Qatif

Qatif (Arabic: ٱلْقَطِيف, romanized: al-Qaṭīf) is a governorate located in Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia. It extends from Ras Tanura and Jubail in the north to Dammam in the south, and from the Persian Gulf in the east to King Fahd International Airport in the west, The governorate includes three major cities‒Qatif City, Safwa City, and Saihat City‒along with numerous towns, villages, and the island of Tarout. Each city and town has its own sub-municipality operating under the main municipality. Qatif is one of the oldest settlements in the Arabian Peninsula. Its history goes back to 3500 BC, more than 5,000 years ago, and it was a key part of Eastern Arabia, also known as Greater Bahrain. It was known to the Sumerians as Dilmun and according to the Epic of Ziusudra, is where King Ziusudra (the Sumerian Noah) came to dwell after the floodwaters receded and his boat came to rest. Qatif, along with Al-Ahsa, are the historical core of the modern-day Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. Both governorates are home to indigenous populations of Shia Muslims who have resided in the region for centuries. In contrast, cities such as Dammam and Khobar are relatively recent developments, established in the 20th century, with populations that largely migrated from Najd. Before the discovery of oil, Qatifi people used to work as merchants, farmers, and fishermen. However, with the development of the oil fields in the late 1940s, Qatif lost its status as an important port to Dammam, and since the 1990s has focused on the oil industry, public services, education, and healthcare sectors. Several travelers visited the city, most famously Abulfeda, who wrote: "Al-Qatif: a town next to Al-Ahsa, of a beautiful nature, whose people are well-groomed, and it is on the Arab side of the Persian Sea coast." Ibn Battuta...