Saudi Arabia’s Dammam to debut new tourist attraction in November

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Render of Dammam Global City

Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province is preparing to unveil a major new tourism destination this month with the opening of Dammam Global City, an experience built around an artificial lake and designed to blend leisure, entertainment and culture.

Located between Dammam and Qatif near Abu Hadriyah Road, the SAR600 million development, a collaboration with Thailand, covers more than 600,000 square metres and will open to visitors from 20 November 2025, launching its first season through April 2026.

Part of Dammam’s expanding waterfront, Global City’s first phase includes a 240,000-square-metre artificial lake – the largest in the region – with a floating Thai-inspired food market, water activities, walking tracks and open-air event spaces.

Render of Dammam Global City

There will also be 16 pavilions highlighting cultures from countries such as India, Turkey, China and Thailand, alongside an open-air theatre seatsing up to 10,000, dedicated gaming zones and restaurants serving international dishes.

Future phases will see the addition of an amusement park, waterpark, expanded festival district, more country pavilions, stunt venues, further dining clusters and retail, plus a new Global Arena exhibition space and residential neighbourhoods.

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Speaking on the development, Eastern Province Municipality spokesman Faisal Al-Zahrani said the project will “enhance the Eastern Province’s appeal as a tourist and economic destination, attracting visitors and investors from within the kingdom and abroad".

Once complete, the attraction aims to rival Dubai’s Global Village in scale, which attracted a record 10.5 million visitors in its 2024-25 season.

Dammam Global City forms part of a broader waterfront transformation that includes major upgrades to the Dammam Corniche, including new walkways, landscaped green zones, family areas, art installations, modern entertainment venues, mixed-use developments and a new pipeline of hotels, including a Spark by Hilton.

This destination aligns with Saudi’s strategy to grow its visitor attractions, as it targets 150 million annual visitors by 2030. Also opening this year, Qiddiya City Six Flags theme park near Riyadh is slated to make its debut on 31 December.

For more information, visit globalcitydammam.com