Qatif

Qatif or Al-Qatif (Arabic: ٱلْقَطِيف Al-Qaṭīf) is a governorate and urban area 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. This region has its own municipality and includes the Qatif downtown, Safwa, Saihat, Tarout Island, and many other smaller cities and towns. Qatif is one of the oldest settlements in Eastern Arabia; its history goes back to 3500 BC, more than 5000 years ago, and was part of the Bahrain Region which was called Dilmun at that time and the Sumerians knew it as the land of paradise, immortality, and life.[2][3][4] 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.[5]