The Eastern Province is—as its name implies—the easternmost of Saudi’s 13 provinces. It is the largest province by area and the third most populous. Its population is almost 5 million people, and more than a third of that live in the Dammam metropolitan area (also known as the “Triplet Cities”), which consist of the city of Dammam, Khobar, and Dhahran. A full two-thirds of the province is desert, with Rub’ al Khali desert alone taking up a third of that.

The Eastern Province encompasses Saudi’s entire east coast. Historically it was home to the Dilmun civilization, which controlled the Arabian Gulf trading routes at the height of its power. Its territory was an important trading center from the late 4th millennium to 800 B.C.E.

There are 12 governorates in the Eastern Province. The Ahsa Governorate, the largest of these governorates, is named for Al Ahsa Oasis. A separate blog post covers Al Ahsa in detail. Here, we will focus on the Dammam metropolitan area.

Dammam
Dammam is the fifth most populous city in Saudi, following the capital of Riyadh, Jeddah, and the Hajj pilgrimage cities of Mecca and Medina. It is the capital of the Eastern Province and has a population of a little more than a million people. Its King Abdul Aziz Sea Port is the second largest and second busiest port in Saudi. Its famous well, Dammam Well No. 7, was dug in 1936. Prior to this, fishing and pearls were the only livelihoods. Dammam Well No. 7 was the first Saudi well to produce commercial quantities of oil. The city of Dammam grew rapidly afterward.

A coastal city with lush green parks, airy waterfronts, and sandy beaches, Dammam has a lot to offer visitors. Half Moon Bay, located between Dammam and Khobar on the Arabian Gulf, is a great place to enjoy calm waters. You can swim in the many public beaches, go for a boat ride, or scuba dive. As the waters are shallow here—the average water depth is 7 meters (23 feet)—it’s a great place for a novice to learn to dive. The Alfelwah and Aljowharah Museum was opened by millionaire collector Abdulwahab Al Ghunaim in 1918. It is one of Saudi’s largest private museums, with more than 500,000 items on display, including a 500-year-old copy of the Quran, vintage cars, and antique gramophones. Its highlight is a collection of possessions belonging to the first monarch of Saudi, King Abdulaziz. It is open to the public on Monday evenings and by appointment for the rest of the week.

Going to a souq—an open-air marketplace—is a great way to get a sense of Arabian culture. Dammam’s Share Al-Hob souq is well worth a visit. Locals refer to it as the Love Market, due to the number of jewelry shops on its outer streets. You can practice your bartering skills at stalls selling incense, perfume, spices, fabric, hand-crafted carpets, ceramics, furniture, souvenirs, and more. At nighttime, there are performers, musicians, sketch artists, and street vendors selling foods such as falafel and shawarma.

Al Khobar

The Al Khobar Corniche is a seafront promenade of 16 kilometers (10 miles), extending up to Dammam. It is divided into two parts: the North Corniche and South Corniche. There are many places to sit and enjoy the view, as well as coffee shops and restaurants to visit. The three-story Khobar Water Tower has a restaurant at the top where you can look out over the sea while eating.

Al Khobar’s Science and Technology Center (SCITECH), Saudi’s biggest public science gallery, is also located along the waterfront. It is divided into halls such as Earth and Space, Wonders of Science, Amazing Technology, and Living World (the human body). It contains more than 350 exhibits. You can also find aquariums with sea life native to the Red Sea and Arabian Gulf, as well as the 190-seat Scientific Dome IMAX theater, showing scientific and nonfictional movies

The Taybeen Museum’s owner, Majid Al Ghamdi, wants visitors to relive their childhood memories when exploring the collection. The museum contains more than 10,000 items having to do with pop culture, such as advertising memorabilia, soda cans, candy packaging, pop-culture prints, and characters from Sesame Street, Star Wars, and Marvel comics. Interestingly, the museum also has an aviary.

Dhahran
The King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture, otherwise known as Ithra, is a sprawling complex with a cinema, theater, library, museum, galleries, and exhibition halls. Built by Saudi national oil company Aramco, its aim is to promote learning and culture. Time magazine called it one of the world’s top places to visit. With an area of 80,000 square meters (262,467 feet), there’s no shortage of options here. The museum features galleries focusing on contemporary art, Saudi heritage, Islamic civilization, natural history, and human ecology. The cinema, one of the first in Saudi, shows popular international films, independent arthouse-style films, and documentaries. The theater has hosted the Vienna Chamber Orchestra as well as a live stage version of The Wizard of Oz. Its Great Hall has featured exhibitions of paintings by Edvard Munch as well as manuscripts by Leonardo da Vinci.

The Eastern Province’s “Triplet Cities” have plenty of highlights for you to explore, whether you are looking for the beach, shopping, dining, or a visit to a museum. There is something here for everyone.