The cities of Alkhobar, Dhahran and Dammam are known as the “Triplet Cities,” for they are about 20 kilometers away from each other and essentially form one big city.
Alkhobar is home to Saudi Aramco, the world’s biggest oil and gas company, where many of the local and international residents work. The city is very pleasant, cosmopolitan, interesting and colorful. Here is a list of things you can do on your next visit to Alkhobar:
A picnic at the Corniche is always fun. It is the perfect place for family bonding, as the Corniche is filled with playgrounds for children and seating areas for families.
This place is full of life. You will find a great number of children riding on their bicycles or climbing on the play equipment while families enjoy a warm cup of tea and watch their children. You can also find men jogging along the shore to take advantage of the beautiful view of the gulf and the breezy weather there. It is a very clean and you will find many places selling tea that was prepared on hot charcoal (chai taha) and snacks for the Corniche visitors.
Around 20 minutes drive outside Alkhobar is the Half Moon Bay. At this beautiful shore families can enjoy water sports, scuba diving, swimming, fishing and picnicking in the rest areas made especially for this. You will usually find families barbecuing in the open areas while their children run around in the open playgrounds. On the other side of the Half Moon Bay there are a number of sand dunes. A nearby place rents buggies for around SR 70 per hour. Women are also allowed to go dune bashing. The buggies come in different sizes, from small or medium to large. The area also attracts 4X4 Jeeps that also join in the fun of dune bashing. Best time to visit the dunes is on weekends when it is alive and many people are free to visit.
Make sure to take your children to the Castle Park. This is one part amusement park, where children can play with built in games. The second part is the zoo where different kinds of pets, birds and animals are on display, such as rabbits, peacocks, camels, monkeys and more. The last section is the coffee shop with indoor and outdoor seating for parents to enjoy a snack while waiting for their children to have fun in this park.
Every animal cage has a sign showing the name of the animal, where it came from and what it eats. Children can choose the animal they want to pet and go to the small kiosk and buy the food and feed their animals.
Alkhobar Traditional Village Madhina at Al-Yarmuk Street is a beautiful place where you can enjoy traditional Saudi cuisine in an authentic Saudi restaurant. It features many products such as cars, old currency, clothing and home accessories that bring you back to the good old days. The food is offered in traditional private rooms where diners are seated on the floor. Some rooms are designed especially for seniors and the disabled who may prefer to enjoy their meal on regular tables.
Shopping is a big thing in Alkhobar. Many people like to spend their day at Al-Rashid Mall, the biggest shopping center in the Eastern Province. The mall offers international and local brands for clothing, accessories, cosmetics, home accessories, gift shops and more. There is also a section designed in an old cultural way with different coffee shops that serve local food and drinks. The mall offers a food court, coffee shops and restaurants for different tastes. There is also a section designed especially for women where they can enjoy shopping and dining without being exposed to men.
In Design Desert, on King Abdullah Street, you can find beautiful souvenirs and handmade products that reflect the authentic Saudi culture. It has been around since 1990 and it deals in Islamic treasures, antiques, handicrafts, gifts, hand-woven carpets, interiors and artwork. They also have an in-house café serving snacks and beverages. Their art gallery promotes Saudi artists and they regularly hold art exhibitions.
Last but not least is the exciting Sultan bin Abdulaziz Science and Technology Center, Scitech, which is affiliated to King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals. The educational center is located on the Corniche and it consists of seven main halls with more than 350 scientific exhibited pieces that all deal with different sciences and technologies.
The center aims to educate society, especially children and teenagers, about the principles of science and their application. The exhibits explain and simplify these principles by presenting them in an interactive and interesting style, depending on education through entertainment and education through experiment and observation.
In the heart of the business district, you will find the well-known Intercontinental Hotel, which resides in two huge towers. One tower hosts the luxury suites and standard rooms, as well Arome, the five-star Mediterranean restaurant on the ground floor, the second floor holds suites and Twist, the hotel buffet. Both towers have a health club that is open for 24 hours.
As soon as you walk into the hotel, you will find the Intercontinental team greeting you in a spacious lobby with a beautiful central piece with roses on it. The Tea Square lobby café has beautiful beige leather chairs and dark wooden tables. On the side a small counter serves luxury chocolates that have been made in-house and can be wrapped to go. The café serves snacks, beverages and deserts and on Thursday there is the chocolate bar that just started. They serve all kinds of chocolate delights: a real chocolate heaven.
Twist restaurant, with 112 seats, serves international breakfast, lunch, dinner and a Friday brunch buffet. Every night is a special night at the Twist, so in seven days they give you the opportunity to a world of flavors and call this the Festival of Flavors. On Saturday the Twist offers a feast of Italy with a selection of anti-pasti, main courses, desserts and cheese along with specialty focaccia and pizzas. On Sunday they serve a feast of the Seven Seas with a fresh selection of seafood from the waters of the Arabian Gulf.
On Monday there is the feast of India where diners can explore the spice trail of authentic Indian cuisine and on Tuesday comes the special night of the traditional Saudi cuisines prepared by their Saudi chef Ali Al-Ali. On this night you can learn a lot about the different dishes from different regions of Saudi Arabia. On Wednesday comes the international buffet where diners can choose from a selection of cuisines from the different continents of the globe. Finally on Friday is the seafood brunch where they give a special space for children to watch TV and play games.
The hotel’s spacious corridors offer natural sunlight to make you feel at home. Cameras and fire alarms are everywhere to make you feel safe. According to the manager, the fire alarm is connected directly to the Civil Defense to ensure the security of their guests. The hotel has 165 rooms and suites with different categories; all rooms are furnished in a contemporary modern taste in earthy colors. The tower has an outdoor pool with a juice bar and an outdoor play area for children. In the health club there is a massage room, steam room, sauna, and Moroccan hammam. Sadly, these are accessible to men only.
The Intercontinental in Alkhobar is perfect for the disabled as they have a number of rooms especially equipped with emergency buttons, special lights and vibrations for different kinds of disabilities.
To reach Alkhobar, either fly to King Fahd International Airport in Dammam and then drive to the city, or fly to Bahrain. Even though this is in a different country, it is in fact closer. You can drive via King Fahad Bridge that connects Bahrain to Saudi Arabia.
(This Citizen Journalist Report was filed by Rashed Al Marai in Al Khobar in Saudi Arabia)
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