Khafji
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ras Al Khafji (رأس الخفجي) or Khafji (الخفجي) was historically the principal town in the neutral zone between Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. It was only when the Japanese-owned Arabian Oil Company Ltd discovered substantial oil deposit off shore of Khafji in the 1950s. that a permanent demarcation was established, and with Khafji being formally located within Saudi Arabia. However the agreement conclued that both states would still maintain joint rights to all natural resources within the designated neutral zone. With the termination of the Arabian Oil Company lease to explore and extract within the area, operations within the Khafji Fields reverted to a joint venture between shareholder companies representing both states, and with production being split on a 50:50 agreement between Kuwait and Saudi Arabia
Khafji’s notoriety however is primarily owed to the Battle of Khafji which took place in and around the town in 1991, and marks the high tide of Iraq’s advance through Kuwait and into Saudi Arabia. Khafji today remains a provincial and under-developed town lacking many of the amenities you would associate with other towns of compariable size within the kingdom, though there are now many government projects to cover Khafji with the recent economical boom the country has.
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[edit] Khafji's Future
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Khafji general sea view |
 Northern Beach |
the Saudi government with the cooperation with Khafji Joint Operations is having huge projects in Khafji to list it as one of the major cities in Saudi Arabia. According to the Saudi government's view, Khafji is to be the headquarter of a new natural gas company. One of the government projects there is to increase tourist activities in Khafji, for what the virgin beaches it has on the gulf while summer, and the beautiful weather and desert camps in winter.
[edit] Population
Population in khafji is about 65000 (2005). Most of those who live there are oil companies employees and their families. All Khafji residents came from different cities in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait after founding the Arabian Oil Company, Khafji Joint Operations currently. However, a new generation grew up in Khafji and it became their new hometown.
[edit] Education
The city still needs higher education for its residents as education stops at the high school level there. Male students who graduate from high school need to leave Khafji to get higher education. The only college in Khafji is the Girls Education College which is a females college only. However, that college is having troubles in the education system, which let many female students to look for better education outside Khafji and maybe outside the kingdom.
[edit] Shopping in Khafji
Shopping in Khafji is still not the best anyone can do, though businesses are getting better there. Being located near by Kuwait, many residents in Khafji prefer to go to Kuwait for shopping and come back on the same day. Some others wait for weekends to go to Dammam, 300 kilometers south to khafji, for shopping. This is due to the variety and availability of most products in Kuwait's and Dammam's malls comparing to Khafji's stores. As these are the general characteristics of Khafji resident's shopping behavior, many businesses are afraid to fail in Khafji if they open there. Only serious businesses can make it there with providing the same quality products in competitive prices.
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