On a beautiful, warm afternoon on Saturday, 21st September, 45 attendees, including retirees, families, and Aramco brats with their families, gathered at the Mississauga Valley park in Mississauga, Ontario, for a heartwarming 8th Aramco reunion. The event brought together a vibrant mix of generations, all bound by the shared memories and experiences of their time with Aramco and life in Saudi Arabia.
Those attending included Nusratbanu, and Mohammed Abid, Yasmin, Shakeel, and Adnan Aga, Asma and Hasan Ahmad, Najam and Dr. Muhammad Ayub, Kathy and Fraser Brown, Jasmine and Wilfred Carvalho, Farida and Javaid Hamid, with their son Khurram, his wife Ifrah, and their children Freya and Adam, Halah and Nabil Hijazi, Tamara and Mohammed Iqbal, Azhar Khan, Afrisia and Farooq Khan, Khalda and Masroor Khan, Yasmin and Farouk Khory, Sapna Kokal, Bibi and Mohammed Patel, Anju and Sumir Pattoo, Farzana and Yousaf Sheikh, Rehana and Shahbuddin Sheikh, Sajjad Sheikh, Saima and Tabraiz Viceer with their children Reyhan, Sana, and Faizan, Nuzhat, her mom, Zubeida, and Nauman Waheed, and Abreen and Syed Warsi.
True to Aramco tradition, a buffet was organized, serving a sumptuous spread of food that evoked fond memories of the lavish gatherings in Saudi Arabia. Everyone enjoyed the dishes, brimming with flavor and variety, as they caught up, laughed, and reminisced about their days in Aramco. Thanks to Javaid Hamid for organizing the delicious food.
A highlight of the afternoon was the series of games played to celebrate the group’s uniqueness and shared history. The atmosphere buzzed with excitement as the Aramco memorabilia game sharpened memories and conversations about life in the Kingdom. The nostalgia was deepened by a game that featured the four Aramco communities—Abqaiq, Dhahran, Ras Tanura, and Udhailiyah—adding a playful yet meaningful connection to the past. An impromptu karaoke singing session started right after the games. Singers Sumir Pattoo, Nauman Waheed, Sapna Kokal and Anju Pattoo, entertained the audience with their melodious voices.
A big thank you to Antonette Fernandes for securing the venue and to Farouk Khory and Wilfred Carvalho for helping set up and wrap up the event.
This annual reunion in Toronto and the GTA (Greater Toronto Area) has become a cherished tradition, a time to bring together the community to celebrate their enduring bonds and shared history. As the attendees looked back on their times in Aramco, the gathering was a reminder of how far they’ve come and how those years continue to shape their lives today. Here's to many more years of rekindling old friendships and making new memories together!
Organizers Jasmine Carvalho, Sapna Kokal and Yasmin Khory, received many a thanks from all, as the evening drew to a close. Yasmin Khory announced that she would be passing the reins of organizing the reunions to Jasmine and Sapna for future events.
All Aramcons who live in Canada and the U.S A. who would like to attend future reunions held in Toronto are welcome to write to Jasmine Carvalho (carvalhojp@hotmail.com) or Sapna Kokal (sapna.kokal@gmail.com) giving contact details. The database is being updated for a future reunion in September 2025.