Dammam

Dammam
الدمام
Kiyomizu-dera
Official logo of Dammam
Dammam is located in Saudi Arabia
Dammam
Dammam
Coordinates: 26°26′N 50°06′E / 26.433°N 50.100°E / 26.433; 50.100
Country Saudi Arabia
ProvinceEastern Province
First settled1923
Founded byThe Dawasir
Government
 • BodyMunicipality of Dammam (امانة الدمام)
 • MayorFahad Al-Jubair
 • Provincial GovernorSaud bin Nayef Al Saud
Area
 • City647 km2 (250 sq mi)
 • Land800 km2 (300 sq mi)
 • Urban
800 km2 (300 sq mi)
 • Metro
1,471 km2 (568 sq mi)
Elevation
10 m (30 ft)
Population
 • City1,386,671
 • Rank3
 • Urban
1,532,326
 • Metro
2,743,318
 • Metro density1,900/km2 (4,800/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+3 (AST)
Postal Code
324XX
Area code013
Websitewww.eamana.gov.sa

Dammam (Arabic: الدمّام ad-Dammām) is the capital of the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. With a population of 1,532,300 as of 2022, Dammam is the kingdom's fourth-most populous city after Riyadh, Jeddah, and Mecca. Dammam constitutes the core of the Dammam metropolitan area, also known as the Greater Dammam area, which comprises the 'Triplet Cities' of Dammam, Dhahran, and Khobar. The region is closely linked to the city through social, economic, and cultural ties. As of 2022, the Dammam metropolitan area's population was 2,743,318.[1]

The area that eventually became Dammam was settled by the Dawasir tribe around 1923, with permission of King Ibn Saud. The area was originally a fishing hamlet. It developed after the discovery of oil in the region, becoming a port city and an administrative center. Following the unification of Saudi Arabia, Dammam was made the capital of the newly formed Eastern Province.

Dammam is known for being a major administrative center for the Saudi oil industry, contributing to the export volume of the city's King Abdul Aziz Sea Port. With a cargo capacity of 2,038,787 TEUs as of 2022,[2] the port is the second largest on the Persian Gulf, the third largest in Saudi Arabia, and eight largest in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region by cargo capacity.[2]

The city and the rest of the Eastern Province are served by the King Fahd International Airport (KFIA), the largest airport in the world in terms of land area (approximately 780 km2 [300 sq mi]), located about 31 km (19 mi) northwest of the city.

  1. ^ "Population". Archived from the original on 11 June 2023. Retrieved 7 June 2023.
  2. ^ a b Lauriat, George (27 June 2023). "Commentary: AJOT's top 100 container ports". Archived from the original on 21 April 2024. Retrieved 21 April 2024.