The recent dramatic increase in the use of information technology (IT) in daily activities by all types of urban actors in Saudi Arabia seems to have influenced the development of Saudi cities. Using a modified activity systems model and the Dammam Metropolitan Area (DMA) as a case study, this paper examines the effects on metropolitan development of residents’ attributes – their activity types, location, patterns, and domains – as well as their use of IT tools and face-to-face interactions to accomplish these activities. The research finds that the use of IT tools by DMA residents in their daily lives has influenced the emergence of a 'virtual' DMA as well as the transformation of the actual DMA.
