September 1978, 45 years ago. Six of us were working for Aramco in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, and had a five-day Eid holiday ahead of us. We were at a loss as to where to go - then someone had the idea of visiting the Yemen!
Qamar (“Kim”) Ahmed is a lucky lady, even though she recently lost one of the loves of her life. Desert Designs, which she founded in al-Khobar with her husband, Farid Bukhari, in 1990 to preserve, “recycle and cycle” Saudi Arabia’s unique heritage crafts, closed July 31...
Volunteer duo Tricia and Charlie Franck of Weaverville, NC were recently recognized for their extensive commitment to volunteer service with Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity. At the August 15th Buncombe County Board of Commissioners Meeting, the Francks received the Governor’s Medallion Award for Volunteer Service.
Blaine and Carol Dahlseide (Dhahran 1998-2016, Finance Department) would like to announce the marriage of their daughter, Katie Jo Dahlseide, to Lucas James Jensen, on June 2, 2023 in Bozeman, Montana. Katie is an oncology nurse and Lucas works in international relations. The couple will reside in Atlanta, Georgia.
When I was a child, it seemed nobody had a tattoo except Popeye the sailor, and possibly real sailors too. Strange as it would have seemed to my younger self, tattoos and body art have been part of society since Neolithic times. Today, approximately 40% of the world’s population have tattoos or some other form of body art.
Anyone and everyone who has lived or been to the Middle East knows that malls are a large part of the social life in the region. The reasons may be multifold, but the simplest reason holds the truth that it is so incredibly hot outside a good chunk of the year, that you have no choice but to seek an indoor playground!
Fancy a wedding—not to get married yourself, but to watch the ceremony in a hall in Dhahran? Or how about sampling a dark rice-and-fish dish called sayadiyah that’s famous in Yanbu‘ on the kingdom’s west coast? Or perhaps you’d like to scramble up a majestic dune at Shaybah?
You’ve seen the scene a dozen times in movies, from The Thief of Bagdad to Lawrence of Arabia. The camera zooms to the weathered face of the Arab hero and his fierce, penetrating eyes, which have been made even more mysterious by being heavily outlined with black kohl. You have to admit…
This article was originally published in 2003. We're curious to know what has changed over the past 20 years. Please share your insight by leaving a comment in the comments section. Do you spend whole days in the house? Do you feel cabin fever taking hold? Then take a day trip out around Dhahran – you may be surprised at what you find.
The summer of 2018 was an incredibly joyous few months with my parents in Dhahran. One of the highlights of that summer was our trip to Dubai in the UAE. Although we had been there before, this trip was signified by our stay at the Atlantis Hotel...
Do you recall DOG TRACKS, the magazine published by the Dhahran Outing Group with editor Larry Gomoll at the helm? We've unearthed the November 1988 edition, a whopping 58 pages of travel-related content selected exclusively for the reading pleasure of DOGS members.
In this Memory Lane collection, explore highlights from archived editions of The Arabian Sun and Arabian Sun and Flare, marking the progression of Aramco through the ages. For example, here is an excerpt from 1971... "When your 4-year-old neighbor affects a deep voice and growls, "Cookie,"...
A recent inquiry has attracted the interest of many readers and we've received a number of suggestions in response. If you were among those who were transported back to Abqaiq sifting through your memory for the name of a sweet-smelling, night-blooming, white-blossomed flower, we are happy to share our findings with you.
In September 1979, Mark Lowey completed a two-year stint working in the oil fields of the Eastern Province in Saudi Arabia. Afterwards, as a solo backpacker, then 24-year-old Mark spent three months exploring Nepal and India, and then headed to Sri Lanka, the island nation below the southern tip of India.
Join host Peter Greenberg as he explores the hidden gems in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia that few have ever seen, including Riyadh, Jeddah, AlUla, the Red Sea, the Red Dunes, and more.
Flowers, and nature at large, hold the ability to evoke many emotions in us. The saturation and vibrancy of its colors can produce a healing effect on the mind. Life in Dhahran was bright — quite literally, and herein lies the biggest contradiction.
The "Desert Divas" have had an annual reunion since 2002. This year we met in Savannah, GA. The photo was taken in front of the infamous fountain in Forsyth Park. We never run out of fond memories. From left to right Rita Steininger, Donna Jones, Diane Burgoyne, Sue Foster, Carol Dachelet, Becky Sigmon, Patti Fleming, Lee Theil, Nanette Langan, Stephanie Jones, Nancy Vance, Sharon O'Brien, Hedy Orkney.
Aramco "grannies", Karen Fallon and Jo Watts present the storybook When Camels Sing, dedicated to all Brats. The book features the indomitable equines of the desert, camels, and tells the story of Abdullah's herd of young camels and the colorful adventure they have on a bright and sunny day. These camels, each with a different and distinctive personality, experience an event that may never have been experienced in the desert.
For the fourth time in four years, always around the month of May, our mourning dove returns to our tree and her nest by the side of our RiverWalk West Palm Beach, Florida house. She has laid an egg or two and is now nesting again. We noticed her this past Saturday, May 27th.
From growing the tourism sector to cultivating the venture capital and private equity scene, the Middle East is undergoing social and infrastructural changes to lay the foundation for a sustainable future. This was the main topic of discussion during the 20th Middle East Annual Conference in London earlier in May...