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Overview
The Eastern Province is the Kingdom's largest region, about 540,000 km² or more than a quarter of the country, stretching from the Arabian Gulf coast to the Dahna desert and from the Kuwaiti border to the Rub al Khali. Dammam is the seat of its emirate. [1]
Its present name dates from 1412 AH/1992 CE, when the regions system was introduced, and it is the third most populous region in the 2022 census. [1]
History
Abundant springs and fertile land made the area one of the oldest settled parts of Arabia, known over time as Gerrha, Hajar and the province of Bahrain. [1]
Al-Ahsa has the Jawatha Mosque, dating to the seventh year of the Hijra, and Tarut Island has the old port of Darin, once a gateway for goods from India into the Gulf. [1]
Historic sites and museums
Related people
Administration
The province has 12 governorates besides Dammam and 116 administrative centres; Al-Ahsa is the largest by area. The governorates are Al-Ahsa, Hafar Al-Batin, Jubail, Qatif, Khobar, Khafji, Al-Udayd, Ras Tanura, Abqaiq, An-Nairyah, Qaryat Al-Ulya and Al-Bayda. [1]
Landscape and climate
The province combines desert, coastal and wadi environments and includes inhabited islands such as Tarut and Jana, the largest being Abu Ali. Its climate is usually mild but hot and humid from May to August, with little winter rain. [1]
Ports and economy
Six ports line the coast at Dammam, Jubail, Ras Tanura, Khafji and Ras Al-Khair, including King Abdulaziz Port in Dammam, the Kingdom's main Gulf port, King Fahd Industrial Port in Jubail, built in 1402 AH/1982 CE, and the Ras Tanura oil terminal. [1]
Education and culture
Tourism and nature
- TourismIthra: Bringing Arts, Reading and Creative Practice TogetherAn introduction to the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture in Dhahran, its learning and arts facilities, and the varied experiences it makes available to the public.
- NatureRub al KhaliThe world's largest continuous sand sea, covering the Kingdom's south-east across the Eastern Province, Riyadh and Najran, named the 'Empty Quarter' for its lack of permanent settlement.
- NatureDahna DesertThe Kingdom's third-largest desert, an arc of red sand about 1,200 km long linking the Great Nafud to the Rub al Khali across five regions.
Related topics
- Agricultural heritage and traditional knowledgeDate Palm Cultivation in Saudi ArabiaDate palm cultivation in Saudi Arabia combines food production with knowledge of irrigation, pollination and fruit care. Al-Ahsa illustrates its links to farming heritage.
- EventUnification of Saudi ArabiaKing Abdulaziz's path from the recovery of Riyadh in 1902 to the proclamation of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on 23 September 1932, now National Day.
- TopicSaudi AramcoSaudi Aramco is the Saudi Arabian Oil Company, a national oil and gas company whose roots go back to a concession agreement concluded in 1933 CE, and which achieved its first commercial oil production in 1938 CE. The Kingdom completed its ownership of the company in 1980 CE, and it was formally established under its current name in 1988 CE; its net income for the 2025 fiscal year reached about SAR 392.5 billion.
- EventTreaty of Al-UqairThe Treaty of Al-Uqair is a treaty signed on 18 Safar 1334 AH, corresponding to 26 December 1915, between King Abdulaziz bin Abdulrahman Al Saud and the British Government represented by Sir Percy Cox, at Al-Uqair Port in Al-Ahsa Governorate. In it Britain recognized Abdulaziz as Emir of Najd and Al-Ahsa, and it was later annulled under the Treaty of Jeddah of 1927.
- EventThe Capture of RiyadhThe Capture of Riyadh was King Abdulaziz bin Abdulrahman Al Saud's recovery of the city of Riyadh and his entry into it with his men on 5 Shawwal 1319 AH, corresponding to 16 January 1902, together with his pledge of allegiance as Emir there. It was followed by the unification of Najd, the capture of Al-Ahsa, and his official recognition as ruler of Najd, Qassim, and Al-Ahsa.
- HistoricFalconryFalconry is an intangible cultural heritage of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, inscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity of UNESCO since 2010. It receives official attention through the Saudi Falcons Club and the King Abdulaziz Falconry Festival, the largest gathering of falcons in the world, along with the International Falcon Breeders Auction and the AlUla Falcons Cup.
- EventBattle of SabillaThe Battle of Sabilla was a confrontation that took place during the Ikhwan movement in Najd, which spanned the years from 1915 to 1929, and Rawdat Sabilla, which carries its name, lies in Zulfi Governorate in the Riyadh Region. King Abdulaziz's success in unifying the parts of the Kingdom and gathering its tribes is attributed to his qualities and leadership abilities, and to the internal and external circumstances that surrounded his course.
- EventBattle of KanzanThe Battle of Kanzan was an engagement fought in the vicinity of Al-Ahsa in the Eastern Province during the unification of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, part of King Abdulaziz bin Abdulrahman Al Saud's response to the tribes that attacked trade and pilgrim caravans in eastern Arabia. It came after the capture of Riyadh in 1902 and the annexation of Al-Ahsa to the Saudi State in 1913, and was followed by his confrontation of the rumours spread about his death after his meeting with the Ajman warriors.
