*** Welcome to piglix ***

Dhahran Airfield

King Abdulaziz Air Base
قاعدة الملك عبد العزيز الجوية
Dhahran International Airport
مطار الظهران الدولي
Dhahran, Eastern Province in Saudi Arabia
Saudi dhahran airport.jpg
King Abdulaziz Air Base is located in Saudi Arabia
King Abdulaziz Air Base
King Abdulaziz Air Base
Shown within Saudi Arabia
Coordinates 26°15′45.2″N 50°09′11.0″E / 26.262556°N 50.153056°E / 26.262556; 50.153056Coordinates: 26°15′45.2″N 50°09′11.0″E / 26.262556°N 50.153056°E / 26.262556; 50.153056
Type Airfield
Site information
Owner Armed Forces of Saudi Arabia
Operator Royal Saudi Air Force
Site history
Built 1961 (1961)
In use 1961-1999
1991-present
Garrison information
Garrison RSAF Wings 3 & 11
Airfield information
Identifiers IATA: DHA, ICAO: OEDR
Elevation 84 feet (26 m) AMSL
Runways
Direction Length and surface
16R/34L 3,660 metres (12,008 ft) Asphalt
16L/34R 3,600 metres (11,811 ft) Asphalt

King Abdulaziz Air Base (IATA: DHAICAO: OEDR), formerly Dhahran International Airport and Dhahran Airfield is a Royal Saudi Air Force Air Base located in Dhahran in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. It's the first airport ever built in Saudi Arabian soil. It was operated by the United States Air Force (USAF) from 1945 until 1962. After use by the USAF, Dhahran Airfield became Dhahran International Airport, as well as the co-located King Abdulaziz Air Base of the Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF). The military relationship that exists today between the United States and Saudi Arabia was highly influenced by the origin and development of this airfield. The base is close to other major cities in the area including Al-Thuqbah (5 km to the east), Khobar (5 km to the southeast), and Dammam (25 km to the northwest).

During World War II, the Persian Gulf and Arabian Peninsula were important staging and shipping routes for the U.S. to provide both lend-lease assistance to the Soviet Union, as well as supply the allied forces fighting the Imperial Japanese forces in Asia.

Owing to Saudi Arabia’s importance, primarily its location, in 1943 the US extended lend-lease status to Saudi Arabia, one of only three Arab countries to receive this aid. In 1944, the U.S. War Department (renamed in 1949 the United States Department of Defense) proposed building an airbase in or near Dhahran, Saudi Arabia.


...
Wikipedia

...