Uqair (Arabic: العقير), also transliterated as al-'Uqair, Uqayr, and Ogair, is an ancient seaport located in the Al-Ahsa Governorate of the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia.

Situated on the Persian Gulf coast, it is considered one of the earliest seaports in the region and has been linked to the ancient city of Gerrha mentioned in classical Greek and Roman sources.

Until the 1930s, when road connections to Dammam, Qatif, and al-Hasa were established, most imports for Hofuf and inland regions passed through Al Uqayr via caravans.

While the exact location of Gerrha remains debated, Uqair has been proposed as a potential candidate due to its proximity to the Al-Ahsa Oasis and its position along ancient trade routes.

The notorious shifting sands of the desert have made it difficult to locate the trading emporium, well described in general history and archeological texts.

And later Strabo quotes Artimedoros: "by the incense trade ... the Gerrhaei have become the richest of all the tribes and possess great quantity of wrought articles in gold and silver.

"[5] In 200 BC a Greek grammarian named Agathrachides, who wrote a book on the Erythraean (modern Red) Sea now lost, is quoted by the Roman geographer/historian Strabo on Gerrha: "from their trafficking, the Gerrhaeans have become the richest of all; and they have a vast equipment of both gold and silver articles, such as couches and tripods and bowls, together with drinking vessels and very costly houses; for doors and wall and ceilings are variegated with ivory and gold and silver set with precious stones.

"[6] The city of Gerrha played a central role in the interchange of commodities of certain regions of the Arabian Peninsula during the reign of the Seleucid King Antioch III, (223 - 187 BC).

"[7] Trade through Gerrha was heavy in the time of Antioch; Strabo writes: "the leading people of this time were the Gerrhaeans, and the Arab tribe whose capital lay on the mainland just opposite Bahrain made ... enormous incomes by trading the precious wares of Arabia and India to the mouths of the Euphrates and Tigris, along the upper course of the rivers by ancient caravan routes to the coast of Syria and Phoenicia even as far as Delos and the Aegean Sea.

[10] Trade and commerce of early civilizations in the Persian Gulf region was both the umbilical cord to surrounding cultures and the eventual physical link that has allowed scientists and researchers to literally piece together its murky history.

The second sea of fresh water that lay beneath the gulf and was believed to flow from the Tigris and Euphrates under the ground to present Bahrain - in the land called Enki.

"Dilmun founded a maritime network unrivaled for its breadth by any other in the early days of man's world ... it was home of the Utunapishtim, who survived the flood, it was soapstone for figurines, alabaster for bowls, carnelian heads beads, cowries and pearls ... it was copper and lapis lazuli."[12].

[13] Geoffrey Bibby, an English archeologist who excavated on the island of Bahrain from 1954 to 1969 and claimed it to be Dilmun, included Uqair, across the straits, in his investigations, visiting it on three separate journeys, in 1963 by air only, and in 1965 and in 1968 by land.

But as Bibby concludes ... "in the cities of the Greek period on Bahrain and the temple of towns of the Seleucid on Failaka (an island off the coast of Kuwait once thought to be a Hellenistic foundry of coins) farush was never used.

"[16] Northwest of Uqair, referred to as the salt mine site, or Gerrha, are the extensive remains of irrigation works and fields visible on aerial photographs of the area, some of which may be dated to the Hellenistic period.

A large source of fresh water near the Persian Gulf is reason enough to create a trading port located at Uqair and to facilitate the civilization that flourished at Al-Hasa.

It is well documented that the Al-Hasa region and most notably Uqair were once considered to be strong candidates for the possible lost city of Gerrha, an emporium of trade and mercantile activity dating to at least 225 BC.

A large structure still stands on the island of Bahrain (1521 AD) in recognition of its importance as a favorable position to assert their power and control of the Persian Gulf by way of the Straits of Hormuz.

In 1920, British High Commissioner for Iraq Sir Percy Cox met King Abdulaziz at Al Uqayr, and in late 1922, they negotiated and signed the Uqair Protocol of 1922.

This meeting established the Kingdom's boundaries with Iraq and Kuwait and created the Neutral Zones, which allowed tribes from both sides to access traditional wells and grazing grounds.

However, the advent of automobiles and the challenges posed by Al Uqayr's shallow offshore waters and sandy terrain led to its decline as a major port.

The development of easier land routes closer to the newly discovered oil fields further facilitated the transport of resources and personnel, further impacting Uqair's role.

A paved road to the harbor was planned, along with a combined seawater desalination and power plant capable of producing 25 million gallons per day.

[26] During his visit, the American missionary Samuel Zwemer noted that the local ruler, Abdulwadood, resided there with approximately sixty officials, soldiers, and customs officers.

Ottoman documents indicate that Uqair Port maintained a permanent military force, including regular infantry, gendarmerie, and cavalry units.

The main entrance is located on the southern side, and the mosque lacks a minaret, indicating the absence of a significant residential population in the port area.

[27] Nearby, a courtyard is adorned with short cylindrical columns, reflecting local and Islamic architectural influences, evoking the bustling market atmosphere of the past.

Located approximately 600 yards northwest of the Customs Building, the tower is a cylindrical structure protecting a freshwater well that supplied water to Uqair.

[27] Built on an elevated hill overlooking Uqair Fort, about three kilometers to the northwest, the tower stands on a high plateau visible from the main road leading to the port.

[2] Major highways: Historically, Uqair's economy was driven by its role as a trading port, facilitating the exchange of goods between the Arabian Peninsula, Mesopotamia, and beyond.