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Udhailiyah | |
|---|---|
  Udhailiyah | |
| Coordinates: 25°08′N 49°18′E / 25.133°N 49.300°E | |
| Country |  Saudi Arabia |
| Province | Eastern Province |
| Time zone | UTC+3 (Arabian Standard Time) |
Udhailiyah (Arabic: العضيلية ʿuḍayliyyah) is a small oil company compound in the interior of the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia in the desert southwest of the Dhahran-Dammam-Khobar metropolitan area. Built by the national oil company Saudi Aramco, Udhailiyah has a population of approximately 1,350 residents. The English spellings Udeliya, Udayliyah, and other variations are also used, with the same pronunciation.
Udhailiyah compound (Aramco code: UDH) is the smallest of four residential compounds built by Saudi Aramco, including Dhahran (the main administrative center), Ras Tanura (the main refinery and oil port), and Abqaiq. It is the southernmost and most isolated of the four communities, Abqaiq being its closest Saudi Aramco compound to the north, about an hour away by car. To the northeast is the city of Hofuf and the expansive al-Ahsa Oasis. Udhailiyah takes its natural character from the numerous rocky hills or outcroppings, called "jebels", that surround it. The tallest and most popular Jebel is "Pioneer Mountain." An equally popular and impressive jebel is named "747" as it is said to look like a Boeing 747 Jumbo Jet.
Like the other three compounds, Udhailiyah is surrounded by multiple perimeter fences, inside which Saudi Aramco employees and their dependents live. The community today is a multi-ethnic mosaic of Saudis, Americans, South Africans, other Arab nationalities (e.g. Egyptian and Jordanian), Indians, Pakistanis, etc.
Udhailiyah camp has amenities including swimming pools, weight rooms (separate for males and females), dining halls, golf course (oil-sand greens), tennis facilities, squash and racquetball courts, library and a commissary (small grocery store). There is also the Wahat Al-Ghawar, a large, air-conditioned tent used for company and social events. Udhailiyah is heavily planted with green spaces and open parks with large trees and extensive irrigation.