Dhahran - Post Report Question and Answers
What is the air quality like at post (good/moderate/bad)? Are there seasonal air quality issues? Does the air quality have an impact on health?
Good, but hazy and you're not going to see any starts because of it. Sandstorms tend to happen more in the winter. We used a face mask a few times over the course of the season. - Apr 2016
Atrocious. Aside from the fact that Dhahran is located in a sand sea and subject to sandstorms ("shamals") throughout the winter, the consulate is also downwind from the world's largest chemical plant. This creates some beautiful sunsets, but at night the area itself looks like a movie depiction of Hell with all the natural gas flare-offs. The impact of this on the health of the staff is unclear; unclear because there are no official stats. Officially the cancer rate is the same as anywhere else, but anecdotally there is good reason that Aramco maintains strong relationships with U.S. cancer hospitals. - Jul 2015
Moderate to unhealthy (when there are sandstorms). - Jun 2015
In the summer, the air quality is moderate due to the heat and humidity - there is not fresh air; in winter, the air is cool and pleasant; dust is always present. - Jan 2014
Moderate with lots of dust and sand constantly blowing through. Many people suffer from allergies. - Oct 2012
