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Jubail (, Al Jubayl) is a city in the Eastern province on the Persian Gulf coast of Saudi Arabia, with a total population of 474,679 as of 2022. It is home to one of the largest industrial cities in the world. It is also home to the Middle East's largest and world's fourth largest petrochemical company SABIC. It has the world's largest IWPP (Independent Water and Power Project) producing 2743.6 MW of electricity and 800,000 m3 of water daily.
Jubail comprises the Old Town of Al Jubail (Jubail Balad), which was a small fishing village until 1975, and the Industrial Area. Jubail Industrial City is the largest civil engineering project in the world today. In 1975, the Saudi government designated Jubail as the site for new industrial city, with rapid expansion and industrialization arising. The new industrial and residential areas were named Madīnat al Jubayl aṣ Ṣinā`īyah (Jubail Industrial City). The 2005 Census Report for Jubail Industrial City estimates the population at 224,430 residents.
The origins of Jubail date back to the early Islamic period when it was known as 'Aynayn (), meaning "two springs." The settlement was known for its sweet water springs, date palm groves, and its status as a cultural and literary center.
At some point, the original settlement of 'Aynayn was abandoned. The modern town of Jubail was established around 1911 and became a center for fishing and pearling. The town came under Saudi rule in 1913 when King 'Ibn Saud regained the Al-Ahsa Oasis Province.
The arrival of oil exploration teams in the 1930s briefly revitalized the town. Jubail was chosen as a base for early geological surveys due to its harbor, freshwater springs, and favorable terrain. On September 23, 1933, geologists from Saudi Aramco, including Robert Miller, Schuyler "Krug" Henry, and Karl Twitchell, arrived in Jubail to conduct exploratory work. However, as oil exploration activities shifted to Dhahran and Khobar, Jubail reverted to being a minor fishing center.
Jubail’s transformation began in the early 1970s when the Saudi government initiated plans to develop it into a major industrial city. This initiative was part of a broader strategy to diversify the Kingdom's economy and leverage its vast natural gas reserves. Jubail was selected as the site for a massive industrial complex due to its strategic location and existing infrastructure.
The city's redevelopment included the construction of Refinery, petrochemical plants, Steel mill, aluminum facilities, and Desalination. To support this industrialization, extensive infrastructure was developed, including new ports, roads, pipelines, and an Jubail Airport. Thousands of workers were relocated to Jubail to operate the facilities, and the city was redesigned to accommodate the growing population.
Today, Jubail is home to the Jubail Industrial City, one of the world's largest petrochemical industrial hubs, managed by the Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu. It is a cornerstone of Saudi Arabia's industrial and economic strategy, contributing significantly to the country's non-oil exports.
Bechtel began work on the Jubail Industrial City project more than 40 years ago and is still working in Jubail now. Bechtel has managed the Jubail project since it began in the mid-1970s, and in 2004 the Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu asked the company to manage Jubail II, a $3.8 billion expansion of the city's industrial and residential areas.
One ongoing project is the Jubail-Qassim (Buraidah) Expressway , which will reduce the distance between Jubail and Qassim (Buraidah) to around from the current .
Jubail Naval Airport is an airfield 25 kilometres (16 mi) west of Jubail City, near the industrial area. Originally constructed by the Royal Commission of Jubail and Yanbu as part of Jubail project, it was meant to be used for commercial aviation until it was decided to utilize the large nearby King Fahd International Airport. Thus, it was handed over to the Ministry of Defence and has been used as a base for the naval aviation group/eastern fleet of the Royal Saudi Navy since then. The terminal in Dammam Airport is about 60 km drive from the suburbs of Jubail, 80 km from the city center and 100 km from the Royal Commission neighborhoods.
However it was recently announced that the airport will be opened for private aviation operations starting September 2014. A project to renovate the airfield was undertaken since some of the airfield's infrastructure was incomplete, as a result of the previous change for the use of airport from commercial to military. To date, the project and renovations have not been completed.
In addition, two other airfields are located in the city; Abu Ali Airport is located in the Island of Abu Ali while the other is located in King Abdulaziz Naval Base.
The Jubail desalination plant
As part of the industrial city, Jubail has a desalination plant called Saline Water Conversion Corp. (SWCC). In 2019, SWCC hit Guinness World Record as the largest producer of desalinated water worldwide. The plant hit the record as it produces 5.6 million cubic meters every day.
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