The Eastern Province Mayoralty, in collaboration with a Thai investor, is set to launch the first phase of the Dammam Global City project by the end of November, a news report said.

The project combines culture, entertainment, and commerce and is expected to attract visitors from within the Kingdom and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, said a Saudi Gazette report.

The report quoted Faisal Al-Zahrani, spokesman of the mayoralty, as saying that the Global City is one of the major strategic projects being implemented by the mayoralty as part of its plans to support the entertainment and investment sectors. “This will bring about a qualitative leap in the quality of life and contribute to enhancing the Eastern Province's appeal as a tourist and economic destination, attracting visitors and investors from within the Kingdom and abroad,” he said.

Al-Zahrani noted that the first phase of the project includes pavilions representing 16 countries, in addition to an open-air theatre with a capacity of approximately 10,000 people, a floating restaurant on an artificial lake, an open-air and electronic games area, as well as water games and international cuisines representing the cultures of the participating countries, offering visitors an interactive experience that combines entertainment and cultural diversity.

He said that the investment in the first phase is approximately SR200 million, and will rise to more than SR600 million upon completion of all phases.

Al-Zahrani pointed out that the project's location between Dammam and Qatif, near the Abu Hadriyah Road, was carefully chosen to facilitate access from various cities in the region and to capitalise on the Eastern Province's location overlooking the Arabian Gulf. 

The project spreads over an area exceeding 600,000 sq m, including approximately 240,000 sq m of an artificial lake, the largest of its kind in the region. Surrounding the lake are recreational and tourist facilities, international restaurants, and open-air event spaces, making the Global City a prominent landmark in Dammam's urban landscape.