Dammam is the capital of the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia, located along the shores of the Persian Gulf. The city has a metropolitan population of about two million, making it the third-largest city in Saudi Arabia, behind the capital, Riyadh (approximately five million) and Jeddah (approximately three million).

Thanks to urban sprawl, Dammam’s metropolitan area includes two neighboring cities – Dhahran to the west and Al Khobar to the south. Dammam is also linked by the 25-km (16-mile) King Fahad Causeway to the island country of Bahrain.

The Eastern Province is rich in oil, and in fact, Dammam is perhaps less known as a name than its neighbor Dhahran, the site of the first major Aramco oil strikes.

But its location along the Gulf means one of Dammam's most popular destinations is the Dammam Corniche, which like the perhaps more familiar Jeddah Corniche, features beach area, green spaces, marinas, art installations, playgrounds and amusement parks, restaurants, and more. And yes, there are dive sites along the Persian Gulf!

Like Saudi Arabia's other large cities, Dammam contains major hotel chains, large malls, and a wide range of restaurants – including familiar American fast-food chains.

Also See:

• Dammam Municipal Region site (Arabic)
• Dammam Weather
• King Fahd International Airport
• International Schools article