Khobar
Discover Khobar
The newest of the Dammam-Dhahran-Khobar trio, Khobar is generally considered the most pleasant of the bunch, thanks to its seaside location and beachside Corniche. Besides, Khobar is most organised and has the best pedestrian friendly walk ways, and women have fewer restrictions (in terms of wearing a hijab) compared to other eastern cities. The nearest airport is in Dammam. Even though Dammam Airport hosts flights from places such as Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Dubai, Doha, Cairo and Istanbul, many travellers choose to enter the country via the Bahrain Airport and drive across the King Fahd Causeway to Khobar. Flying into Manama, Bahrain can be pleasant for some travellers from Western countries. Companies commonly book business flights into Manama instead of Dammam solely because the Bahrain International Airport has bars and airport lounges where drinks are served - usually a nice way for foreigners to spend their last few hours outside of a country where alcohol is illegal. Also, Bahrain International Airport is one of the best connected in the region, while most flights out of DMM would require a connection in Riyadh or Jeddah.
What to Experience in Khobar
Taste of Khobar...
If you enjoy fast food, local vendors such as Baba Habbas offer delicious and cheap hamburgers, fries and drinks that closely remind to the food in other parts of the world. One of the most traditional meals here is Chicken Shawaya with Rice which is basically chicken and rice - which is also a popular combination worldwide. Never try to ask for pork in Saudi Arabia as in most Islamic countries this is a prohibited food considered sinful. Stick to chicken, beef, seafood (Khobar is near to the seaside) and veg food. Alcoholic beverages are illegal, as they are in the rest of the kingdom. There are a lot of cafeterias in the city that serve a really tasty tea, known as "shay" by locals, which is sometimes served with milk or mint. Coffee and breakfast franchises such as Starbucks, Dunkin’ Donuts, and IHOP exist all around the city and they’re usually in malls and the Corniche.
Essential Information
Getting There
Multiple OptionsThe nearest airport is in Dammam. Even though Dammam Airport hosts flights from places such as Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Dubai, Doha, Cairo and Istanbul, many travellers choose to enter the country via the Bahrain Airport and drive across the King Fahd Causeway to Khobar. Flying into Manama, Bahrain can be pleasant for some travellers from Western countries. Companies commonly book business flights into Manama instead of Dammam solely because the Bahrain International Airport has bars and airport lounges where drinks are served - usually a nice way for foreigners to spend their last few hours outside of a country where alcohol is illegal. Also, Bahrain International Airport is one of the best connected in the region, while most flights out of DMM would require a connection in Riyadh or Jeddah. The Saudi-Bahraini Transport Company (SABTCO) has five buses daily to Bahrain, see that article for details. The SABTCO office is in the center of the city, just ask any taxi driver....
Getting Around & Staying
Getting Around
Khobar is vast and sprawling, and taxis are quite limited unless you are near town. You really need your own car to get around here, but just remember that lanes don't really mean all that much here. However, near town, you can pretty much catch a cab anywhere. At a hotel/compound, you will get a cab within 5-10 minutes of a call. The causeway connecting Saudi Arabia to Bahrain is worth looking at. One popular activity in Khobar is riding ATVs on the coast of the Arabian Gulf south of town. It's a lot of fun to run up and down the sand dunes or just along the beach in an ATV at 40 miles per hour. Most of the places where you can rent ATVs are managed by locals who do not speak English. While it is ideal to be accompanied by an Arabic-speaking companion, a visitor with a minimal level of cross-cultural communications skills will usually have no problem reaching an agreement. Prices vary depending on the operator and the size and quality of the ATVs.
Money & Budget
Mall of Dhahran - over 1,000,000 sq. feet of retail space. koko centre point If you enjoy fast food, local vendors such as Baba Habbas offer delicious and cheap hamburgers, fries and drinks that closely remind to the food in other parts of the world. One of the most traditional meals here is Chicken Shawaya with Rice which is basically chicken and rice - which is also a popular combination worldwide. Never try to ask for pork in Saudi Arabia as in most Islamic countries this is a prohibited food considered sinful. Stick to chicken, beef, seafood (Khobar is near to the seaside) and veg food. Alcoholic beverages are illegal, as they are in the rest of the kingdom.