Over the past two years, the economic downturn has taken its toll on Dammam, the capital of oil-producing Eastern Province, leading to an erosion of morale. On King Fahd Street, the city’s main thoroughfare, shops have shut down and there seems to be no rush for anyone to pick up the leases; two major newspaper printing companies have reportedly gone out of business in recent months. Many of the locals GSN has spoken to are increasingly sceptical about what the economic reforms championed by Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman will mean for them.
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