Aramco Brat and Pilot April Allen Joins JetBlue

Aramco Brat and Pilot April Allen Joins JetBlue

BY Claude Allen / /

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

The Air Force Academy – A “Must See” in Colorado Springs

BY Aramco ExPats / /

“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

Desert Voices: Arabic Poetry Through the Ages, Part I – Pre-Islamic Poetry

BY Aramco ExPats / /

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

Happy Birthday Dhahran

BY Tim Barger / /

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.

The Seven Natural Wonders of Arabia, Part II: Jabal Abyad

The Seven Natural Wonders of Arabia, Part II: Jabal Abyad

BY Aramco ExPats / /

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 Garden of the Gods

BY Aramco ExPats / /

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

The 3rd Annual Razorfish Swim Meet

BY Mohammed Ifteqaruddin / /

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

The Art of Islamic Calligraphy

BY Aramco ExPats / /

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

Sweet Success - al-Baha Beekeepers Giving Both Economy and Ecology a Boost

BY The Arabian Sun / /

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

Announcing the 2020 Colorado Springs Hafla

BY Aramco ExPats / /

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.

Ageless: Arabian Art Through the Ages

Ageless: Arabian Art Through the Ages

BY Aramco ExPats / /

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.

The Seven Natural Wonders of Arabia, Part I: Elephant Rock

The Seven Natural Wonders of Arabia, Part I: Elephant Rock

BY Aramco ExPats / /

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

Aramcons Challenge the Euphrates, Part VIII: Deliverance

BY Aramco ExPats / /

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

Coming Soon: The Seven Natural Wonders of Arabia

BY Aramco ExPats / /

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...

Konstantinopel Rare and Fine Books - Making the Impossible Possible

Konstantinopel Rare and Fine Books - Making the Impossible Possible

BY Aramco ExPats / /

A wonder-filled gathering place on the world-wide-web for bibliophiles interested in the history of the Middle East is the website of Konstantinopel Rare and Fine Books. Readers may recognize the name, as Konstantinopel has been a loyal supporter of this website for some time.

Aramcons Challenge the Euphrates, Part VII: Confrontations

Aramcons Challenge the Euphrates, Part VII: Confrontations

BY Aramco ExPats / /

At the conclusion of the previous installment in this series, our doughty band of Aramcons had just made camp for the night after completing a spine-tingling run through the most treacherous stretch of the Grand Canyon...