Indian businesses and services in Dammam, Saudi Arabia

Dammam is best understood as one half of a wider metro that also takes in Al Khobar and Dhahran, the home of Saudi Aramco, with the industrial city of Jubail further up the coast. The oil, gas and petrochemical industries brought South Asian engineers, technicians, nurses, drivers and tradespeople here over decades, and the Indian community includes a sizeable Keralite population.

Indian-curriculum schools are a big part of why families choose the area; one in Dammam, with more than 15,000 students, is among the largest Indian schools in the Kingdom. Community associations, many organised by Indian state, run Onam, Independence Day and cultural events, and cricket fills open grounds on Friday mornings.

Bahrain is just across the King Fahd Causeway, and for many families it is the weekend escape: a change of scene, shopping and a more relaxed atmosphere. The causeway can be very slow at weekends and holidays, with waits of several hours at peak times. As elsewhere in Saudi Arabia, there are no public temples or gurdwaras and non-Muslims worship privately; for South Asian Muslims, Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha are the main celebrations, and Ramadan shifts shop and office hours. The weekend falls on Friday and Saturday, and summer humidity on the Gulf coast is intense, so most outdoor events happen in winter.