Dammam

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Coordinates: 26°26′N 50°07′E
Dammam الدمام

Location in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Province	Ash Sharqiyah
Governor	Muhammad bin Fahd
Area
- City	800 km²
- Land	760 km²
- Water	40 km²
Population
- City (2004)	744,321
- Metro	97,446

Dammam (Also Ad Dammām) (Arabic: الدمام) is the capital of the Eastern Province in Saudi Arabia.

Dammam is the largest city in the Eastern Province; Dammam Port is one of the largest on the Persian Gulf. Its port for import-export traffic is second to Jeddah's port.

It is served by the new King Fahd International Airport, which was used by the US military during the Gulf War in 1991. Other cities that surround Dammam are Khobar, which is a thriving modern economic hub, and Dhahran, which is the headquarters for Saudi Aramco, the largest oil company in the world.

Together the cities have a population of around 2 million, of whom 750,000 live in the city of Dammam itself. The local sports stadium is Prince Mohamed bin Fahd Stadium.

[edit] The cities of Dammam, Al Khobar and Dhahran

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 Dawasir tribe in the early 1923 - 1342 H. part of the family led by Sheikh Ahmed ibn Adbullah ibn Hassan Al Dowsary migrated from Bahrain and was 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 up north 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" (whirpool) which indicated a nearby sea site that Dhows usually had to avoid.

With the continuing expansion of all parts of the Kingdom, the three towns inevitably merged into one, creating a single municipality known as Dammam 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.

[edit] Sites of interest

Note: Some of these locations may be in the greater Dammam Metropolitan area and not Dammam itself

The most popular recreation area in Dammam is its corniche which stretches from Al-Azziziah beach to the Tarot Islands, it is a popular meeting place for friends and family. Many open air artworks dot the Corniche road as well.

The King Fahd park located on the Dhahran-Dammam expressway between Dammam and Al-Khobar. It is a modern park with cafterias, pools, lagoons, fountains and an Amusement Center for the children.

Another location of interest is the Dammam National Museum. Located on the 4th floor of the public library across from the sports stadium, it contains exhibits detailing the culture of the area.

The Half-moon beach is the premier beach in the eastern region. It gets its name from its semi-circular shape. Incredibly crowded during weekends and there are two amusement parks nearby.

The old hood where once the Dawasir lived is another interesting site to visit (harat al-dawasir al-quadimah) since it has become the soul of the city. It is still possible to see one of the first small mosques built; it was originally named after Sheikh Ahmed bin Adbullah al Dowsary.