Al Khobar Travel: Hotels and the Eastern Province

Al Khobar grew from a fishing village into a modern city after oil was discovered nearby in the 1930s, and it still has an easygoing, international feel shaped by decades of expatriate life. Together with Dammam and Dhahran it forms the Eastern Province's main metropolitan area, the business heart of the kingdom's energy industry.

The Corniche runs for about ten miles along the Gulf, lined with parks, promenades and cafes that come alive in the evening. South of the city, Half Moon Bay's calm, shallow water and beach resorts are a weekend favorite. Bahrain is a short drive across the causeway, so many travelers combine the two; see our Bahrain guide and Manama hotels.

The essential visit is Ithra, the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture in Dhahran, a striking cluster of stainless-steel-banded 'stones' housing a museum, library, theater, cinema and children's museum; check opening days on its website before you go. Next door is the site of Dammam Well No. 7, where Saudi oil was first found in commercial quantities.

Walk the Corniche at sunset, spend a day at a Half Moon Bay beach resort or take a boat out in the Gulf. The Eastern Province's seasonal festivals bring concerts and family events in the cooler months; see the events calendar. Farther afield, the Al Ahsa oasis, a UNESCO World Heritage Site with millions of date palms, is about a two-hour drive; see UNESCO World Heritage.

There are no nonstop flights from the US to Dammam. Fly nonstop to Riyadh with Saudia from New York JFK or Washington Dulles (about 12 hours), or with Delta from Atlanta (planned for March 2027), then take a short domestic flight or the train east. Alternatively, connect via Dubai, Doha or Abu Dhabi to Dammam, or fly into Bahrain and drive across the causeway in about 45 minutes, traffic and border formalities permitting. For private travel, see private jets and chauffeurs.

Spend the first morning at Ithra, lunch on Gulf seafood near the Corniche and watch the sunset from the water's edge as families gather for evening picnics. On day two, drive south to a Half Moon Bay beach resort, or head two hours inland to the palm groves, springs and clay-built Ibrahim Palace of Al Ahsa. Those with a third day can cross the causeway to Bahrain for its souk, the Bahrain National Museum and its celebrated dining, returning in the evening.