Dhahran Airfield
Encyclopedia
The Dhahran Airfield was an airfield operated by the United States
from 1945 until 1962. The military relationship that exists today between the United States and Saudi Arabia
was highly influenced by the origin and development of this airfield.
, the Persian Gulf
and Arabian Peninsula
were important staging and shipping routes for the U.S. to provide both lend-lease
assistance to Russia
, as well as supply the allied forces
fighting the Imperial Japanese forces in Asia
.
Owing to Saudi Arabia’s importance, primarily its location, in 1943 the US extended lend-lease status to Saudi Arabia, one of only three Arab
countries to receive this aid. In 1944, the U.S. War Department
(renamed in 1949 the United States Department of Defense
) proposed building an airbase in or near Dhahran
, Saudi Arabia.
. Further, full ownership of the airfield was scheduled to revert to Saudi Arabia at the conclusion of the war, after an agreed-upon three-year period during which the U.S. would have the rights to operate the field.
Despite the end of World War II in the European theater, in 1945, President Harry S. Truman
signed the Agreement, which owing to the lack of any military justification, and again a reflection of Saudi Arabia’s concerns regarding imperialism and the symbolism of foreign bases on their soil, was promptly rejected by the King. The War Department, likewise, dropped their support of the project. However, the U.S. State Department, recognizing the economic benefits of this location, and the diplomatic benefits afforded by the agreement, continued to pursue development of the Dhahran Air Field. After Congress
approved substantial economic development assistance, the U.S. State Department and the Saudi Government agreed, in August 1945, to develop the air field. Ironically, the War Department was forced to foot the cost of the construction.
In 1948, when the originally agreed-upon three-year post-war period of U.S. operations came to a close, the agreement was renegotiated. While the airfield had not been completed until 1946, too late to be of any benefit for World War II logistics (its original justification) it did provide benefits in the late 1940s, specifically in the context of the increasing tension between the U.S. and Soviet Union
. In 1949 Dhahran airfield was the only airfield in the area which could support the United States Air Force
’s B-29s. Thus, the airfield took on increasing importance in the U.S.’s eyes as one location in the U.S. strategy of the containment
of communism
. For Saudi Arabia, the base provided an element of security from the U.S. forces posted there, among Saudi Arabia’s growing concerns regarding their neighbors, particularly Yemen
, and the Hashemites of Iraq
and Transjordan
. The 1948 agreement reverted ownership of the air base to Saudi Arabia, and on-going year-to-year leases, for which the U.S. would pay rent. As part of the U.S. concession for this on-going access to the air base, the U.S. agreed to send a military team to Saudi Arabia to consult on the Saudi defenses.
in January 1950, provided the "first comprehensive U.S. plan for building a modern Saudi armed forces
.”
In 1951 the year-to-year leasing agreement was retired in favor of what eventually became known as the Mutual Defense Assistance Agreement, one component of which was the deployment of U.S. military personnel to the Kingdom to provide military training to Saudi Arabia. These personnel were the forerunners of what became the United States Military Training Mission
(USMTM). USMTM was established on June 27, 1953 and is still a fundamental component of the US/Saudi military relationship.
, as the nearby Dammam oil fields increased the overall economic viability of the area. Additionally, Trans World Airlines
began using Dhahran as a hub for increasing transport to and from Asia and Europe.
The Dhahran airfield, and the emerging support facilities, became the Dhahran International Airport
in 1961.
The United States finally abandoned its claims to the Dhahran air field in 1962.
Dhahran served a significant role in the 1994 evacuation of U.S. citizens and personnel from Yemen
, when that country slid into civil war. Also, in 1996 after the bombing of the Khobar Towers, in Operation Desert Focus, in which over 6,000 U.S. citizens and personnel were relocated within the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
The Dhahran airfield continued to serve as the Eastern Provinces commercial and military air hub until the completion, in 1999, of the King Fahd International Airport
near Dammam.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
from 1945 until 1962. The military relationship that exists today between the United States and Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
was highly influenced by the origin and development of this airfield.
