Hafr Al-Batin Governorate

Hafr Al-Batin Governorate is one of the governorates of the Eastern Province classified as category (A), with twenty-three affiliated centers. It is located northeast of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and spans an area of 144 km. Its population is about 467,000 residents, including 331,700 Saudis and 135,300 non-Saudis. According to the Saudi Census 2022, the governorate's residents represent 9.1 percent of the Eastern Province's residents.

The governorate has twenty-three affiliated centers, in addition to Hafr Al-Batin City, the center of Hafr Al-Batin Governorate. These include Umm 'Ishar, Umm Qulayb, Umm Kedad, Al-Hamatiyyat, Al-Hayra, Adh-Dhibiyyah, Ar-Ruq'i, As-Su'ayyirah, As-Sulimaniyyah, As-Suban, Ash-Shifa', As-Sidawi, As-Sufayri, Al-Qalt, Al-Qaysumah, Al-Mityahah Al-Janubiyya, Al-Mutirqah, An-Nayfiyyah, An-Nadhim, Khobaira, Samudah, Ma'raj As-Suban, and Manakh.

It is the official body for developing Hafr Al-Batin Governorate, providing municipal services, and investing in available resources. Hafr Al-Batin Municipality was established in 1937. In 2018, the Council of Ministers approved upgrading the organizational status of Hafr Al-Batin municipality. Several sub-municipalities are affiliated with Hafr Al-Batin Municipality, including South Hafr Al-Batin, East Hafr Al-Batin, West Hafr Al-Batin, Al-Qaysumah, As-Sidawi, Adh-Dhibiyyah, and As-Suairah.

It is the only airport in Hafr Al-Batin Governorate, operated by the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA). Located in Al-Qaysumah City, it is a regional airport established in 1962. The airport has an annual capacity of over seven hundred thousand passengers. The total area of the domestic and international departure terminal is 2,300 m², while the shared arrival terminal for both domestic and international flights spans an area of 1,600 m². The airport includes various facilities, a service area, auxiliary buildings, check-in counters, and passport control desks.

The University of Hafr al-Batin (UHB) was established in 2014 after merging the Faculty of Education for Girls affiliated with Dammam University (now Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University) in Hafr Al-Batin, An-Nu'ayriyyah, Qaryat Al-Ulya, and Al-Khafji, with colleges under the umbrella of King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM). These colleges included the Community College and the Boys University Colleges.

UHB includes the following colleges: Engineering, Computer Science and Engineering, Business Administration, Applied College, Applied Medical Sciences, Science and Supportive Studies, Education, Pharmacy, and Arts. Additionally, it oversees colleges outside Hafr Al-Batin Governorate; namely the University College in Al-Khafji, the University College at Qaryat Al-Ulya, and the University College in An-Nu'ayriyyah.

Hafr Al-Batin Governorate is linked to the State of Kuwait by a land border through Ar-Ruqi Port, which facilitates the crossing of passengers and cargo between the two nations. The port's area exceeds six million m, including the administrative zone, which encompasses sixteen buildings for private and government entities operating at the port, in addition to the customs yard, a residential zone, and electricity and water plants. It also includes departure and arrival grounds designated for vehicles, others for the departure and arrival of trucks, and an area designated for examining cargo and consignments. Additionally, the port features a residential zone consisting of 320 housing units designated for the port's workers, for both families and singles, and a residential unit dedicated to maintenance and service contractors. There is also an electric power generation plant and a water desalination plant for the administrative zone, as well as another one dedicated to the residential zone.

Hafr Al-Batin Governorate features several annual festivals that reflect the governorate's nature and identity, where the desert blends with agriculture. These festivals include Hafr Al-Batin Falcons Festival, which is organized by Hafr Al-Batin Municipality, overseen by Hafr Al-Batin Governorate, and sponsored by the Saudi Falcons Club. The Ministry of Environment, Water, and Agriculture's branch in the Eastern Province organizes Hafr Al-Batin Agricultural Livestock Festival and the Agricultural Products Festival. Additionally, Hafr Al-Batin Chamber holds the Cattle Festival, while Hafr Al-Batin Governorate Municipality organizes the Desert Truffle Festival, as well as the Pasture Sustainability Festival implemented by the National Center for Vegetation Cover and Combating Desertification. Furthermore, the Camel Club organizes Hafr Al-Batin Camel Auction Festival, in addition to Hafr Al-Batin Festival for Spring and Heritage and the 'Our Joyous Days' Festival.