Buqayq (Abqaiq), Saudi Arabia

Capital City

With a population of just 11,517, Buqayq (Abqaiq) is a sleepy Saudi Arabian outpost dominated by the Saudi Aramco oil company. The city's main draw is its residential community for Aramco employees, which had around 1,500 residents as of 2012. However, the broader Abqaiq area is home to roughly 45,000 people, suggesting a persistent bureaucratic headache for those living outside the Aramco enclave.

Buqayq owes its existence to the 1940 discovery of a major oil field nearby, but its remoteness - 60 km southwest of the Dhahran-Dammam-Khobar metro area - means it lacks the urban amenities of Saudi Arabia's larger cities. Residents must contend with the desert climate and the ever-present threat of terrorism, as evidenced by a 2006 al-Qaeda attack on the local oil processing facility.

In short, Buqayq is a niche destination best suited for those with a direct professional connection to Saudi Aramco who can overlook the city's limitations.