Saudi Arabia’s capital city is the ideal location for World Expo 2030 because of its growing international stature, strong economy and new infrastructure, according to several government and private sector officials who spoke at a seminar in Paris on Monday night.
A few weeks ago, I found myself browsing the Aramco Brats Facebook page, where I stumbled upon a truly exquisite Aramco Brats Cutting Board.
Saudi Arabia has approved the use of the Gregorian calendar for all official dealings, except those related to the provisions of Islamic Shariah where the calculation of periods will continue to be based on the Hijri calendar.
The Royal Geographical Society was founded in 1830. Its home for over 100 years has been the prestigious Lowther Lodge, situated in Kensington not far from South Kensington Tube Station in London. From its inception, the society’s purpose has been the “advancement of geographical science”...
I recently came across this photo in one of my albums and thought it might cause a few smiles and perhaps jog a few memories. We were certainly ahead of our time (about 47 years!), as a ladies' football team was something of an oddity in 1976. We were a diverse, multinational mix, with two Americans...
After 3 years, 60 Aramcons came together for the 7th Toronto Aramco Reunion on September 30, 2023 at Woodbine Beach Park, Toronto. The azure skies, the blue waters, the sandy beach, the trees showing traces of fall colors and the green grass by the shelter that was rented for the event made for a perfect day.
Many of you may be familiar with the Aramco Savings Plan, which is a key retirement benefit offered through Aramco. But did you know that the plan offers after-tax contributions? And did you know it’s possible to convert those after-tax contributions to Roth?
In this piece Mark Lowey recounts the unique journey of a traditional Bedouin camel saddle that found its way from the Saudi desert to Watsonville, California. During lunch hour on a warm winter day on January 13, 1979, I took a walk to look around an abandoned Bedouin encampment near my worksite at Fazran.
This past Wednesday, September 27th, I turned 27 years old. To celebrate, some friends took me out for dinner, and my desired spot was a beautiful Lebanese restaurant called Villa Yara in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C.
I believe these wool blankets were Aramco-issued in the 50s to bachelors and maybe families. At least my father had two of them when we arrived about a year after his employment in the ChemLab in Dhahran in 1955-56, and I recall seeing them in other homes around camp.
Bobby Riley shared these action shots of Kevin Durham, Kevin Riley and Sean Allen catching air while having fun in Abqaiq in the Late '70s.
To my mind, of all the wonderful textiles to be found in souqs across the Arab world, Cashmere and Pashmina are the most luxurious and wearable. Women wear them as shawls for warmth, men wear them as head coverings or around their shoulders over their jackets.
American expats have a unique appreciation for the challenges faced while living abroad. While making a home in a foreign country offers the chance of adventure and opportunity, it comes at the price of additional obstacles and increased complexity in many aspects of their lives. To further complicate matters...
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has launched the masterplan to develop a new project in the mountainous region of Soudah to present a new face of luxury mountain tourism. The project called “Soudah Peaks” will see a luxury mountain tourism destination set 3,015 meters being created above sea level on Saudi Arabia's highest peak.
Former Aramcon Iro Smith was chosen and included in the book by Mary Rissaki, Greek Women of the World, which features 151 successful Greek women who thrive outside and inside Greece. As the writer is a Greek Canadian author and independent publisher from the island of Crete..
Part 1 of this story describes the helicopter ride with Aramco employee Tom Swords and concludes with a shout out to Tom, his whereabouts and fate unknown. Shortly after the publication of Part 1 in the Aramco Expats Highlights, Kelly Swords, Tom’s daughter, saw the article and wrote to Tom and her mother, Jo, in their family’s group text.
We are very pleased to let you know that Gabrielle Reilly, the third generation in her family, will be visiting Dhahran from October 12th – 21st, 2023. Gabrielle is a Partner and Managing Director at Creative Planning, formerly Reilly Financial Advisors and will be visiting to meet with her extensive Aramco clients and prospects.
With the help of our community, we have successfully named all individuals in this photo of the Dhahran Teen Canteen Committee that appeared in the May 1971 Arabian Sun. Marion Slettengren was the last person to be named.
A state of being that is all too familiar to expats around the world is living amidst transitions. Life goes on while there are unpacked boxes in your living room, and the chair you were assembling is sitting half-done in front of you while you stare at it, drinking coffee in the morning, planning when you will get around to finishing it.
Aramco would bring Manwich in by the cases to the four district commissaries, and they could never keep it in stock. It was a huge bestseller in the '60s and '70s. At times, they would even have a limit on how many cans you could buy at one time on your badge number.