Background
During World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the Persian Gulf
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf, in Southwest Asia, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.The Persian Gulf was the focus of the 1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War, in which each side attacked the other's oil tankers...
and Arabian Peninsula
Arabian Peninsula
The Arabian Peninsula is a land mass situated north-east of Africa. Also known as Arabia or the Arabian subcontinent, it is the world's largest peninsula and covers 3,237,500 km2...
were important staging and shipping routes for the U.S. to provide both lend-lease
Lend-Lease
Lend-Lease was the program under which the United States of America supplied the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union, China, Free France, and other Allied nations with materiel between 1941 and 1945. It was signed into law on March 11, 1941, a year and a half after the outbreak of war in Europe in...
assistance to Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, as well as supply the allied forces
Allies of World War II
The Allies of World War II were the countries that opposed the Axis powers during the Second World War . Former Axis states contributing to the Allied victory are not considered Allied states...
fighting the Imperial Japanese forces in Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
.
Owing to Saudi Arabia’s importance, primarily its location, in 1943 the US extended lend-lease status to Saudi Arabia, one of only three Arab
Arab world
The Arab world refers to Arabic-speaking states, territories and populations in North Africa, Western Asia and elsewhere.The standard definition of the Arab world comprises the 22 states and territories of the Arab League stretching from the Atlantic Ocean in the west to the Arabian Sea in the...
countries to receive this aid. In 1944, the U.S. War Department
United States Department of War
The United States Department of War, also called the War Department , was the United States Cabinet department originally responsible for the operation and maintenance of the United States Army...
(renamed in 1949 the United States Department of Defense
United States Department of Defense
The United States Department of Defense is the U.S...
) proposed building an airbase in or near Dhahran
Dhahran
Dhahran is a city located in Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province, and is a major administrative center for the Saudi oil industry. Large oil reserves were first identified in the Dhahran area in 1931, and in 1935 Standard Oil of California drilled the first commercially viable oil well...
, Saudi Arabia.
History
In 1945, the U.S. and Saudi Arabia agreed signed the Dhahran Air Field Agreement. This agreement permitted the U.S. to build a small air field near the Arabian American Oil Company (ARAMCO) town. The use of the term “air field”, as opposed to “air base” was a direct result of U.S. sensitivity of Saudi Arabia’s concerns regarding imperialismImperialism
Imperialism, as defined by Dictionary of Human Geography, is "the creation and/or maintenance of an unequal economic, cultural, and territorial relationships, usually between states and often in the form of an empire, based on domination and subordination." The imperialism of the last 500 years,...
. Further, full ownership of the airfield was scheduled to revert to Saudi Arabia at the conclusion of the war, after an agreed-upon three-year period during which the U.S. would have the rights to operate the field.
Despite the end of World War II in the European theater, in 1945, President Harry S. Truman
Harry S. Truman
Harry S. Truman was the 33rd President of the United States . As President Franklin D. Roosevelt's third vice president and the 34th Vice President of the United States , he succeeded to the presidency on April 12, 1945, when President Roosevelt died less than three months after beginning his...
signed the Agreement, which owing to the lack of any military justification, and again a reflection of Saudi Arabia’s concerns regarding imperialism and the symbolism of foreign bases on their soil, was promptly rejected by the King. The War Department, likewise, dropped their support of the project. However, the U.S. State Department, recognizing the economic benefits of this location, and the diplomatic benefits afforded by the agreement, continued to pursue development of the Dhahran Air Field. After Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
approved substantial economic development assistance, the U.S. State Department and the Saudi Government agreed, in August 1945, to develop the air field. Ironically, the War Department was forced to foot the cost of the construction.
In 1948, when the originally agreed-upon three-year post-war period of U.S. operations came to a close, the agreement was renegotiated. While the airfield had not been completed until 1946, too late to be of any benefit for World War II logistics (its original justification) it did provide benefits in the late 1940s, specifically in the context of the increasing tension between the U.S. and Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
. In 1949 Dhahran airfield was the only airfield in the area which could support the United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
’s B-29s. Thus, the airfield took on increasing importance in the U.S.’s eyes as one location in the U.S. strategy of the containment
Containment
Containment was a United States policy using military, economic, and diplomatic strategies to stall the spread of communism, enhance America’s security and influence abroad, and prevent a "domino effect". A component of the Cold War, this policy was a response to a series of moves by the Soviet...
of communism
Communism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
. For Saudi Arabia, the base provided an element of security from the U.S. forces posted there, among Saudi Arabia’s growing concerns regarding their neighbors, particularly Yemen
Yemen
The Republic of Yemen , commonly known as Yemen , is a country located in the Middle East, occupying the southwestern to southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the north, the Red Sea to the west, and Oman to the east....
