It is a long, curvy drive up the Saudi Arabian mountain to Alhada and then Taif, enough to make anyone motion sick. Yet many of life’s most beautiful things are found at the top of a climb. So it is with one of the world’s most expensive commodities–rose water and the rose oil that distills along with it.
Drew Irving worked for the Fluor Corporation SERVORG group that provided Engineers and Construction Specialist directly to Aramco project engineers to be "their eyes and ears" on all the projects going on at that time throughout the Eastern Province.
This year marks the 31st anniversary of my first setting foot in Saudi Arabia. Back then, it was still a sleepy, laid back place with little in the way of entertainment or amenities. So, as expats , we made our own entertainment and...
Camping trips are among the most treasured family memories and many an Aramcon family ventured beyond the gates of Aramco camps to experience the great outdoors. In December 2000, Wallace Colly and his family, along with another 'Udhailiyah family, made a memorable camping trip to the Hijaz region.
The year was 1983, and I had just returned from a developmental assignment in Udhailiyah working for Southern Area Producing in maintenance. My good friend, Brian Dunloy, had become a collector of oriental carpets...
This small collection of verses was written as a poetic diary of my thoughts and impressions, influenced by my life and travel within Saudi Arabia during the past eight years (circa 1980s), intending, hopefully, for them to be handed on to my three granddaughters - Emma Louise, Sarah Jane and Lisa Maria - in the fullness of time.
When I’m scouting for home and realize it’s 7,598 miles away in Dhahran, I find refuge in the stories of others who share similar sentiments to mine. The recent pandemic that is rapidly evolving, coronavirus...
"Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young." ~Henry Ford
It can be argued that, outside the Arab world proper, the richness of Arabic poetry has gone largely under-appreciated by the general reading public, albeit with a few exceptions, one of the most notable being the 8th-century Mu’allaqat...
The US Ambassador to Saudi Arabia John Abizaid made an address in Jeddah on Sunday at a celebration of the 75th anniversary of the meeting between President Franklin D. Roosevelt and King Abdul Aziz on board the USS Quincy in 1945.
One does not expect to see a label on their tin of caviar stating, “Product of Saudi Arabia”. After all, the sturgeon that produce caviar are found in countries that have plenty of cool, fresh water - something that is not found in large quantities in Saudi Arabia.
The Farasan Islands, lying 30 miles off the coast of the Red Sea near the city of Jizan, have been called “the Crown Jewels of Saudi Arabia’s travel treasures,” and with good reason. Their unique natural habitat, which includes...
While the Hafla Reunion will have bus tours to three of the top attractions in the Colorado Springs (COS) region, there are over 300 other activities that you may want to consider during your time before, during or after the reunion.
As we begin a new year in a new decade, we gather inspiration by taking a look back at what news the Aramco ExPats community enjoyed the most. Here are the highlights - stories, photos and more - in case you missed them...
Join Aramco ExPat Iro Smith on exclusive travel adventures in Greece. As a native Greek, Iro will arrange unique trips and tours for fellow ExPats that will enrich your education, pleasure, adventure and entertainment.
We are proud to bring you the Winter edition of our Wellbeing Magazine. Discover new services and the latest health and wellness news, all available at the click of a button.
The Mission advises the American community in Saudi Arabia of the heightened risk of missile and drone attacks. In the past, regional actors hostile to Saudi Arabia have conducted missile and drone attacks against both civilian and military targets inside the Kingdom.
Christmas season in Dhahran is no ordinary tale — it’s the time of the year the cookie-cutter box homes are carefully decorated with lights, decorations, and wreaths. The vibe of the ExPat town is full of life and energy...
Tucked away in the heights of Jizan Province 40 or so miles inland from the Kingdom’s southern Red Sea coast just north of Yemen, the lush mountains of the Fayfa massif add an unexpected new dimension to a traveler’s Saudi experience.
Journey To Self – Discovering Paths Beyond My Dreams, a memoir by Barry Hampshire, takes readers across Europe in 1977 and describes challenges he faced while navigating across Turkey, Syria, Jordan, and finally Saudi Arabia.