Things to do in Al Khobar
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Al Khobar
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Best window. Highs roughly 20 to 27C, with Corniche, Half Moon, terraces and desert camping all as intended.
Shoulder months. Highs in the low to mid 30s C, excellent sea swimming and evening terraces at softer prices.
Hot months. Plan air conditioned middays and dawn or dusk activity.
Worst months, July and August above all. Highs above 40C with humidity, and beach and desert middays effectively closed.
What's on
- Saudi Founding Day 22 February
National celebrations and cultural programming in the best weather window. Book ahead.
- Saudi National Day 23 September
Fireworks, concerts and Corniche celebrations in still hot weather.
- Tanween at Ithra Autumn, dates vary by year
Ithra's creativity season of exhibitions and performances. Check the Ithra calendar before fixing dates.
- Sharqiah Season March when held, not annual
Eastern Province Saudi Season, first held March 2019. Check Visit Saudi, as seasons return irregularly.
- Bahrain Formula 1 Grand Prix March or April, varies by year
Khobar fills with race travellers using the causeway to Sakhir. Book Khobar early on race weekend.
- Ramadan Ninth Islamic month, moves about 11 days earlier each solar year
Daytime public eating is restricted and nights become the feast, with iftar dinners and late Corniche life.
- Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha Islamic calendar, shifts yearly
Holiday peaks when Half Moon resorts fill and prices and causeway queues spike. Book everything.
Best things to do in Al Khobar
Khobar Corniche
The Gulf promenade the whole city walks at night, with lawns, cafes and the Water Tower offshore.
Khobar Water Tower
The mushroom shaped tower offshore on the Corniche, the landmark in every Khobar skyline photo.
Sultan Bin Abdulaziz Science & Technology Center
SciTech is a hands on science centre with 350 plus exhibits and an IMAX dome, built for children 5 to 15.
King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture
Ithra is the region's world class culture centre, with a museum, vast library, theatre and children's museum.
Ajdan Walk
An open air dining village on the northern Corniche, and the easiest first night out in Khobar.
Taybeen Museum
A nostalgia museum of more than 10,000 toys and objects from Saudi and Gulf childhoods of the 1970s to 1990s.
Al Rashid Mall
Khobar's landmark mall, opened in 1995, and in summer the city's true public living room.
Desert Designs
The quality filter for Saudi crafts, selling Bedouin weavings, jewellery, pottery and art by Saudi artisans.
Where to stay in Al Khobar
Alkurnaish (the Corniche)
first visits, couples and leisure
The sea in front of you, Ajdan Walk and SciTech on the same strip, and the evening walk at your door.
Al Ulaya
business plus leisure and top end value
Khobar's most decorated hotels by the malls, with motorway access to Ithra, Dhahran and the causeway.
Half Moon Bay and Dana Bay
families and resort weekends
Private beaches, villas and water parks on the crescent bay, best when the resort is the trip itself.
City centre and Al Khobar Al Shamalia
budget and long stays
Older streets, souq feel, Filipino and South Asian eating streets and the serviced apartment stock.
Think twice about
- Industrial Thuqbah and the Al Bayoniah fringe
Warehouses and workshops with heavy traffic, few visitor hotels and nothing to walk to at night. Cheap rooms here cost you taxis and evenings.
- Al-Thuqbah oldest streets as a first visit base
Historic and full of cheap food, but congested, parking hostile and short on visitor hotel stock. Eat here, sleep on the Corniche or in Al Ulaya.
- Half Moon Bay as a sole city base
Beautiful and family resort ruled, but isolated and 30 plus minutes from Khobar dining. A resort stay, not a city base.
Best restaurants in Al Khobar
NOZOMI Khobar
Khobar's splurge dinner, contemporary Japanese from a London born flagship facing the waterfront.
Al Sanbok Restaurant
Khobar's seafood institution on the Corniche, for fresh Gulf fish chosen and cooked to order.
Maharaja by Vineet
Vineet Bhatia's modern Indian fine dining inside the Mövenpick, the South Asian occasion pick.
Beit Ward
Ajdan Walk's Lebanese event dinner, flowers and terraces with generous mezze to grill cooking.
Enab Beirut
Lebanese sharing plates inside the Kempinski, the calm hotel setting alternative to Ajdan buzz.
Harat Ward Khobar
A high volume local favourite for Persian dishes, grills, kebabs and rice at mid range prices.
Soul Kitchen
The Golden Belt neighbourhood dinner, an Asian leaning kitchen away from the Corniche crowds.
Al Baik
The Saudi fried chicken institution, broasted chicken and garlic sauce at counter service prices.
Best coffee in Al Khobar
Bohemia Art Cafe
Part cafe, part vinyl record store and art gallery, the room that explains young creative Khobar.
