Dhahran, Arabic Al Ẓahrān, was founded exclusively for the employees of the Saudi Arabian Oil Company (SAUDI ARAMCO).
The company’s employees – many of whom are from the U.S. – moved to this city, which is also known as “little America in the desert” for this reason. It is therefore not surprising that the town is often compared to any suburb of any large American city, with rows of clapboard houses, most of them single-storey, some equipped with a small porch where its inhabitants may enjoy their barbecue on weekends. The main street – King’s Street – passes manicured gardens, grocery stores, medical facilities, and a movie theatre.
Dhahran’s King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture, also known as ITHRA, is certainly at the top of all sights in Dhahran and it is a highlight in the Eastern Province as a whole. The Ithra Center was designed by the Norwegian architectural firm Snøhetta. The complex consists of four interconnected units, some of which are seen as a collection of stones or pebbles, and others as modelled on the rock formations of the Jabal Al Qarah Mountains of Al Ahsa. The center has provided the local population with unprecedented access to a wide range of learning and cultural facilities, including – but not restricted to – an auditorium, a cinema, a library with over 200,000 books, a large exhibition hall and finally a museum and archives.
