Al Midra Tower, Dhahran
Saudi Aramco's headquarters: where it is, who can go in, and how far it is from the airport, Khobar and Bahrain
Al Midra Tower in 30 seconds
- What it is: Saudi Aramco's headquarters tower in Dhahran. It is an office building, not a public attraction.
- Where: inside Aramco's gated Dhahran compound, on Dhahran Boulevard, a few hundred metres from the Dammam Gate. The Khobar Gate is about 3 km away.
- Getting in: by arrangement with Aramco only. Your host sets up your entry and tells you which gate to use.
- How far: about 45 km from Dammam Airport (DMM), 15 km from Al Khobar or Dammam city centre, and 58–63 km from Manama plus the causeway border.
- Not to be confused with: "Aramco Tower", a different skyscraper in Riyadh's financial district.
About Al Midra Tower
Dhahran has been home to Saudi Aramco's headquarters for most of a century, and it is the company's first and largest gated compound. Al Midra Tower is the headquarters building and, with Ithra and the KFUPM clock tower, one of the city's best-known landmarks. It is not the tallest building in Dhahran: that is Al-AbdelKareem Tower in the Al-Qashlah district facing Al Khobar.
The tower is solar-powered. In August 2013 Arab News reported that it had earned LEED Platinum, the US Green Building Council's top rating, with 33 of 35 points in the energy and atmosphere category.
Most of Dhahran sits behind gates: Aramco's headquarters and residential camp, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, and King Abdulaziz Air Base. That is why "Dhahran" addresses often need a gate name to be useful to a driver.
Road distances to the Aramco gates
Measured to the two public gates rather than the tower itself, because a car without Aramco entry stops at the gate.
| From | Dammam Gate | Khobar Gate |
|---|---|---|
| Al Khobar city centre | ~15 km · ~15 min | ~11 km · ~11 min |
| Dammam city centre | ~16 km · ~14 min | ~17 km · ~14 min |
| King Fahd International Airport (DMM) | ~45 km · ~32 min | ~50 km · ~37 min |
| Manama, Bahrain (via the causeway) | ~63 km · ~51 min + border | ~58 km · ~47 min + border |
Distances: OpenStreetMap routing, measured October 2026. Times are clear-road driving and leave out security checks and the causeway border posts.
Visiting Al Midra for a meeting
- Sort entry with your host first. Aramco decides who enters and at which gate. Ask your host for the gate name, the time your entry is valid and the ID to carry (passport or national ID).
- Book to the gate, not "Dhahran". Give the driver the gate name (Dammam Gate or Khobar Gate) or the meeting point your host sends. We drop off and collect there, and we have run trips to and from the Aramco camp and the Khobar Gate since April 2026.
- Flying in? DMM is about 45 km from the Dammam Gate, roughly half an hour. See our Dammam Airport transfers.
- Coming from Bahrain? Allow for both border posts on the King Fahd Causeway on top of the ~50-minute drive. Fares and timings are on our Khobar to Bahrain taxi page.
Or call / WhatsApp +966 56 247 1583, any hour.
Nearby landmarks
Ithra (King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture)
About 1.3 km from Al Midra. Built by Aramco and opened in December 2016 on the site of the first commercial Saudi oilfield; museum, library, cinema, theatre and exhibition halls. Open to the public, unlike Al Midra.
KFUPM clock tower
The landmark of King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, another gated Dhahran campus.
Al Khobar Corniche
The waterfront in Al Khobar, about 15 km by road from the Dammam Gate.
Frequently Asked Questions
In Dhahran, Eastern Province. It is Saudi Aramco's headquarters, inside the company's gated compound on Dhahran Boulevard, a few hundred metres from the Dammam Gate. Al Khobar and Dammam city centres are each about 15 km away by road.
No. Al Midra is Aramco's working headquarters inside a gated compound, not a public attraction. Entry is arranged by Aramco, usually through the person or department you are meeting, so confirm your visit, your gate and what ID to bring with your host before you travel.
No. Al Midra is Aramco's headquarters in Dhahran. "Aramco Tower" is a separate 32-floor skyscraper in the King Abdullah Financial District in Riyadh, more than 400 km away.
The Dammam Gate on Dhahran Boulevard is the nearest, a few hundred metres from the tower. The Khobar Gate on 6th Street is about 3 km away in a straight line. Your host will tell you which gate your entry is set up at.
About 45 km by road from King Fahd International Airport (DMM) to the Dammam Gate, roughly 30–35 minutes on clear roads. The Khobar Gate is about 50 km from the airport.
About 58–63 km by road from central Manama to the Khobar or Dammam gate, roughly 50 minutes of driving, plus time at the two King Fahd Causeway border posts.
That depends on Aramco's own entry rules for your visit, which we do not control. We drop off and collect at the gate or meeting point you give us. Tell us the gate name and your host's instructions when you book.
Yes. Arab News reported in August 2013 that the solar-powered Al Midra tower earned LEED Platinum, the top rating of the US Green Building Council, scoring 33 of 35 points for energy and atmosphere.
Ithra, the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture, is about 1.3 km away. Aramco built it, it opened in December 2016, and unlike Al Midra it is open to the public. The Al Khobar Corniche is about 15 km away by road.
Sources: Wikipedia (Dhahran; Aramco Tower; King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture), Arab News (21 Aug 2013), OpenStreetMap. Noorha Transport is an independent car service and is not affiliated with Saudi Aramco.