A detailed investigation has been conducted to study the causes of severe and widespread damages in a town situated on a salt dome. The study includes a thorough assessment of ground conditions in the coastal plain surrounding the salt dome for possible utilization of the plain as redevelopment areas. Major geological features in the study area comprised of collapsible windblown sands which are underlain by salt rock in the old town and soft/loose sabkha deposits in the proposed redevelopment zones. It has been found that the extensive damages in the buildings and roads are primarily due to subsidence phenomenon associated with the dissolution of salt rock. The properties of the sabkha sediments and anticipated geotechnical problems have been described
