The Minister of Commerce and Industry and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Industrial Cities Authority Dr. Tawfiq Bin Fawzan Al-Rabiah has recently inaugurated a number of plants at 2nd Industrial City as well as its headquarters in Dammam in the presence of the Authority's Director General Eng. Saleh Al-Rashid. In a press statement, the Minister of Commerce and Industry said, "The Eastern Region has become the capital of industry in the Middle East. It is the largest industrial complex in terms of important industrial cities including Jubail, Ras Al-Khair, Dammam 1, 2, 3, Ahsa and Hafr Al-Baten. The new industrial cities will attract more than 2000 industrial and service projects''.