A center of commerce in the Kingdom long before oil was discovered in the 1930's, Al-Khobar today is bustling with infrastructure project - the most important being the construction of highways that link the city to the neighboring municipalities of Dammam and Dhahran.
"We have a step-by-step development plan based on the needs of the city population, and the economies of both the Arab world and the global market," said Esam Al-Mulla, Al-Khobar City Director General. "We are not in a hurry to do all these because pacing the implementation of these plans is the essence of a successful city."
"There are new high-rise buildings up to 30 floors and over a dozen five-star hotels under construction, four of which are about to open, and several world-class malls," Al-Mulla said.
Mohammed Ali Al-Bakr, the city public relations manager, said that Al-Khobar's infrastructure and greening projects are drawing people from Riyadh on Thursdays before they descend to Bahrain the next day.
"Tourism is feeding our furnished apartments with plenty of occupancy," he said.
Already, the city has won two highly coveted regional awards from the Institute of Arabian Cities and Communities, an organization functioning under the aegis of the Arab League. Al-Khobar won second prize in the city beautification category in 2006, and first prize in health care administration and management this year.
"More than giving us prestige, these awards motivate us to do more," Al-Mulla said.
Al-Khobar is also emerging as a center for international business as more oil and petrochemical, mineral-based and telecommunication companies set up business there.
Education has not been forgotten. Recently, the academic courses at area universities, including the King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, were expanded. Business incubation projects and technology centers are also being set up by KFUPM in tandem with multinational companies that are about to start operations in Al-Khobar.
"The delivery of the best services to our citizens is a priority. We also want our expatriate community to grow with us, develop with us," said Al-Mullah.
By Joe Avanceña
© The Saudi Gazette 2007
