Jubail
Industrial city on the Persian Gulf, home to SABIC and the world's largest IWPP.
Jubail (Arabic: الجبيل, Al Jubayl) is an industrial city in the Eastern province on the Persian Gulf of Saudi Arabia. It is home to the Middle East's largest and world's fourth largest petrochemical company SABIC and hosts the world's largest IWPP (Independent Water and Power Project). The city comprises the Old Town of Al Jubail, a former fishing village, and the vast Jubail Industrial City, the largest civil engineering project in the world today.
- country
- Saudi Arabia
- region
- Eastern Province
- known for
- world's largest industrial city, SABIC, largest IWPP
Lore & Background
Human habitation in the area dates back at least 7,000 years to the Dilmun civilization. The settlement was known in the early Islamic period as 'Aynayn, meaning 'two springs,' and was a cultural and literary center.
Reader's Guide
Jubail's transformation began in the early 1970s when the Saudi government designated it as the site for a new industrial city, part of a strategy to diversify the economy. It is managed by the Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu, with Bechtel managing the project since its inception. The city includes refineries, petrochemical plants, steel mills, aluminum facilities, and desalination plants, and is a cornerstone of Saudi Arabia's non-oil exports.
Did You Know?
- Jubail Industrial City is the largest civil engineering project in the world today.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Jubail?
Jubail is an industrial city in Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province, perched on the Persian Gulf coast. It is widely recognized as the world's largest industrial city and serves as the headquarters for SABIC.
What are Jubail's signature achievements?
The city is home to SABIC, the Middle East's largest and the world's fourth-largest petrochemical company, and it hosts the world's largest Independent Water and Power Project (IWPP). Those two feats alone put it in a league of its own.
How did Jubail go from a humble origin to a global industrial powerhouse?
The city grew out of Al Jubail, a small former fishing village, into the sprawling Jubail Industrial City, which is regarded as the largest civil engineering project in the world today. The transformation from coastal village to mega-industrial hub is the core of its origin story.
Why do fans rank Jubail so high on the J list?
It stacks multiple superlatives at once — the world's largest industrial city, the largest IWPP, and the base of a top-four global petrochemical firm. Few other cities in the encyclopedia pack that many 'biggest' titles into one entry.
Where exactly is Jubail located?
It sits in Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province along the Persian Gulf coastline. Its Arabic name is Al Jubayl (الجبيل), and it occupies a stretch of Gulf shore that has been reshaped into a vast industrial zone.
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