It was a source of inspiration.
In time immemorial, this fertile landscape served as a welcoming resting place for early pilgrims on their way to Mecca, and the oasis of al-Ahsa was an important branch for caravans crossing the region’s ancient trade routes. It was a dot.
Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, its iconic rock formations inspired the King of Dhahran to shape his Abdulaziz World Cultural Center (Ithra). Its cutting-edge design reflects the composition of these massive boulders.
Yet, despite the allure of the Eastern Province’s natural, cultural, and historical wonders, it has long been marginalised in the popular imagination by its other abundant resource, oil.
On March 3, 1938, Standard Oil of California drilled what would become the world’s largest oil well. A discovery known as the “Prosperity Well” changed Saudi Arabia forever.
The heritage of the area dates back thousands of years, with ancient sites mentioned in Greek and Roman sources. The Safaniya oil field off the coast of the state is the world’s largest offshore oil field.
Now that the Kingdom is looking to diversify its economy away from hydrocarbons, authorities are targeting the Eastern Province as a tourist destination and, thanks to its fertile soil, as a place to grow a rich variety of crops, especially dates. Recognizing the vast untapped potential
On May 12, the kingdom finally announced that the Lieutenant Governor of the Eastern Province, Ahmad Bin Fahad Bin, would be appointed to fulfil the full potential of Al-Ahsa. established the board of directors for the Al-Ahsa Development Authority, headed by Prince Salman.
“This decision reflects the leadership’s willingness to invest in Al-Ahsa’s comparative advantage and leverage it for economic projects in line with Vision 2030,” said the executive director of the Asharkia Chamber of Commerce and Industry. One of them, Ibraheem Alshekmubarak, told Arab News.
Today, Al Ahsa, a city of about 1.3 million inhabitants, is home to canals, springs, gardens, and drainage lakes, as well as historic Neolithic buildings and archaeological treasures. In 2018, it joined the UNESCO Creative Cities Network.
