Dammam Dome is the birthplace of Saudi Arabian oil. Dammam Dome is the geologic name given by geologists in the 1930s to Dhahran Hills in Eastern Saudi Arabia. 

The area is an oval shape of relatively high topography that extends about 15km from north to south. 

The Exploration geologists of the Standard Oil of California (SOCAL) surveyed the area after securing a concession with the Saudi State Founding King. By 1934, S.B. Henry and J.W. Hoover mapped a geological structure that they had named Dammam Dome for exploration wells.

The exploration was called off after failing to find economic oil within the Cretaceous strata. These rocks were then known to trap oil resources at Bahrain, Iraq and Iran. Nevertheless, SOCAL took a last-ditch attempt in response to Max Steineke, who demanded deeper drilling. In March 1938, Dammam-7 Well was drilled deeper and struck economic oil in the Jurassic strata. SOCAL was established and later joined by other companies to found Aramco on the surface of Dammam Dome.

The field trip includes 5 stops of well-exposed Eocene carbonates inside Saudi Aramco campus. The trip by bus is less than 20 minutes from any location in Dammam or Khobar, where the attendees are expected to stay for the workshop.