QAF Coffee Roasters
A serene roastery cafe locals name first, worth sitting in for rather than taking away.
Specialty Bean
The cafe championing Saudi grown beans, the place to taste the Kingdom's own coffee story.
Lazy Cat
Ajdan Walk's dessert cafe, known for pancakes and coffee and a standout creme brulee pancake.
Outdoor things to do in Al Khobar
Half Moon Beach
The public crescent beach south of Khobar, with warm shallow water, barbecues and sunset over the bay.
Dana Beach Resort
A private beach resort of 111 villas in Dana Bay, with pools, water sports and women only facilities.
Loopagoon
A water park exclusively for women at Dana Bay, fully private, with children up to 12 admitted.
Sunset Beach Resort
A long established family resort on the Aziziyah shore, with spa, water park elements and water sports.
Mena Holiday Beach Resort Half Moon Bay
The international brand resort on Half Moon Bay, with three pools, a private beach and rooms and villas.
Adventure Khobar
The local operator for Gulf boat trips, fishing, diving and desert safaris from Khobar.
Al Aziziyah Beach
The dune and shore strip south of Khobar for rental ATVs, sandboarding and camel and horse rides.
Rolling Hills Golf Club
An 18 hole par 72 Aramco community course in Dhahran, a serious round if you have access to play it.
Best hotels in Al Khobar
Le Méridien Al Khobar
The Corniche classic five star, with Gulf views, an outdoor pool and gardens by the promenade.
Sofitel Al Khobar The Corniche
The design led Corniche five star, with a serious spa, indoor pool and uninterrupted Gulf views.
Kempinski Al Othman Hotel Al Khobar
Khobar's most decorated hotel, a five star in Al Ulaya with spa, indoor pool and strong dining.
Grand Hyatt Alkhobar Hotel and Residences
An Al Ulaya residence hotel near Al Rashid Mall, the luxury long stay answer for work plus family trips.
Dana Beach Resort
Villa stays in landscaped gardens on Dana Bay's private beach, for a Half Moon resort weekend.
Aloft Dhahran
The liveliest mid tier hotel in the metro, an Aloft in Al Ulaya by Mall of Dhahran.
Holiday Inn Al Khobar - Corniche
The Corniche address without five star pricing, with IHG reliability and family room practicality.
Ramada Encore by Wyndham Al Khobar Olaya
A representative clean chain budget hotel in Olaya, in a city with no hostel tier.
Is Al Khobar expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | SAR 280 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | SAR 650 a person |
| Splurge | SAR 1,500 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture: a few days ahead
- Dana Beach Resort: weeks ahead
- Loopagoon: a few days ahead
- Sunset Beach Resort: weeks ahead
- Mena Holiday Beach Resort Half Moon Bay: weeks ahead
- Adventure Khobar: a few days ahead
- Rolling Hills Golf Club: weeks ahead
- Le Méridien Al Khobar: weeks ahead
- Book Ithra ticketed exhibitions and children's activities online as soon as dates are set.
- Book winter weekend Half Moon resort and villa inventory weeks ahead for holidays and school breaks.
- Book Thursday and Friday dinners at NOZOMI, Al Sanbok and Beit Ward, and any group dinner over six.
- Check SciTech split session hours and Ithra Sunday closure and Friday afternoon start on the day.
Is Al Khobar safe?
- Alcohol is prohibited in Saudi Arabia. Do not bring any back from Bahrain, including empty bottles.
- Dress modestly in public and keep swimwear to beaches and pools, more conservative on public beaches.
- Summer highs exceed 40C. Hydrate and keep exertion to dawn and dusk from May to October.
- Emergency number is 911 in the Eastern Province.
Al Khobar travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- The Water Tower is a photo, not a visit. Any tour priced around it is padding.
- Half Moon public beach at Friday peak is crowded with thin facilities. Go on a weekday or to a resort.
- Spending perfect winter days inside malls loses Corniche hours. Set a rule before entering.
- At Ajdan Walk, fixture on local concepts and let international chains be the backup, not the plan.
Getting around Al Khobar: public transport and more
- Use taxis and Uber or Careem between districts. Ithra is about 15 minutes, Dammam 20 to 30, Half Moon Bay 25 to 40.
- King Fahd International Airport DMM is 45 to 55 km away, about 45 minutes by car.
- Rent a car only for Half Moon, desert and causeway itineraries. Skip it for a Corniche and dining stay.
- For Bahrain via the King Fahd Causeway, check visas, re entry status, insurance and rental car permissions the day before.
Who Al Khobar suits
| Solo travellers | Good |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Great |
| Couples | Great |
| Bachelor parties | Not ideal |
| Families | Great |
| Bachelorette parties | Not ideal |
Make Al Khobar your trip
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