The governorate of Qatif – north to Dammam and the only one in Saudi Arabia – is predominantly inhabited by people who follow the Shi’ite faith of Islam, as opposed to the Sunni faith of Islam, which is followed by the vast majority of the country’s population. Many countries still advise against travel to Qatif for religious reasons. Please see for more information my ebook ‘EASTERN PROVINCE DAMMAM AL KHOBAR DHAHRAN AL AHSA‘.
Al Qatif is the name for both a governorate and the urban area. The region is a center for fishing and agriculture and it is not called an oasis city for no reason, it occupies a green oasis with rich agricultural lands and surrounded by palm groves. In addition, Qatif has some springs. The proximity to the sea and these springs have led to the fact that this area has been populated by people since ancient times.
Most of the sights in the Qatif region are located on Tarout Island. The island east of the city of Qatif and north of Dammam hosts one of the oldest sites in Qatif. The old center of Tarout Island, especially in the area around Tarout Castle and around the small neighbourhood of Deerah immediately adjacent to the north of the Castle, is one of the oldest.
