Qatif or Al-Qatif (Arabic: ٱلْقَطِيف Al-Qaṭīf) is a governorate and urban area located in Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia.

It extends from Ras Tanura and Jubail in the north to Dammam in the south, and from the Persian Gulf in the east to King Fahd International Airport in the west.

Qatif is one of the oldest settlements in Eastern Arabia; its history goes back to 3500 BC, more than 5,000 years ago, and was part of the Bahrain Region which was called Dilmun at that time and the Sumerians knew it as the land of paradise, immortality, and life.

"[7][6] Its survival in the midst of desert surroundings is due not only to its being a coastal city but to the fact that Qatif is a green oasis with rich agricultural soil.

The older name also survives as the eponym of several well-known local families ("Al-Khatti", spelled variously in English).

[13] Ibn Battuta, visited Qatif in 1331 and found it a large and prosperous city inhabited by Arab tribes whom he described as "extremist Shi`is".

In 1818 the Saudi State was destroyed in the Ottoman-Saudi War and the commander of the mostly Egyptian troops, Ibrahim Pasha, took control of Hofuf, only to evacuate it the next year and return to the west coast.

The decline was accelerated by a special "Jihad" tax imposed by the Saudis (then the Sultanate of Nejd), which was used to fund military campaigns.

The economic situation became so dire that many citizens were imprisoned for unpaid taxes, including several wealthy landowners and merchants.

Riots broke out in several towns, and a large group escaped to Bahrain and requested protection from the British consul.

[16] Approximately 60,000 Shias (estimate of 1969) live in the oasis town of Qatif, which is about 65 km (40 mi) from the main Saudi refinery and the export terminal of Ras Tanura.

When American jets landed in Dhahran Air Base for manoeuvres, citizens of Qatif organized a big demonstration.

A bloody showdown between the armed forces and the Shiites continued until 30 November 1979, in which thousands were arrested, hundreds injured and 24 killed.

[17] [18] On 10 March 2011, in the wake of the Arab Spring and a day before a "day of rage" planned by Saudi internet users, consisting of protests across Saudi Arabia; 'dozens' of Shias attended a rally in the city centre calling for political reforms in the kingdom and the release of prisoners allegedly held without charge for more than 16 years.

[25] The march on 10 February 2012 was reportedly organised to protest against the killings of demonstrators, who were calling for reforms, an end to sectarian discrimination and the release of political prisoners.

At the beginning of each Hijri year, Qatif is draped with black, red and green banners and flags over houses, alleys and roads, which is intended to announce the state of mourning and the start of the Ashura season from the beginning of the month of Muharram until the end of the month of Safar in commemoration of the days of Ashura in which Hussein bin Ali, grandson of Muhammad was killed in the Battle of Karbala.

[31] These days have a special importance for the majority of the Qatif community, in which shops are closed and no marriages take place, and any sign of joy is abolished, and black or dark colors are worn.

During the 10 days, small kiosks are erected by volunteers in the squares and streets to provide free food, sweets and beverages to the audience and passers-by.

[32] The children chant folk songs, while they roam the neighborhoods with large bags to collect candy distributed from houses.

The three biggest clubs are from the three major cities: Notable players from qatif: Saudi Aramco (the Saudi national oil company) completed the development of the Qatif Project in October 2004, comprising facilities to produce, process and transport 80,000 cubic metres per day (500,000 bbl/d) of blended Arabian light crude oil from the Qatif field and 48,000 m3/d (300,000 bbl/d) of Arabian medium crude oil from the offshore Abu Sa'fah field (total 130,000 m3/d (800,000 bbl/d)), plus 10 million cubic metres per day (370×10^6 cu ft/d) of associated gas.

SABIC is the largest employer in Qatif, However, some Qatifi are also working in other oil, petrochemical, and engineering companies located in Dhahran, Khobar, Dammam, Ras Tanura, or Jubail.

[34] Qatif is home to several educational facilities built by the government and Aramco, ranging from elementary to secondary schools.

Air travel is provided by King Fahd International Airport, the distance from the terminal to the city center is 30 km (19 mi).

The bus rapid transit (BRT) system, launched in 2023, provides transportation within some parts of Qatif and connects to neighboring cities like Dhahran, Dammam, and Khobar.

The network spans 453 kilometers and includes 212 bus stops across all the cities, ensuring convenient travel both within Qatif and to other governorates.