- HistoricKabsaKabsa is a traditional Saudi dish and one of the popular foods of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, known across the Gulf Cooperation Council states as machboos and in Al-Ahsa Governorate as majboos. It has been adopted by George Mason University in the United States on the menu of its international restaurant, and it appears at heritage festivals and events inside the Kingdom and beyond.
- RegionDammam CityDammam City is a Saudi city in the Eastern Province on the coast of the Arabian Gulf. Its metropolitan area takes in Dammam City together with the governorates of Al-Khobar and Al-Bayda and the Dhahran centre; within it 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. In 2026 the Dammam metropolitan area joined the Global Quality of Life Initiative.
- RegionHafar Al-Batin GovernorateHafar Al-Batin is a governorate on the land border between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the State of Kuwait and Iraq, and it holds the Al-Raqai border crossing and Al-Qaisumah International Airport. The University of Hafar Al-Batin was established there in 1435 AH/2014, and it hosts seasonal festivals, most notably the falcon festival and the truffle festival.
- HistoricTarout IslandTarout Island is a Saudi island in Qatif Governorate in the Eastern Province and the fourth-largest island in the Arabian Gulf, containing Tarout Castle, the town of Darin and more than 11 heritage sites. Its development direction was approved in 1444 AH/2022 with an estimated budget of 2,644,000,000 riyals, within more than 19 quality initiatives that aim to raise the number of tourists to 1.36 million by 2030.
- EventTreaty of DarinThe Treaty of Darin is a treaty signed by King Abdulaziz bin Abdulrahman bin Faisal Al Saud with Britain, in which Britain recognised Abdulaziz as Emir of Najd and Al-Ahsa. It is also known as the Treaty of Qatif and the Treaty of Al-Uqair, and it was annulled in the Treaty of Jeddah of 1927.
- RegionJubail CityJubail City is a Saudi city on the coast of the Arabian Gulf that brings together a maritime history from which its name was derived and a modern industrial present led by the Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu. It contains Jubail Commercial Port and King Fahd Industrial Port, seven beaches, and the UNESCO Award for Best Learning City.
- RegionAl KhobarAl Khobar is a coastal city in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia, on the shore of the Arabian Gulf, distinguished by its coastal position and a corniche chain that runs along the shore. Its waterfront has seen a succession of development projects, most notably the North Al Khobar Corniche, the Al Khobar Walk, Al Khobar Terrace and the extension of the Al Sadfa Corniche.
- RegionQatif CityQatif City is a Saudi city in the Eastern Province, on the shore of the Arabian Gulf, known for its palm oases, date farms, fish market, Tarout Island and the town of Darin. Its development is reinforced by the approved development direction for Darin and Tarout Island, waterfront projects and health and leisure services.
- RegionHofuf CityHofuf City is a city in Al-Ahsa Governorate in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. It holds Ibrahim Palace, the Bay'ah House, the Amiriya School and Al-Qaisariya Market, and together with the Al-Ahsa Oasis it forms one of the most prominent examples of architectural heritage in the country.
- TopicNational Transport and Logistics StrategyThe National Transport and Logistics Strategy is a sectoral strategy launched by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in mid-2021 to develop the transport and logistics sector and raise its efficiency. It rests on four pillars and seeks to raise the Kingdom's ranking among the world's top 10 countries on the Logistics Performance Index by 2030.
- RegionDhahran CityDhahran City is a city in the Eastern Province of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Its name is bound up with the story of oil discovery in the Kingdom and with its hosting of the world's largest oil company, and it is home to the headquarters of Saudi Aramco, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals and the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (Ithra).
- EventConquest of Al-AhsaThe Conquest of Al-Ahsa was a campaign led by the founding King Abdulaziz bin Abdulrahman Al Saud in 1331 AH/1913 CE, through which he entered Al-Ahsa and received the pledge of allegiance of its people at the Bay'ah House, after which the event rested on Ibrahim Palace and Al-Uqair Port.
- HistoricAl-Qarah MountainAl-Qarah Mountain is a natural and historical landmark in Al-Ahsa in the Eastern Province, known for its caves and rock passages that formed over centuries. Al-Ahsa contains an oasis inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2018, and the mountain may be visited daily from eight in the morning until eleven in the evening.
- HistoricHalf Moon BayHalf Moon Bay is a tourist beach in the city of Dhahran in the Eastern Province, on the coast of the Arabian Gulf. Long known as Half Moon, it takes its present name from the crescent curve of its geography. It extends for 18 kilometres across five entrances, and has seen successive phases of development, rehabilitation, events and investment projects.
- HistoricFisheries in Saudi ArabiaFisheries in Saudi Arabia are a national sector concerned with managing marine fisheries and aquaculture, strengthening food security and sustaining marine resources. The Kingdom continues to develop its national fisheries management, oversight and tracking system, grow the blue economy and strengthen regional partnership in the Red Sea and the Arabian Gulf.
- EventDiscovery of Oil in Saudi ArabiaThe discovery of oil in Saudi Arabia is a historic event that began with the signing of the oil exploration concession on 29 May 1933 and was crowned by Dammam Well No. 7 when it produced oil on 4 March 1938, after which the Kingdom exported its first shipment of oil on 1 May 1939.
- HistoricSaudi HoneySaudi honey is the product of apiaries spread across the regions of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and its yield varies between grazing ranges depending on the abundance of blossoms and their flowering periods. It receives official attention in licensing, training, marketing, and the organisation of production seasons and festivals.