, and the Hashemites of Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
and Transjordan
Transjordan
The Emirate of Transjordan was a former Ottoman territory in the Southern Levant that was part of the British Mandate of Palestine...
. The 1948 agreement reverted ownership of the air base to Saudi Arabia, and on-going year-to-year leases, for which the U.S. would pay rent. As part of the U.S. concession for this on-going access to the air base, the U.S. agreed to send a military team to Saudi Arabia to consult on the Saudi defenses.
Broader military relationship
The agreed-upon military survey team, under the leadership of Colonel O’Keefe, arrived in Saudi Arabia in 1949, and the resultant 50-page “O’Keefe Report”, submitted to the U.S. Joint Chiefs of StaffJoint Chiefs of Staff
The Joint Chiefs of Staff is a body of senior uniformed leaders in the United States Department of Defense who advise the Secretary of Defense, the Homeland Security Council, the National Security Council and the President on military matters...
in January 1950, provided the "first comprehensive U.S. plan for building a modern Saudi armed forces
Military of Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia's armed forces are mainly the responsibility of the Ministry of Defense and Aviation. The Ministry also has responsibility for the construction of civilian airports as well as military bases, and for Meteorology departments...
.”
In 1951 the year-to-year leasing agreement was retired in favor of what eventually became known as the Mutual Defense Assistance Agreement, one component of which was the deployment of U.S. military personnel to the Kingdom to provide military training to Saudi Arabia. These personnel were the forerunners of what became the United States Military Training Mission
United States Military Training Mission
The United States Military Training Mission to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is a Security Assistance Organization which manages and is primarily funded by Foreign Military Sales cases between the United States Government and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. USMTM was the result of a meeting between...
(USMTM). USMTM was established on June 27, 1953 and is still a fundamental component of the US/Saudi military relationship.
Recent history and commercialization
Through the 1950s, the Dhahran airfield began to emerge as a commercial transportation hubAirline hub
An airline hub is an airport that an airline uses as a transfer point to get passengers to their intended destination. It is part of a hub and spoke model, where travelers moving between airports not served by direct flights change planes en route to their destinations...
, as the nearby Dammam oil fields increased the overall economic viability of the area. Additionally, Trans World Airlines
Trans World Airlines
Trans World Airlines was an American airline that existed from 1925 until it was bought out by and merged with American Airlines in 2001. It was a major domestic airline in the United States and the main U.S.-based competitor of Pan American World Airways on intercontinental routes from 1946...
began using Dhahran as a hub for increasing transport to and from Asia and Europe.
The Dhahran airfield, and the emerging support facilities, became the Dhahran International Airport
Dhahran International Airport
Dhahran International Airport in Dhahran formerly served the Ash Sharqiyah Province in Saudi Arabia. In 1999, after the opening of King Fahd International Airport, all scheduled flights were shifted out of Dhahran and the airport now serves as the King Abdulaziz Air Base of the Royal Saudi Air...
in 1961.
The United States finally abandoned its claims to the Dhahran air field in 1962.
Dhahran served a significant role in the 1994 evacuation of U.S. citizens and personnel from Yemen
Yemen
The Republic of Yemen , commonly known as Yemen , is a country located in the Middle East, occupying the southwestern to southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the north, the Red Sea to the west, and Oman to the east....
, when that country slid into civil war. Also, in 1996 after the bombing of the Khobar Towers, in Operation Desert Focus, in which over 6,000 U.S. citizens and personnel were relocated within the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
The Dhahran airfield continued to serve as the Eastern Provinces commercial and military air hub until the completion, in 1999, of the King Fahd International Airport
King Fahd International Airport
King Fahd International Airport is located 20 kilometers northwest of Dammam, Saudi Arabia. It is the largest airport in the world in terms of land area . The airport's basic infrastructure was complete by the end of 1990, which allowed the Allied forces engaged in the first Gulf War in early...
near Dammam.