Al-Qatif Governorate

Al-Qatif Governorate is one of the governorates in the Eastern Province of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It is located seventeen km north of the city of Dammam, the seat of the emirate of the province. Al-Qatif Governorate covers an area of eight hundred km and has a population of 552,442 people, according to the 2022 Saudi Census. This makes it the third-largest governorate in the Eastern Province in terms of population. The geographical features of the governorate are diverse, as al-Qatif overlooks the coast of the Arabian Gulf from the east and south and is bordered to the west and north by the plains and sandy plateaus of al-Bayda Desert.

The municipality of al-Qatif Governorate was established by the order of the Founding King Abdulaziz Bin Abdulrahman Al Saud in 1927. It is considered the second municipality to be established in the history of the Kingdom after the Jeddah Municipality. The governorate derives its authenticity from its historical significance and strategic location. It is situated on an agricultural oasis called al-Qatif, from which it took its name in reference to the picking of fruits (al-qatf in Arabic). Several civilizations have inhabited it for more than five thousand years. One of the most famous ancient trade routes that connected Najran and al-Jarha passed next to it. It also has the historical Tarout Castle.

Al-Qatif Governorate is renowned for its fertile agricultural land. It has more than two thousand farms and over 250,000 palm trees, producing approximately eight thousand t of dates annually, in addition to a variety of other agricultural crops.

Al-Qatif Governorate is known for its ancient fish and seafood market, which is considered one of the largest fish markets in the Middle East. Hundreds of species of seafood are sold there, with daily inflows exceeding one hundred t.

Al-Qatif Governorate is considered the first governorate to produce Arabian light crude oil by blending it with light and medium oil. It has onshore and offshore facilities, as well as storage warehouses for oil production. Additionally, it features thirty-four man-made drilling islands and one thousand km of oil pipeline. The province's production capacity reaches five hundred thousand barrels of oil and 370 million cu ft of associated gas daily.

According to the level of civil services in the governorate, al-Qatif is classified as a Category (A) governorate. Four centers are administratively affiliated with it: Saihat, Anak, Safwa, and al-Awamiyah. It also includes the villages of al-Awjam, al-Qudaih, al-Khuwaildiyah, al-Jaroudiya, Umm al-Hamam, Sanabis, Dareen, and Tarout Island.