The Emirate of the Eastern Province is one of the thirteen provincial emirates in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Organizationally, it falls under the Ministry of Interior, and its responsibilities include coordinating and collaborating with government entities during the planning phases to provide all services to citizens and residents.
Establishment of the Emirate of the Eastern Province
The Emirate of the Eastern Province was established after the unification of the Kingdom. It operates from its headquarters in Dammam City, located on King Abdulaziz Road, approximately forty-three km away by car from King Fahd International Airport. The visual identity of the Ministry of Interior serves as its logo.
Governorates affiliated with the Emirate of the Eastern Province
The Eastern Province Emirate oversees twelve governorates. According to the Law of Provinces issued in 1992 and amended by a Royal Decree in 1993, each emirate comprises several governorates divided into two categories, (A) and (B,) and several centers. The division considered the demographic, geographical, and security situations, transportation routes, environmental conditions, and the historical significance of each governorate.
The governorates of the Eastern Province include seven governotates in Category (A): al-Ahsa, Hafar al-Batin, al-Jubail, al-Qatif, al-Khobar, al-Khafji, and al-Udayd, while Category (B) encompasses five governorates, which are Ras Tanura, Abqaiq, al-Nuayriyah, Qaryat al-Ulya, and al-Bayda. Collectively, they comprise around 116 administrative centers.
Emirate of the Eastern Province mandate
The primary responsibilities of the Emirate of the Eastern Province include ensuring security, overseeing the administration of justice in the Province, verifying the efficiency and effectiveness of the services provided to the region's residents, and working to improve and develop these services.
Each province has a prince appointed by a Royal Decree with the rank of a minister. In 2013, a Royal Decree appointed Prince Saud bin Nayef bin Abdulaziz as the Prince of the Eastern Province. In 2017, another Royal Decree was issued appointing Prince Ahmed bin Fahd bin Salman as the deputy of the Prince of the Eastern Province with an excellent rank.
Statistics on Eastern Province
According to the Saudi census of 2022, the population of the Eastern Province is approximately 5,125,254 people, while the average population density in the province is about 7.6 people per km. It ranks third among the Kingdom provinces in terms of population. The area of the Eastern Province is about 540,000 km2, representing 27.6 percent of the Kingdom's total area. It is considered the largest region in Saudi Arabia in terms of space.
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