Khobar
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Khobar Corniche |
Khobar (also written
al-Khobar or
al-Khubar ;
Arabic:
الخبر) is a large city located in the
Eastern Province of the Kingdom of
Saudi Arabia on the
Persian Gulf. It has a population of 165,799 (
2004 census) and forms part of the greater
Dammam metropolitan area along with
Dhahran, which together have a combined population of over one million. All three urban centers are served by the
King Fahd International Airport.
City residents in the original downtown area are mainly Saudi nationals and non-Western expatriates (e.g. of
Indian,
Pakistani,
Bangladeshi and
Filipino ethnicity). European and American expatriate workers not employeed by
Saudi Aramco typically live in expat compounds scattered in the greater Khobar-Dammam area surrounded by fences or walls and guarded by security gates. Inside, a greater degree of cultural freedom is possible than outside the walls in the main urban center. Some larger corporations (e.g. British Aerospace) have maintained their own compounds to house (and attract) expat employees. Because of the comforts and greater freedoms found in compounds, they have attracted a wide range of ethnicities able to afford the lifestyle, including some Saudi families.
Many of Khobar's residents work for
Saudi Aramco, the world's largest oil company, in nearby
Dhahran. Other residents work in support roles. Traditionally, Khobar has also been a city of shopkeepers and merchants, and the city today boasts numerous modern malls and boulevards with internationally-recognized franchise shops and eating places.
In earlier days, Khobar was a small port on the
Persian Gulf, a fishing village inhabited mainly by Al
Dawasir tribe members. With the discovery of oil in the 1930s, it was transformed into a major commercial and shopping center and, secondarily, an industrial port. In modern times, the larger port of
Dammam has taken over most commercial shipping activities for the Eastern Province, and oil is exported via the dedicated
Saudi Aramco port of
Ras Tanura. As a result, Khobar has transformed and extended its waterfront along the Gulf into a scenic Beirut-like corniche with parks, eateries, and family beaches.
The 16 mile (26 km)
King Fahd Causeway connects Khobar to the island nation of
Bahrain, previously reachable only by air or sea.
Khobar was the location of the
1996 Khobar Towers bombing (the victims were US military personnel) and the
29 May 2004 Al-Khobar massacres (of expatriate employees in their compounds).
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Dammam*
Dhahran*
Dawasir
