Dammam

Dammam is the administrative capital of Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province and a major urban center on the Persian Gulf coast. It forms the core of the Dammam metropolitan area, which includes the nearby cities of Dhahran and Khobar.

Once a small fishing and pearling village, Dammam grew rapidly with the development of oil-related activity and port facilities in the mid-20th century. It is now a major commercial, industrial, and logistical hub for the region, hosting a busy seaport and a range of service industries tied to energy and trade.

The city is served by King Fahd International Airport, located between Dammam and Dhahran and one of the largest airports in the world by land area. The Port of Dammam provides Gulf access for goods and petrochemical materials, and the Corniche along the Persian Gulf is a prominent public space with parks and promenades. The broader Dammam–Dhahran–Khobar area is connected by a network of highways and coastal roads.

In addition to its infrastructure, Dammam hosts higher education and health facilities, including Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University and several hospitals, serving residents of the Eastern Province.

The climate is hot desert (BWh), with extremely hot summers, mild winters, and scarce rainfall.