Dhahran

Dhahran (Arabic الظهران aẓ-Ẓahrān, meaning "the two backs") is a city in Saudi Arabia located in the country's Eastern Province not far from the Persian Gulf a short distance south of the larger port city of Dammam. Dhahran is, technically speaking, a fenced-in company compound, and only Saudi Aramco employees and their dependents may live inside. However, because the town's name is also used for the international airport (DHA) and US consulate, both located outside the Saudi Aramco compound, "Dhahran" is often used for convenience to refer to the larger metropolitan area that includes (Al-)Khobar, (Al-)Dammam, and many private residential compounds, all of which have grown together into a single megalopolis of over 1 million inhabitants.

Economy

Saudi Aramco, the national oil company with its headquarters in Dhahran. Saudi Aramco, is considered by many measures to be the largest oil company in the world with the largest oil reserves in the world, and it produces more oil per day than any other country or company in the world. Most of the oil is exported, since local Saudi needs require only a tiny percentage of the total production. Saudi Aramco is also the largest oil exporter in the world. (See: Saudi Aramco)

Related Topics:
Oil company - Saudi Aramco

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Sixty-five years on, Dhahran is still Saudi Aramco's worldwide headquarters and the center of the company's finance, exploration, engineering, drilling services, medical services, materials supply and other company organisations. Company-wide, Saudi Aramco has a very large multi-national workforce, totaling over 56,000 mainly Saudi employees scattered around the country, including approximately 9,000 expatriates from around the world. Saudi Aramco is the only oil company with operations in Dhahran, and everyone who lives in the compound is employed by the same company.

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