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 nationalities).
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. There is a
Pakistani school, Pakistan
International School; where children
of most of Pakistani residents study
from kindergarten to 12th grade, as
well as a Filipino school and at
last count, three English medium
international schools.
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.
The city is divided into four
areas: Khobar, Subekha, Thuqba and
Aqrabia. While Khobar, Subekha and
Thuqba are mainly commercial areas
with not much residential scope,
Aqrabia consists of mostly
residential complexes, accommodating
about 50% of the city's population.
The city used to have a model of
the space shuttle
Discovery to commemorate the
space flight of
Sultan Salman Al Saud, the first
Saudi in space (on
STS-51-G).
Together, Khobar,
Dhahran and
Dammam are often known as "the
triplet cities".
The
following are some pictures and
locations in Alkhobar city: |
