Is there anything one can find in their tool box or on their work bench more useful than duct tape? I doubt it. If there’s a rip in something, you can use duct tape to fix it. If a pipe is leaking, chances are you can staunch the flow of water at least for the time being by wrapping the pipe with copious amounts of duct tape.
A Saudi desert expert recently told me about an unusual tree that grows near the old town of ‘Ain Dar, in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province. The tree is four or five meters tall, and local lore maintains that it has been around for hundreds of years. It is extremely rare; he only knows of one other tree like it, near the archaeological site of Thaj to the north.
It seems like most of the Aramco annuitants we’ve profiled over the years primarily spent their time in the Kingdom living in one of the four main camps—Ras Tanura, Dhahran, Abqaiq, or Udhailiyah. Last week was an exception, when we had the privilege of profiling Dr. Syed Azam Sher, the son of a Pakistani expat who spent his years in the KSA...
Last month we featured an article about exquisitely-crafted hard hats certain fortunate Aramcons were able to purchase back in the ‘70s by an artisan from Iran. Since then a number of readers have written to us with similar stories. We found them fascinating and would like to share them with you.
Welcome to the Johns Hopkins Aramco Healthcare Wellbeing Magazine, where the latest health and wellness news, and current and upcoming events, is available at the click of a button.
The story we share with you this week is told by an Aramco brat, Erik Hebert, whose parents Cindy and Byron many of our readers know. Cindy taught first and second grade in the Kingdom while Byron worked in materials supply and project management for Dhahran Hospital Development.
A group of 60 former Dhahran Rugby Union Football Club (DRUFC) players and other ex-Aramcons attended a reunion weekend in Chester, England, in July 2017. The event, known as “Not the May Ball II”, was based on the original Rugby Club May Ball, which was one of the highlights of the Dhahran social calendar.
I never intended to become an English teacher. But, I had always intended to come to Saudi Arabia. Twelve years ago I was on a train making my way to interview for a place to read Arabic at Leeds. I had never visited the Middle East, nor even heard Arabic spoken. In truth, I had little idea about anything.
On occasion, the timing of things, the intersection of events in a person’s life, works out better when left alone than it would have otherwise had we planned everything in advance. Call it serendipity or luck or kismet or anything you like.
Ever since the birth of "The Age of Oil" in the mid-nineteenth century thanks to the ground-breaking efforts of innovative pioneers like Abraham Gesner and Edwin Drake, few areas of human endeavor have spawned a greater number of notable characters than the oil business.
One of the great pleasures we derive from operating this website is having the opportunity to feature stories from Aramco annuitants through which they share with readers experiences from their years of living and working in the Kingdom...
Let’s face it, if you’re a retired Aramco annuitant like me, you’re not getting any younger. But the good news is, we have many wonderful memories to be thankful for and time left to make still more. And for those of you reading these words who are younger...
You may have recently received a notification of upcoming changes to the Aramco Savings Plan, which may affect you. Read on for more details.
Over the years, newly hired expats from all over the world have arrived in Arabia to begin working for Saudi Aramco with varied levels of foreknowledge about what to expect from their new lives in an exotic land redolent of history and mystery. Fortunately for Al Denyer, Badge Number 99257...
The Ras Tanura Golf Club (RTGC) produced its youngest club champion in its history with the recent win by 13-year-old Karl Reyes, who captured the 2017 Club Championship over a highly competitive field of golfers through two days of stroke-play qualifying rounds and another two days of straight-up (without the use of the handicap system) matchplay competition.
With some—certainly many, probably most—Aramco annuitants, retirement is less an exit from the working world but more an all-consuming exploration into a world of new opportunities. That certainly seems to be the case with Doreen Cumberford.
Who but the progeny of Aramcons would take pride in calling themselves "brats"? It's one of those ineffable mysteries of the universe that reason cannot explain. With that said, we shall forever acknowledge their cheekiness with a smile and continue to post reports about their activities and interests and gatherings, this issue being no exception.
Announcing the graduation of Bryan Michael Jaszczak from Buchhold High School, Gainesville, Florida on June 3rd, 2017. Proud parents are Jeffrey of Arabia and Erin Jaszczak.
In 2002, facing imminent repatriation back to the U.S. and wondering how, after so many years, I could stay connected to everything and everyone I had grown to love during my time in Arabia with Saudi Aramco, I formed the notion of creating a website...
Kim and Dave Shaner are pleased to announce the marriage of their youngest son, Josh Shaner, to Ashleigh Manfredi on April 8, 2016 in Houston, Texas, USA.