Dammam
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| Dammam الدمام |
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| Coordinates: | |
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| Province | Ash Sharqiyah |
| Government | |
| - Mayor | Dhaifallah al-'Utaybi |
| Area | |
| - City | 800 km² (308.9 sq mi) |
| - Land | 760 km² (293.4 sq mi) |
| - Water | 40 km² (15.4 sq mi) |
| Population (2004) | |
| - City | 97,446 |
| - Metro | 744,321 |
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 is about 20 km to the west, served by a three-lane highway. 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, and Qatif, the populated fishing and agricultural town.
Together (Dammam, Khobar & Dhahran) 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.
The city is located in eastern Saudi Arabia, with 744,321 inhabitants (2004 estimate). It is the capital of the Eastern Province with 3.3 million inhabitants (2003 estimate). Dammam lies on tip of land stretching out into the Persian Gulf, forming a large metropolitan and industrial area, with about 1.2 million inhabitants, together with Khobar, Qatif and Dhahran. Dammam is a major seaport, involved in a wide variety of export and import. It is a center for petroleum and natural gas, but also the center of all commerce in the eastern parts of the kingdom. There is some agriculture, largely dealing with livestock and dairy products. Dhahran has excellent connections with other urban centers of Saudi Arabia by highways, and is also linked to Bahrain with a causeway. Dammam is also the terminus of the railroad to Riyadh. The King Fahd International Airport is shared by all the cities in the region. Dammam is a modern city, but has seen less investments and fewer projects than Khobar.
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[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" (whirlpool) which indicated a nearby sea site that Dhows usually had to avoid. The weather of Dammam is particularly very hot in summers.It is also very humid in those days and the humidity ranges from 65-95%.However in winter the temperatures can drop to -4 degrees Celsius.
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 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 ( very nice) 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 neighborhood 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.
[edit] Transport
Damman is the eastern terminus of the Saudi Landbridge Project, the western terminus being Jeddah Seaport.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Municipality of Dammam Official website (in Arabic)
- Saudi Arabian Travel and Trekking Guide, A travel site with photos and routes
- Dammam is at coordinates Coordinates:
[edit] References
[edit] Gallery
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