Dammam City

Dammam City is a Saudi city in the Eastern Province, on the coast of the Arabian Gulf; the Dammam metropolitan area comprises, alongside Dammam City, the governorates of Al-Khobar and Al-Bayda and the Dhahran centre. [1] Within the city stand King Abdulaziz Port and King Fahd International Airport, and the King Fahd Causeway links the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with the Kingdom of Bahrain. [3][4][7] In 2026 the Dammam metropolitan area joined the Global Quality of Life Initiative, led by the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) and in partnership with the Quality of Life Programme. [1]

Dammam City, the governorates of Al-Khobar and Al-Bayda and the Dhahran centre together form the Dammam metropolitan area. [1] Its extent takes in the main transport facilities: King Abdulaziz Port on the Arabian Gulf, King Fahd International Airport, and the King Fahd Causeway, which is managed by the King Fahd Causeway Authority and links the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with the Kingdom of Bahrain. [3][4][7][8]

On the fourth of March 1938 the hoped-for result was achieved at Dammam Well No. 7, which produced 1,585 barrels per day at a distance of 1,440 metres below the surface, less than 60 metres beyond the depth at which geologists had expected oil to be found. [2] That marked the beginning of the oil story in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. [2]

King Abdulaziz Port in Dammam won the Port of the Year award among the ShipTek awards, in their nineteenth edition, held in Al-Khobar in 2024. [3] It recognised the achievements of the General Authority for Ports in developing the port's infrastructure, where the two container terminals were developed and operated at an investment value exceeding 7 billion riyals under a build-operate-transfer (BOT) model, raising the capacity of the container terminals by more than 120% to reach 7.5 million containers. [3]

In 2023 the port handled 2,305,811 standard containers, an increase of 13.10% over 2,038,787 standard containers in 2022. [3] Four integrated logistics zones also form part of the port. [3]

King Fahd International Airport in Dammam was founded in 1999, and its distinguished geographical location makes it a driver of the development of the Eastern Province. [4] On 17 May 2021 the airport saw the departure of the first international flight after the lifting of the travel suspension, on board KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and bound for Amsterdam. [5] On 13 September 2026 a design contract for the development of the airport was signed in accordance with the approved master plan. [6]

Opened in 1986, the King Fahd Causeway has carried 382 million travellers up to the end of 2018. [7] As the most prominent Gulf crossing linking the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with the Kingdom of Bahrain, it is managed by the King Fahd Causeway Authority. [8]

Designed for an operating capacity of 50,000 vehicles per day, the causeway's processing area provides a crossing rate of 20 minutes for 110 thousand travellers and 45 minutes for 170,000 travellers on peak days. [7]

In 2026 the Dammam metropolitan area joined the Global Quality of Life Initiative, led by the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) and in partnership with the Quality of Life Programme. [1] Nine main axes and 43 sub-indicators make up the initiative. [1]

In 2022 the Eastern Province Municipality announced its intention to tender a project to develop the Dammam Corniche for competition, covering a development area of more than 6 thousand square metres. [9]

During 2022, 3,785,634 flowers and trees were planted in the Dammam metropolitan area. [10] Some 61,745 linear metres of irrigation and afforestation networks were laid, and the area of public space in the metropolitan area reached about 7,634,642 square metres. [10]

Six pedestrian tracks were completed, along with nine gardens rehabilitated, 17 gardens implemented and 44 gardens proposed for investment, bringing the total of gardens, squares and beaches in the metropolitan area to 397. [10]

Q: What is the Dammam metropolitan area? A: An urban agglomeration comprising Dammam City, the governorates of Al-Khobar and Al-Bayda and the Dhahran centre, which joined the Global Quality of Life Initiative in 2026. [1]

Q: When was oil discovered at Dammam Well No. 7 and in what quantity? A: On the fourth of March 1938, producing 1,585 barrels per day at a depth of 1,440 metres below the surface. [2]

Q: When did the King Fahd Causeway open and how many have crossed it? A: It opened in 1986, and 382 million travellers crossed it up to the end of 2018. [7]

Q: When was King Fahd International Airport founded and what are its latest developments? A: It was founded in 1999, and on 13 September 2026 a design contract for its development was signed in accordance with the approved master plan. [4][6]

Q: What are the most prominent achievements of King Abdulaziz Port in Dammam? A: The Port of the Year award among the ShipTek awards in 2024, raising the capacity of the container terminals to 7.5 million containers, and the handling of 2,305,811 standard containers in 2023. [3]

Dammam City combines its location on the coast of the Arabian Gulf with its main facilities — King Abdulaziz Port, King Fahd International Airport and the King Fahd Causeway — alongside the urban development and afforestation projects it has seen in recent years. [1][3][4][7][9][10] Related topics on the platform include the Eastern Province, Saudi Aramco, Ithra and the National Industrial Development and Logistics Program.