Over View
Dhahran is the administrative center of the Saudi oil industry and the headquarters of Saudi Aramco, the world’s largest oil producer. Located in the Eastern Province near the Persian Gulf, it is a highly developed, industrial city with a significant expatriate community. Dhahran is unique for its “American camp” style housing districts built for oil workers in the mid-20th century. Recently, it has become a cultural beacon with the construction of the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (Ithra), a futuristic architectural marvel housing museums, a library, and a theater, symbolizing the country’s shift toward a knowledge-based economy.
