Eastern Province · Saudi Arabia
Khobar travel guide
Khobar is a city in Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia, home to about 220,000 people.
- Best months
- November to March
- Nearest airport
- BAH42 km · Bahrain International Airport
- Currency
- SARSaudi riyal
- Time zone
- Asia/Riyadh
- Language
- Arabic
About
About Khobar
Al Khobar (Arabic: ٱلْخُبَر, romanized: al-Khobar) is a city and governorate in the Eastern Province of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, situated on the coast of the Persian Gulf.
The newest of the Dammam-Dhahran-Khobar trio, Khobar is generally considered the most pleasant of the bunch, thanks to its seaside location and beachside Corniche. Besides, Khobar is most organised and has the best pedestrian friendly walk ways, and women have fewer restrictions (in terms of wearing a hijab) compared to other eastern cities.
Wikipedia and Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Things to do
What to see and do in Khobar
Do
One popular activity in Khobar is riding ATVs on the coast of the Arabian Gulf south of town. It's a lot of fun to run up and down the sand dunes or just along the beach in an ATV at 40 miles per hour. Most of the places where you can rent ATVs are managed by locals who do not speak English. While it is ideal to be accompanied by an Arabic-speaking companion, a visitor with a minimal level of cross-cultural communications skills will usually have no problem reaching an agreement. Prices vary depending on the operator and the size and quality of the ATVs. 80 to 120 Riyal an hour is usually considered a fair rate. The coast south of Khobar along "Half-Moon Bay" also has numerous beaches.
- Prince Saud bin Jalawi Sports City
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
When to go
The best time to visit Khobar
The most comfortable months for a city stay in Khobar are November to March. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 43 °C; March is the wettest, with about 21 mm of rain.
Comfortable means average daytime high between 18 °C and 29 °C and under 80 mm of rain in the month. Averages for 1991–2020 over the surrounding area, a grid square about 50 km across, so a coast or a nearby mountain can make the town itself warmer or cooler. Data: CRU TS v4.10, Climatic Research Unit, University of East Anglia (Open Database License).
Getting there
Getting to Khobar: airports and arrival
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Bahrain International Airport (BAH), about 42 km from the city centre in a straight line; King Fahd International Airport (DMM, 46 km) and Al-Ahsa International Airport (HOF, 135 km) are also within reach.
Getting in
The nearest airport is in Dammam. Even though Dammam Airport hosts flights from places such as Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Dubai, Doha, Cairo and Istanbul, many travellers choose to enter the country via the Bahrain Airport and drive across the King Fahd Causeway to Khobar. Flying into Manama, Bahrain can be pleasant for some travellers from Western countries.
Getting around
Khobar is vast and sprawling, and taxis are quite limited unless you are near town. You really need your own car to get around here, but just remember that lanes don't really mean all that much here. However, near town, you can pretty much catch a cab anywhere. At a hotel/compound, you will get a cab within 5-10 minutes of a call.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
BAH · Bahrain International Airport
DMM · King Fahd International Airport
HOF · Al-Ahsa International Airport
Local knowledge
Eating, drinking and staying safe in Khobar
Eat
If you enjoy fast food, local vendors such as Baba Habbas offer delicious and cheap hamburgers, fries and drinks that closely remind to the food in other parts of the world. One of the most traditional meals here is Chicken Shawaya with Rice which is basically chicken and rice - which is also a popular combination worldwide. Never try to ask for pork in Saudi Arabia as in most Islamic countries this is a prohibited food considered sinful. Stick to chicken, beef, seafood (Khobar is near to the seaside) and veg food.
Drink
Alcoholic beverages are illegal, as they are in the rest of the kingdom. There are a lot of cafeterias in the city that serve a really tasty tea, known as "shay" by locals, which is sometimes served with milk or mint. Coffee and breakfast franchises such as Starbucks, Dunkin’ Donuts, and IHOP exist all around the city and they’re usually in malls and the Corniche.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Questions
Khobar: questions travellers ask
When is the best time to visit Khobar?
The most comfortable months for a city stay in Khobar are November to March. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 43 °C; March is the wettest, with about 21 mm of rain.
Which airport is closest to Khobar?
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Bahrain International Airport (BAH), about 42 km from the city centre in a straight line; King Fahd International Airport (DMM, 46 km) and Al-Ahsa International Airport (HOF, 135 km) are also within reach.
What currency is used in Khobar?
Saudi riyal (SAR).
Nearby
Destinations near Khobar
Sources: city facts from Wikidata and Wikipedia; airports from OurAirports; climate from CRU TS v4.10 (University of East Anglia Climatic Research Unit), 1991–2020 monthly means, 0.5° grid; places to stay, guest scores and amenities from each operator's own public pages. How this guide is made.