Ad Dammam, town lies in eastern Saudi Arabia, in Ash Sharqiyah (Al Hasa) Province, on the Persian Gulf. It is one of the nation's chief ports, serving as a major exporting point for petroleum and natural gas. King Faisal University (1975) is here. Ad Dammam was a small coastal community until the late 1930s, when it began to be developed as a port. Several large-scale residential and commercial building projects were undertaken here in the 1970s and early 1980s. The port city is well connected by road, rail, and air with the rest of Saudi Arabia, as well as with its neighboring countries. Apart from housing the main seat of the Easter Province administration, Dammam is a major residential and commercial center. An important section of King Faisal University is located here. Dammam is about 400 km away from Riyadh. It is the capital of the Eastern region and a very important port. It was a separate small town but now it has become one big town, linking Al-Khobar and Al-Dhahran. Dammam is now a major commercial center.
