the largest city in Makkah Province, the largest sea port on the Red Sea, and the second largest city in Saudi Arabia after the capital city, Riyadh...
's port.
In the early 1980s Dammam, the capital of the Eastern Region, was a separate city but so close to Al Khobar and Dhahran that the traveler could pass from one to the other in a few minutes.
Dammam (Also
Ad Dammām) is the capital of the Eastern Province of
Saudi ArabiaSaudi Arabia , is an Arab country and the largest country of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Jordan on the northwest, Iraq on the north and northeast, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates on the east, Oman on the southeast, and Yemen on the south...
. Dammam is the largest city in the Eastern Province and third largest in Saudi Arabia after
RiyadhRiyadh is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia. It is also the capital of Riyadh Province, and belongs to the historical regions of Nejd and Al-Yamama. It is situated in the center of the Arabian Peninsula on a large plateau, and is home to 1,444,500 people, and the urban center of a...
and
JeddahJeddah is a Saudi Arabian city located on the coast of the Red Sea and is the major urban center of western Saudi Arabia. It is the largest city in Makkah Province, the largest sea port on the Red Sea, and the second largest city in Saudi Arabia after the capital city, Riyadh...
. Dammam Port is the largest on the
Persian GulfThe Persian Gulf, in the Southwest Asian region, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula. Historically and commonly known as the Persian Gulf, this body of water is sometimes controversially referred to as the Arabian Gulf by most Arab states or simply The...
. Its port for import-export traffic is second to
JeddahJeddah is a Saudi Arabian city located on the coast of the Red Sea and is the major urban center of western Saudi Arabia. It is the largest city in Makkah Province, the largest sea port on the Red Sea, and the second largest city in Saudi Arabia after the capital city, Riyadh...
's port.
Early History
In the early 1980s Dammam, the capital of the Eastern Region, was a separate city but so close to Al Khobar and Dhahran that the traveler could pass from one to the other in a few minutes. Al Dammam was first inhabited by a clan (Al hassan) of Al
DawasirThe al Dawasir is an Arabian bedouin tribe divided into clans and families. The word Dawasir is plural for Dossari...
tribe and a number of Hewila families in the early 1923 - 1342 H.
The families led by Sheikh Ahmed ibn Adbullah ibn Hassan Al Dowsary migrated from
BahrainThe Kingdom of Bahrain is a small island country in the Persian Gulf ruled by the Al Khalifa royal family. Saudi Arabia lies to the west and is connected to Bahrain via the King Fahd Causeway, which was officially opened on the 25th of November 1986. Qatar is to the southeast across the Gulf of...
and were given the chance to choose a land where to settle by HRM the late King Abdulaziz. Al Dammam was immediately chosen for its vicinity to the island of Bahrain as the clan hoped to head back there soon, but the British rule in the region made it very hard for them to move in every sense (dividi et impera) so they finally realized they had to settle there for good.
Years later, Sheikh Ahmed's brother moved south where he and his family settled in Al Khobar, which by that time was already inhabited.
However this tiny episode gave to Khobar a population boost and close ties with the bigger city of Dammam. The origins of the name "Dammam" is controversial, some say that it is onomatopoeic and it was given to the area because of a drum positioned in a nearby keep, when sounded for the alarm it produced a melody called "damdamah", others say that the name was given according to the Arabic word "dawwama" (whirlpool) which indicated a nearby sea site that Dhows usually had to avoid. The weather of Dammam is particularly very hot in summers.It is also very humid in those days and the humidity ranges from 65-95%.However in winter the temperatures can drop to -4 degrees Celsius.
With the continuing expansion of all parts of the Kingdom, the three towns inevitably merged into one, creating a single municipality known as the Dammam Metropolitan Area. Each of the three towns which compose the Dammam Area retain their own character and some local administrative functions but, in terms of its place in the Kingdom, the Dammam Area forms a single administrative entity.
King Fahad International Airport
It is served by the
King Fahd International AirportDammam King Fahd International Airport is located 20 kilometers northwest of Dammam . It is the largest airport in the world in terms of land area , thus making it larger than the nearby country of Bahrain...
,the largest airport in the world in terms of land area, is about 20 km to the northwest, served by a eight-lane highway. Other cities that surround Dammam are
KhobarKhobar is a large city located in the Eastern Province of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on the Persian Gulf. It has a population of 165,799 and forms part of the greater Dammam metropolitan area along with Dhahran, which together have a combined population of over one million...
, which is a thriving modern economic hub, and
DhahranDhahran is located in Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province, and is a major administrative center for the Saudi oil industry. Large oil reserves were first identified in the Dhahran area in 1931, and in 1935 Standard Oil of California drilled the first commercially viable oil well...
,
Train Railway
Saudi Railway Authority operates two separate passenger and cargo lines between Riyadh and Dammam passing through
HofufAl-Hofuf also Hofuf or Al-Hufuf is the major urban center in the huge Al-Ahsa Oasis in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia.- Overview :...
, and
HaradhHaradh is a small village located about 280 km southwest of Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. Haradh is famous for its oil-rich and gas-rich fields. Several oil plants and a gas plant are located in the Haradh area.It is located on top of the massive Ghawar Field....
