On the shores of the Persian Gulf, the capital of Saudi Arabia’s eastern province may be strikingly modern, but seek pockets of tradition in the spice and incense-filled alleyways of the Souq al Hob (or Love Market) and discover Dammam history at the museum, filled with artefacts from local excavations, and on Tarut Island, where the historic fortress was built around the remains of a Phoenician temple. As the desert climate cools at dusk, join the locals as they stroll the cafes and parks on Murjan Island, along the Corniche and in King Abdullah Park, its fountains, extravagant flowerbeds and waterfront walkways the hub of this bustling oil boomtown.