North-East Saudi Arabia - Khobar & Dammam Gulf Coast
Around 4 hours drive from Riyadh on the Dammam Road and you reach the coastal Gulf cities of Dammam and Khobar (pronnounced Kh-oh-bar, not CO-BAR as many ex-pats fondly pronnounce it :) ). Here the sand changes to a distinct white colour, with long sandy beaches, corniches full of activities and people promenading, fishing, deep blue sea vistas and the Causeway to Bahrain all within easy reach.
You can camp by the sea, at Half Moon Bay, for example, or stay at one of the many compound purpose-built resorts, on the Eastern side, enjoying a nice spot to relax next to the gentle lapping sea, or go for a swim in the shallow, warm waters, after a long drive from Riyadh.
Amazing places
Dammam, Dhahran and Khobar all lay adjacent to each other, on the Gulf Coast, with easy access to impressive coastline and white sandy beaches (many undeveloped stretches of white sand to choose from and some with luxury resorts), this is an area worth exploring for all traveller types.
Half Moon Bay, to the South, has many quiet stretches of sand, where you can pitch up a tent and stay the night, listening to the gentle sound of the sea. This isn't a tidal sea and never seen huge waves/breakers, so it's safe to park up right on the sand without any worry of being surrounded by water in the morning!
Being a major port, there are fresh fish, fruit and vegetable markets in Khobar, where the freshest produce can be found, both imported and local produce. Driving further up the coast to Jubail is worth a trip and on to Kuwait, a further 4 hours to the border. Watch out for camels though, especially at night, as there are not many fenced areas, an encounter with a crossing camel can be fatal. The ocassional sand storm can also hit the area, so driving with adequate supplies to meet the conditions is essential.