Here Come the “Returning Students”

Here Come the “Returning Students”

BY Mark Stoffer / /

Batten down the hatches! It was always a happy yet tense time for Aramco when the high school and college dependents returned for Christmas and summer vacations. The company worked hard to keep them entertained (Tri-D dances, dhow trips, etc.)

2022 Hafla Cruise Excursion Highlights

2022 Hafla Cruise Excursion Highlights

BY Aramco ExPtats / /

As Dr. Seuss might say, “Oh the places we’ll go!” Just see what awaits us on our 2022 Hafla cruise. . . Our cruise experience is much more than that photo op as we eagerly embark on the Celebrity Summit. We begin and end our Hafla in ‘The Magic City, as Miami is nicknamed, and then two exciting Caribbean destinations await our arrival.

Shopping: Vignette from 'Life in the Camel Lane'

Shopping: Vignette from 'Life in the Camel Lane'

BY Doreen Cumberford / /

One of my husband’s first shopping experiences was in downtown Al Rahima, a small town near the Ras Tanura compound. He was looking for an electrical appliance and found that he had to walk around a rather large crowd of Saudis who were watching a TV set in the window of the store.

Saudi Arabia's Heritage Treasures

Saudi Arabia's Heritage Treasures

BY The Arab News / /

One of the objectives of the increasingly outward-looking nation of Saudi Arabia, set out in the ambitious Vision 2030 document and its plan to create a more diverse and sustainable economy, is to open up the Kingdom to visitors as a destination for heritage tourism.

A Photo Essay of the Dhahran Cricket Association's 2018 Trip to Sri Lanka

A Photo Essay of the Dhahran Cricket Association's 2018 Trip to Sri Lanka

BY Aramco ExPats / /

Petroleum Engineering Specialist Farooq A. Khan, who retired from Aramco in January 2021, recalls a remarkable trip to Sri Lanka he enjoyed as president of the Dhahran Cricket Association (DCA) in 2018. The following report captures the memorable time that was had by 69 DCA members and their families who journeyed on a beautiful 5-day excursion.

The Taste and Memory of Breakfast

The Taste and Memory of Breakfast

BY Anushka Bose / /

Breakfast is the meal that often commences our day. While doctors emphasize the importance of breakfast for maintaining our physical health and more recently also emotional health, I also believe that breakfast is the first fraction of our day that can be used as a hallmark to build traditions upon.

Help Get Kristofer LeRibeus Home

Help Get Kristofer LeRibeus Home

BY Aramco ExPats / /

Our son, Kristofer LeRibeus, was recently involved in a catastrophic car accident in Oman which has left him a quadriplegic. Our family is coordinating his urgent evacuation to the USA for medical care and we need your support. We launched a GoFundMe site to raise funds to get Kristofer home for the treatment he needs. ~Myron Scoggins and Rhonda LeRibeus-Scoggins

Online Irish Step Dancing with Annette Collins

Online Irish Step Dancing with Annette Collins

BY Aramco ExPats / /

If you lived in Dhahran in the early 2000s, you may have encountered the musical group Get Reel performing a blend of Irish, country and bluegrass songs at various venues around Dhahran and Bahrain. Annette Collins, one of the group's founding members and a native of Ireland now returned to the Emerald Isle, has continued to pursue her love of music and Irish dance. She is currently offering a unique opportunity to learn Irish dance online.

My Madinah Mosque Misadventure

My Madinah Mosque Misadventure

BY Brid Beeler / /

In the late 1990’s I was in Saudi Arabia on a consulting contract for a leading tourism company. I was to travel the Kingdom, putting together travel itineraries for the expatriate market. On this nearly month-long expedition, I was accompanied by Mohammed, my Saudi driver assigned to me...

The Crash - Vignette from Aramco Brat: How Arabia, Oil, Gold and Tragedy Shaped My Life

The Crash - Vignette from Aramco Brat: How Arabia, Oil, Gold and Tragedy Shaped My Life

BY Richard P. Howard / /

Two a.m., Thursday, May 20, 1965, Cairo, Egypt. A Boeing 720B is in its second landing approach; the first attempt was aborted. The Cairo airport has just installed a new night-guidance landing system. Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) Flight 705 is inaugurating a new service: Karachi to London with intermediate stops in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia; Cairo; and Geneva, Switzerland. The plane is piloted and crewed by the airline’s very best.

The Gathering Storm - The Gulf War: Vignette from 'Tales from the Desert: An Arabian Memoir'

The Gathering Storm - The Gulf War: Vignette from 'Tales from the Desert: An Arabian Memoir'

BY Stuart Crocker / /

Dhahran is situated on a low hill a couple of miles west of Dhahran airport which is an enormous military airbase and at that time, a commercial airport. Within hours of President Bush announcing ‘Operation Desert Shield’ a continuous stream of enormous US Air Force transport planes began landing at the airport, depositing men, supplies and weapons.

An Unexpected Saudi Christmas Gift

An Unexpected Saudi Christmas Gift

BY Brid Beeler / /

Christmas in the Kingdom has been in the international news recently, with many stories detailing how more and more shops openly sell Christmas trees, lights, tinsel, and the other decorations westerners want to buy for their festive celebrations.

Reliving a Memory

Reliving a Memory

BY Aramco ExPats / /

A mini Aramco Brat reunion was held Sunday, December 12th at Rocco's Tacos on Clematis Street in West Palm Beach, Florida. After dinner and drinks, we all went to see the 700 ton Christmas Sandi Tree at dockside. A fun time was had reconnecting with many embellished Aramco stories told.

Syria’s Treasures, Part 4 – Aleppo

Syria’s Treasures, Part 4 – Aleppo

BY Mark Lowey / /

In this photo essay, Mark Lowey recounts his travels to Syria with his wife and another Aramco couple in April 2011, which inadvertently coincided with the beginnings of the civil uprising in Syria. In Parts 1, 2, and 3,  the party of four toured Syria’s capital, Damascus, the ancient Roman city of Palmyra, and Krak des Chevaliers castle.

The Art of Getting Curious: Vignette from 'Life in the Camel Lane'

The Art of Getting Curious: Vignette from 'Life in the Camel Lane'

BY Doreen Cumberford / /

Heavy-duty canvas, black with cream horizontal stripes, the tent sat on a knoll nestled in a large sand dune. Six or seven irregular, somewhat buckled, knobby wooden posts supported the tent, which seemed to hug the landscape. Sturdy guy ropes pulled it in every direction.