Dammam
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.
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 branch (Al hassan)of Al
Dawasir family 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 onomatopeic 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 accorting 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.
Note: Some of these locations may be in the greater Dammam Metropolitan area and not Dammam itselfThe 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 souk of the city. It is still possible to see one of the first small mosques built, it was orniginally named after Sheikh Ahmed bin Adbullah al Dowsary, perhaps it still is.
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