Al-Khobar
| Al-Khobar | |
|---|---|
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|
 Al-Khobar
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| Coordinates: 26°17′N 50°12′E / 26.283°N 50.200°ECoordinates: 26°17′N 50°12′E / 26.283°N 50.200°E | |
| Country |
 Saudi Arabia
|
| Province | Eastern Province |
| Established | 1940s |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Sulaiman Althunayyan |
| • Provincial Governor | Saud bin Nayef Al Saud |
| Population (2012) | |
| • City | 941,358 |
| • Urban | 4,140,000 |
| Dammam Municipality estimate | |
| Postal Code | (31952) |
| Area code(s) | +966-13 |
| Website | e-amana.gov.sa |
Al-Khobar (also spelled Khobar or al-Khubar; Arabic: الخبر) is a large city located in the Eastern Province of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on the coast of the Persian Gulf. It is one of the largest cities in the Gulf Cooperation Council, with a population of 941,358 as of 2012. Al Khobar, Dammam, and Dhahran are part of the Dammam metropolitan area, the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Saudi Arabia with an estimated population of over 4,100,000 as of 2012. All three urban centers are served by the King Fahd International Airport which is the largest airport in the world, and King Abdul Aziz Port. Together, they are often known as "The Triplet Cities" by many natives and locals. Dammam, Dhahran and Al Khobar are less than 15 km (9.3 mi) apart and form one metropolitan area, the fifth largest in the kingdom and sixth in the Gulf Cooperation Council.
Many of Al Khobar's residents work for Saudi Aramco, the world's largest oil company, Al Khobar also hosts many regional and international companies. Traditionally, Khobar has also been a city of shopkeepers and merchants, and the city today has many modern malls and boulevards with shops run by international franchises and restaurants.
Al Khobar today has many skyscrapers, with more under construction.
In earlier days, Khobar was a small port on the Persian Gulf coast, a fishing village inhabited mainly by Al Dossary tribe members. With the discovery of oil in the 1930s, it was transformed into a commercial and shopping center and 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 water front along the Persian Gulf into a corniche with parks, eateries, and family beaches.
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