Abqaiq

Abqaiq, also known as the “Friendly City,” has a population of 1,500 and serves as Saudi Aramco's main oil processing center. The community lies near the Rub' al-Khali, the largest continuous body of sand in the world. It's also about 46 miles southwest of Dhahran and about 40 miles from the oasis city of Hofuf, known for its ancient caves, pottery works and markets that sell gold and fabric as well as fruits and vegetables ..

Abqaiq has extensive facilities, with the dining hall, snack bar, library and meeting rooms all located in a large recreation complex near the community center. The community school is centrally located, as is Abqaiq’s commissary mall, which houses the grocery store, bank, mail center, travel office, beauty salon and Community Information Center (CIC) ...

The community also has stables with horseback riding, two swimming pools, a weight room, bowling alley, jogging track, baseball and soccer fields, tennis and basketball courts, and an 18-hole grassless golf course with clubhouse. At the company's private beach about 40 minutes away, expatriates enjoy fishing, sunbathing, sailing and swimming.

Close to Abqaiq, the town of Medinat is home to restaurants, a gold market (suq) and a fruit and vegetable market ...