Saihat City (Arabic: ??????) is a city located on the eastern seaboard of Saudi Arabia, within the Al-Qatif Province. Classified as a city, Saihat is ranked eighth in population in the country. The city's population of 70,000 (seventy thousand) (2005) is growing. Saihat is located directly on the Arabian Gulf, also known as the Persian Gulf. Fishing and agriculture are two important industries. Fertile soil and fresh springs provide a home for palm groves that dot the desert sand. Saihat had the ancient name of Avan. This name was mentioned in Al-Musadi's book (?????? ????????). . In [English language|English]] the name of Saihat has various spellings. In the past, it was written as 'Seahat,' but recently the spelling has been changed by some to 'Saihat.' In English, the spelling should be Sayhut to conform to the Arabic pronunciation; otherwise, the spelling of Saihat appears to English speakers as 'sigh hat' or 'see hat.'