[1] The area that eventually became Dammam was settled by the Dawasir tribe around 1923, with permission of King Ibn Saud.

Following the unification of Saudi Arabia, Dammam was made the capital of the newly formed Eastern Province.

Dammam is known for being a major administrative center for the Saudi oil industry, contributing to the export volume of the city's King Abdul Aziz Sea Port.

[2] The city and the rest of the Eastern Province are served by the King Fahd International Airport (KFIA), the largest airport in the world in terms of land area (approximately 780 km2 [300 sq mi]), located about 31 km (19 mi) northwest of the city.

Dammam was founded in 1923 by the Al Dawasir tribe that migrated from Bahrain after King Abdul Aziz allowed them to settle within the area.

However, this gave the population of Khobar a lift, together with the formation of close ties with the larger city of Dammam.

[3] The work on the cellar for the first drilling rig in Dammam started approximately in January 1935, and ended on 19 February 1935.

This led to experts and technicians from in and round the kingdom gathering to assist in the hunt for new oil fields and bring them on-stream.

As it has in other parts of the dominion, the Ministry of Health has established several modern hospitals and a network of healthcare facilities within the Dammam Area.

Within a few decades, a locality that had several hundred inhabitants some sixty years ago now boasts a population of more than 1.5 million, and is still growing at a sustained high rate.

Later, all commercial air transport facilities were transferred to the larger King Fahd International Airport, approximately 20 kilometers (12 miles) northwest of Dammam.

One of the most significant factors contributing to the growth of the area was land reclamation; vast stretches of the shallow Persian Gulf were reclaimed.

Rainfall in Dammam is generally sparse, and usually occurs in small amounts in the winter months of November, December and January; with periodic heavy thunderstorms.

Summer temperatures are extremely hot, owing to the region's geographic location; and continually exceed 40 °C (104 °F) during daylight hours from March to October.

Nights during summer generally feature temperatures higher than 35 °C (95 °F) and very high humidity, due to the urban heat island effect.

[9] There is evidence that several building foundations and underground infrastructures in Dammam have been structurally weakened by a rising water table.

Various sources, including precipitation, seawater intrusion and leakage from underground water networks and sewage pipes, were anecdotally suspected to be contributors to the rising shallow water-table problem.

A recent study by T. M. Iwalewa and others has revealed that leakages from drinking-water supply and sewage-collection pipe networks are the major contributors to the rise in the water table in the city.

The study showed that the rising shallow water-table problem represents a serious threat to the present and future development of the city.

With plethora of oil reserves and presence of necessary infrastructures such as international airport, seaport and cargo terminal contributes to the city's development.

Being the main airport in the Eastern Province, Dammam is well connected by air with other cities in the Middle East, Asia, Africa and Europe.

[21] Dammam will serve as an important junction on the proposed Gulf Railway connecting all six GCC member states.

The city is located along the proposed main line connecting Kuwait with Oman via Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

The first line will link Tarout Island with King Fahd Causeway via Qatif, Dammam and Dhahran.

[26][27] It mainly covers Dammam, Al Khobar, Qatif, and Dhahran, over a distance of 453 kilometers, with 212 bus stops.

Cricket is popular among the South Asian expatriates living in the city.Shopping Dammam is home to many local markets and malls.

[30] Many expats choose to congregate in Dammam's shopping and entertainment hubs which at the moment also boast a multiplex showing films in both local and foreign languages.

The center has been listed in Time magazine as one of the world's top 100 places to visit and attracted one million visitors in 2019.

[32] According to statistics released by the Ministry of Economy and Planning, in 2011, home ownership among Saudi citizens in Dammam was 42.4%.

To its south lies Half Moon Bay, while its west is covered by the comparatively larger governorates of Jubail in the northwest and Buqayq in southwest.