. Two future railway projects connecting Riyadh with Jeddah and Mecca in the western region and connecting Riyadh with Buraidah, Ha'il and Northern Saudi Arabia are underway. Developers are the RC corporation, wholly owned by H O’Donovan, W Daly and S Burgoyne, however, are now being built single-handedly by H O'Donovan.
Highways
Nearby cities are
KhobarKhobar is a large city located in the Eastern Province of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on the Persian Gulf. It has a population of 165,799 and forms part of the greater Dammam metropolitan area along with Dhahran, which together have a combined population of over one million...
, which is a thriving modern economic hub,
DhahranDhahran is located in Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province, and is a major administrative center for the Saudi oil industry. Large oil reserves were first identified in the Dhahran area in 1931, and in 1935 Standard Oil of California drilled the first commercially viable oil well...
, which is the headquarters for
Saudi AramcoSaudi Aramco is the state-owned national oil company of Saudi Arabia. It is the largest oil corporation in the world with the largest proven crude oil reserves and production. Headquartered in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, Saudi Aramco also operates the world's largest single hydrocarbon network, the...
, the largest oil company in the world,
QatifQatif or Al-Qatif is a historic, coastal oasis region located on the western shore of the Persian Gulf in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. It extends from Ras Tanura and Jubail in the north to Dammam in the south, and from the Persian Gulf in the east to King Fahd International Airport in the...
, the populated fishing and agricultural town. Together these cities have a population of around 2 million, of whom 600,000 live in the city of Dammam itself.
Sport
Prince Mohamed bin Fahd StadiumPrince Mohamed bin Fahd Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Dammam, Saudi Arabia. It is currently used mostly for football matches, and is the home of Al-Ittifaq. The stadium has a capacity of 35,000 people. It is named after Muhammad bin Fahd, who is a member of the Saudi Arabian royal family....
is the largest
footballFootball is the name of several similar team sports, all of which involve kicking a ball with the foot in an attempt to score a goal. The most popular of these sports worldwide is association football, more commonly known as just "football" or "soccer"...
stadium in Dammam with a capacity for 35,000 people. it was founded in 1973
Shopping malls
- Al Hayat Plaza (Arabic: مجمع الحياة بلازا)
- Al Shati Mall (Arabic: مجمع الشاطئ )
- Al Waha Mall (Arabic: مجمع الواحة )
- Marina Mall (Arabic: مجمع مارينا )
- Al Danna Mall (Arabic: مجمع الدانة )
- Eastern Women Mall (Arabic: مجمع الشرقية النسائي)
- Centre Point (Arabic: مجمع سنتربوينت)
Restaurants and fastfood chains
- McDonalds
- Applebee's
Applebee’s International, Inc. is a United States company which develops, franchises, and operates the Applebee's Neighborhood Grill and Bar restaurant chain. As of November 25, 2007, there were 1,965 restaurants operating system-wide in 49 states, 17 countries, and one U.S...
- KFC
KFC Corporation, or KFC, founded and also known as Kentucky Fried Chicken, is a chain of fast food restaurants based in Louisville, Kentucky...
- Hardee's
Hardee's is a restaurant chain, located mostly in the Southern and Midwestern regions of the United States. It has evolved through several corporate ownerships since being established in 1960. It is currently owned and operated by CKE Restaurants. Along with its sibling restaurant chain Carl's Jr.,...
- TGI Friday's
- Burger King
Burger King , often abbreviated as BK, is a global chain of hamburger fast food restaurants headquartered in unincorporated Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. The first restaurant was opened in Miami, Florida in 1954 by James McLamore and David Edgerton, and has since used several...
- Kudu
- Pizza Hut
Pizza Hut is an American restaurant chain and international franchise based in Addison, Texas , offering different styles of pizza along with side dishes including pasta, buffalo wings, breadsticks, and garlic bread...
- Steak House
Hotels
- Sheraton Hotel
- Novotel Hotel
Novotel is one of a number of hotel chains owned by the French hotel group Accor. Whilst most numerous in France, Novotel hotels are found throughout the world.Novotel has taken comprehensive steps to prove its commitment to the environment...
- Dammam Ramada Hotel
- Carlton Al Muaibed Hotel
- Dammam Palace Hotel
Attractions and theme parks
- Dammam Kornish (Arabic: كورنيش الدمام ) enjoys several restaurants and cafe.
- King Fahad Park (Arabic: منتزه الملك فهد )
- Half Moon Beach
Traditional markets
There are many traditional markets called
Souq in Damamam including :
- Souq El-Hob (Arabic: سوق الحب - حي الدواسر)
- Souq Mecca (Arabic: سوق مكة الشعبي - حي السوق)
- Souq El Harraj an Auction Market similar to Sunday's Markets in the West (Arabic: سوق الحراج)
- Souq El Dammam (Arabic: سوق الدمام )
Museums and exhibitions
- Dammam Hostorical Museum (Arabic: متحف الدمام الإقليمي )
- Dhahran Exhibition Centre (Arabic: مركز معارض الظهران)
Public media
- El-Youm Daily Newspaper (Arabic: صحيفة اليوم) established in 1963.
- Saudi TV and Broadcast Radio
Hospitals and medical care
- King Fahad Specialzed Hospital
- Al-Amal Psychiatric Hospital - famous for dealing with drug abuse and addiciton cases.
- Tadawi Hospital
- Al Manae Hospital
- Al-Mouwasat Hospital
External links