Opening Doors: Kingdom Begins Issuing Tourist Visas
Aramco ExPats are all too familiar with the scenario. After describing the wonders of Saudi Arabia to a friend with gypsy feet who’s eager to experience these magical places for him- or herself...
Arabian Nights and Mornings: The Emblems of an Expatriate Upbringing in Saudi Arabia
When I entered the gates of Dhahran Residential Camp on the pearly dawn of a summer day in 2006, I was barely awake. My eyes were shut asleep in the car from the tire of the long, international journey we had...
Aramco Brat and Pilot April Allen Joins JetBlue
If you happen to be flying on a JetBlue Airbus and hear the name April Allen announced as one of the pilots over the intercom, that would be April Allen (Dharan School '97). April’s Mom and Dad (Claude and Verna Allen, Dhahran 1985-2000)...
The Air Force Academy – A “Must See” in Colorado Springs
“Whether you’ve come to Colorado Springs as a visitor, cadet, parent or new member of our staff, one thing is certain—the United States Air Force Academy experience is unlike any other.” With these words, the United States Air Force Academy...
Desert Voices: Arabic Poetry Through the Ages, Part I – Pre-Islamic Poetry
The richness of Arabic poetry and, more specifically, of poetry born on the Arabian Peninsula, is breath-taking. Beginning well before the coming of Islam and continuing on into the new millennium, Arab poets have blessed the world with some of the finest verse ever written.
Happy Birthday Dhahran
It all began in September 28th, 1933. The geologists Bert Miller and Krug Henry pitched their tents on the edge of what was then known as the Dammam Dome and established the site called Dhahran.
Phillip Burness: From the Shores of the Red Sea to the Shores of Lake Huron
Drilling for, refining, and transporting oil poses daunting technical, logistic, and safety challenges. Just ask Phillip Burness. For 18 critical years starting in 1982 and ending in 2000, Phillip devoted himself as Operations Superintendent...
The Seven Natural Wonders of Arabia, Part II: Jabal Abyad
Last month we launched our new series on the Seven Natural Wonders of Arabia with a visit to Elephant Rock near Madâin Sâlih in the Al-’Ula region of northwestern Arabia. The second stop on our tour takes us south-southeast from there in the general direction of Madinah to Jabal Abyad...
The Garden of the Gods
The next bi-annual Hafla Annuitants Reunion has been slated for September 2020 at Cheyenne Mountain Resort, in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Among the many exciting nearby attractions is the magical Garden of the Gods...
The 3rd Annual Razorfish Swim Meet
Saudi Aramco retiree Mohammed Ifteqaruddin's (Badge number 140948) son Zubair Mohammed Iftekhar recently organized the third edition of Razorfish Swim Meet which is an annual affair. This event was organized under the banner of his aquatic company Razorfish Swim University...
The Art of Islamic Calligraphy
Islamic calligraphy in general and Arabic calligraphy in particular are expressions of an exquisite art form comparable in its genius to those of China and Japan. Examples dating from the rise of Islam are highly prized by museums and collectors the world over as timeless manifestations of the moral character of the individuals who crafted them.
Sweet Success - al-Baha Beekeepers Giving Both Economy and Ecology a Boost
Man’s relationship with bees and collecting their honey goes back thousands of years, with drawings of such activity seen in cave drawings. During the long journey from primitive life to civilization, man has learned how to raise bees to increase the production of honey...
Announcing the 2020 Colorado Springs Hafla
Annuitant AXP readers will be delighted to learn that dates have been set for the 32nd Biannual Aramco Hafla Annuitants Reunion. Mark it on your calendars: the 26th through the 30th of September 2020. The place? Cheyenne Mountain Resort in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Aramco Brats Celebrate Memories and Friendships at the 17th Biennial Reunion
The word “hometown” seemed to be on everyone’s minds at the 17th Biennial Brats Reunion … in a uniquely Aramco way. “For most of us here, Aramco is our hometown,” said Mike Simms, who graduated from 9th grade in 1978...
Ageless: Arabian Art Through the Ages
For some 5,000 years, civilizations as we commonly understand them have come and gone, waxed and waned. An enduring measure of their character and legacies is the genius expressed in their art.
Meet the Saudi Photographer Behind Hajj 2019’s Most Iconic Picture
Photographers capture tens of thousands of images during the annual Hajj pilgrimage, but few are shared widely on social media — and even fewer occupy the coveted spot on the front page of Arab News.
The Seven Natural Wonders of Arabia, Part I: Elephant Rock
In November of last year we began our Seven Wonders of Arabia tour with a visit to Madâin Sâlih in the Al-’Ula region of northwestern Arabia—the Kingdom’s first inscribed UNESCO World Heritage Site. Two thousand years ago...
Aramcons Challenge the Euphrates, Part VIII: Deliverance
At the conclusion of the previous installment in this series, our Aramcons adventurers had floated past armed Turkish sentries guarding the construction site of a new dam, ignoring their orders to stop. We pick up their story there...
Coming Soon: The Seven Natural Wonders of Arabia
In AXP’s recently-concluded series, The Seven Wonders of Arabia, readers were taken on monthly visits to seven of the most outstanding historical sites in the Kingdom. The tour began in November of last year with a stop at the rock...
Saudis Recall History’s Greatest TV Event: Apollo Moon Landing
It was a sleepy afternoon in Saudi Arabia, just days before the end of the school vacation, and Saudis had their eyes glued to their TV sets as they waited for live coverage of the Apollo 11 moon landing.