Road to Dhahran (Picture taken from Khobar way) Dhahran ([[Arabic language الظهران al-Dahrān), or Dharan is a city in Saudi Arabia. It is located in the eastern part of the country, on the shores of the Persian Gulf. It is a short distance south of the larger city of Dammam. Dhahran is a fenced in city, and only Saudi Aramco employees and their dependents may live inside. There are three categories of compounds in Dhahran for the employees; Al-Munirah for junior staff, Dhahran Hills (aka the Main Camp) for senior staff and their families, and Ar-Rabiyah for managers and executive vice presidents or above and their families. Ar-Rabiyah is also considered one of the classiest compounds in the whole region (also see Beverly Hills which was created by the Amalgamated Oil Company - similiar story). Sometimes Dhahran Hills is used to refer to any or all compounds rather than the Main Camp (Dhahran Hills). Dhahran is a major centre for the oil industry. Large oil reserves were first identified in the Dhahran area in 1931, and in 1935, the Standard Oil company of the United States drilled the first commercially viable oil well. Standard Oil later established a subsidiary in Saudi Arabia called the Arabian American Oil Company (ARAMCO), the forerunner to the modern Saudi Aramco (now fully owned by the Saudi government). Saudi Aramco still has its headquarters in Dhahran, and is considered by many measures to be the largest oil company in the world. The largest oil reservoir in the world is owned by Saudi Aramco, it produces more oil per day than any other country or company in the world. Most of the produced oil is exported, Saudi Aramco is also the largest oil exporter in the world. In the Gulf War, a significant number of United States military personnel were stationed in Dhahran. Some of these personnel remained in the city after the conclusion of the war, operating under Army Forces Central Command - Saudi Arabia (ARCENT-SA). On June 25, 1996, 19 American servicemen died in a terrorist bombing at Khobar Towers, a U.S. military complex near Dhahran which eventually led to the departure of US Forces in 2001.
Dhahran had the old Dhahran King Fahd Air Terminal. The new airport, Dhahran International Airport, is located outside of the city and serves Dammam. The old airport is now called King Abdulaziz Airbase, a major Royal Saudi Air Force base.
Dhahran is home to the King Fahd University for Petroleum and Minerals and Aramco Training Center (ITC) which includes the campus of College Preparatory Center.
Geography and Geology
Dhahran is a short distance north to Khobar and about 15km south to Dammam.The area is hilly/rocky and most of the early Saudi oil-wells were drilled in that area (such as the Prosperity Well, the first commercially viable oil well in Saudi Arabia). Longitude: 50°09'0 Latitude: 26°16'N Altitude a.s.l.: 26 m
History to be written
Demographics Pee Wee Baseball Winter Carnival Dhahran is known as the oil center in the first-ranked oil producing and exporting country in the world, therefore a lot of westerners live in Dhahran, in fact, Americans formed the majority of Dhahran population until late 1990's. Many commercial malls were built in Khobar (the neighbor city) and was economically prospered due to the flow of customers coming from Dhahran. Also some Dhahranians prefer to spend their weekends in Bahrain, which is connected to the neighboring city, Khobar, by King Fahd Causeway. Abu Hadriyah Street in the Hills
Law and Government Laws in Dhahran are completely distinct from the rest of Saudi Arabia, law enforcement forces as well as health care and fire protection are all responsibilities of Saudi Aramco, thus most Saudi government laws are not applicable in Dhahran, women can drive there and have no special code of clothes. On the other hand, safety rules are extreme when compared to the rest of the country, and violations (traffic, public safety...etc) may lead to serious consequenses, for example committing 3 traffic violations results in termination. The de facto government of Dhahran consists of some departments of Saudi Aramco that are related, such as Loss Prevention Department, Industrial Security Department , Community Services Department, Fire Protection Department...etc. Al Mujamma as seen from the Gate #4 Bus Stop .
Transportation Transportation in Dhahran was mainly designed to serve it as the oil center of the world, thus the roads in Dhahran are the best in condition in the entire country. There is an industrial railroad station in Dhahran. One of 3 international airports is a short distance west of Dhahran. Dammam seaport is easy to reach. Ras Tanura, the second major oil city (an oil seaport and oil-refining and storing center) is 50km north of Dhahran and connected with it by one highway. Aramco runs a free-of-charge Bus service that serves all residents to/from Dhahran, this service is very reliable and convenient. There is maonly no traffic jams in Dhahran even in rush hours except in front of the gates and around the core area (that is, the area which contains the office buildings such as the EXPEC, Tower Building, and ECC), however, that area has computer-controlled traffic lights to minimize the traffic impedance. Hamilton House (Guest House) - Dhahran City
Communications The Information Technology Department of Saudi Aramco administrates all communication in Dhahran. All telecom services are provided for free, as well as home internet (except ADSL). The ITD does not supervise mobile communications, mobile services are provided by STC.
Climate The weather in Dhahran, like much of the gulf area, is mainly warm. The summers are usually very hot and humid while the winters are cold. All buildings and houses are air conditioned by central air conditioning facilities. Dhahran International Airport
Media
Newspapers and Magazines All local papers are either owned by Saudi Aramco or special interest groups (SIGs), and they are all free. The main weekly is the Arabian Sun paper. Most Saudi Aramco owned papers and magazines are available online on [Aramco website (http://www.saudiaramco.com/|Saudi)]. The papers that are owned by SIGs are available online only through Saudi Aramco's internal network.
Television Dhahran used to be the only city in the whole region to have its own television channel (Channel 3, shut down in the 1990's). NBC, FOX, CNN, and other major channels broadcast in Dhahran through cables (free).
Sites of interest - Ar Rabiyah Compound
Rolling Hills Country Club House - Dhahran Hills Park
- Half-Moon Bay
- Dhahran Golf Course
- Saudi Aramco Oil Exhibit
- The Heritage Gallery
Rolling Hills Putting Area - Al-Fayrouz Theater
- Munira Ashgar's Museum
- U.S. Consulate General
- King's Road Theater
- Hamilton Guest House
- Dhahran Hobby Farm
- King's Road Library
- EXPEC Building (in the Admin Area)
- The Blue Mosque
- Engineering Complex (Office Buildings and Library)
- King's Road Recreation Area
- Steinecke Hall
- King's Road Ball Field
- Dhahran Dance Hall
- Tower Building (and the belowground tunnel network that connects it to the Engineering Building and EXPEC Building)
- Dhahran Rolling Hills Putting Area*Dolly Parton
- Dhahran International Hotel (Known for being the residence of foreign reporters during the Gulf War (Operation Desert Shield in 1990 and Operation Desert Storm in 1991), and the 1998 Operation Desert Fox. Remainings of a launched Patriot Missile are displayed in the main hall)
Sister Cities Dhahran is a sister city of Houston, Texas. In addition, though Dhahran is the largest in terms of area and population, it is one of four cities that follow the same style; only parts of Ras Tanura, Abqaiq, and Udhayliah have the similar appearance and services of Dhahran, as they are home to employees in remote areas. Ras Tanura is the refining and sea port center, Udhayliah and Abqaiq are mainly plants centers, whereas Dhahran today is not involved in oil business and operations more than being headquarters and office buildings of Saudi Aramco, and having the underground (in-mountain) oil operations controlling facilities. (Also see NORAD, same concept of protection)
Major yearly events Up to 2000, the city had special events in the Fourth of July and a parade in Christmas.
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