Beyond the Borders
A poem by Nimah Ismail Nawwab. Losing oneself...Can this ever happen...‘How can we lose ourselves?’ one asks.
Happy 10th Birthday Hooriya Naushad Shah
Hooriya Naushad Shah, daughter of Engr. Syed Naushad Shah, celebrated her 10th birthday on April 5th. Hooriya is the granddaughter of Syed Yousaf Shah, Aramco Badge ID 71533.
Mohammed Ifteqaruddin Reflects on Receiving Valuable Contribution Award
This article is inspired by a quote from Brian Tracy, "The greatest joys of life are happy memories. Your job is to create as many of them as possible.” and on an announcement by the Dhahran Inspection Department to submit abstracts for the “Inspection Department Technical Exchange Meeting and Exhibition 2005.”
Aramco Exploration Camp 1977
This photo, taken in 1977, is of the Aramco Exploration Camp known as G3 and located deep in the Rub Al Khali. Every five or six weeks the newest (most junior) Aramco pilots were assigned to the G3 camp for a week at a time to fly oil exploration crews (usually four to six men) to their remote sites in the Aramco Twin Otter which was kept at the G3 base. This was actually pretty good duty.
UK Secretaries - 20 Years Ago
Thank you, Ann Berry, for sending AXP this beautiful, nostalgic photo of UK Secretaries. Ann Berry worked in Office Services for 24 years, from 1978 to her retirement on 1 April 2002. The photo is of her friends at her leaving party. The party included 34 secretaries who had clocked over 700 years working for Aramco.
Wherever the Pets Are—Home Is: Vignette from 'Life in the Camel Lane'
Prior to arriving in Arabia I had a conversation with a friend already in Kingdom about the possibility of us getting a pet. We understood it might take a few months before our large shipment from the US arrived with our personal belongings.
Ramadan's Lanterns
No one knows for certain when the use of children's Ramadan lanterns began, but it is a very old Egyptian tradition. Indeed, lanterns and lamps of various kinds, of many hues and degrees of brightness, and even both real and imaginary, have always been special to Egypt.
Then and Now: Al Khobar 1955 and 2020
I took the 'then' photo of Al Khobar in 1955 while working as a PR photographer for Aramco. The 'now' photo is of my grandson, Sam Field, taken in 2020.
Mumkin Sura? A New Day for Saudi Photography
I find it refreshing that photography is becoming an accepted part of modern Saudi society. The first “Jeddah Photo 2022” exhibition at Athr Gallery (organized by the Saudi Art Council and supported by the Ministry of Culture’s Museums Commission) will showcase a variety of images by Saudi and international photographers, including experimental work and contemporary photos.
Mom’s Photo Album
Having just graduated from a small Ohio university in 1951, three sorority sisters embarked on a memorable trans-Atlantic journey that would shape their lives. In this photo essay, Mark Lowey shares the experiences and photos from a family photo album that has collected dust for more than half a century. The photos, taken by Mark’s mother, Suzanne “Susie” Olin (later Lowey), reveal memories from a bygone post-WWII era.
Laurene Ann Opdyke Nursing Scholarship
Dear Friends of Laurene, I have some exciting news. Starting June 1, 2022, the number of scholarships available will increase from five to seven! My only request is for you to help me find qualified candidates for these scholarships and encourage them to apply.
The Preferred Footwear from Saudi Camp
Just down the road outside Dhahran’s Main Gate in the 1950s and 60s was an area called Saudi Camp. In one of the shops was an old, blind Saudi cobbler who made sandals from camel hide and tire treads. He would trace your foot on a piece of cardboard and tell you to come back the next day to pick up your custom-made sandals.
Carina’s Story: Odyssey from Saudi Arabia to Paris in 1975 - Rescued by Twigs and Bedouins
A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to speak with Carina Rourke Burns, an American published author and expatriate who spent seven years of her life growing up in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, before relocating to Paris in 1975.
Here Come the “Returning Students”
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
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.
Nomadic Youth - Vignette from 'Aramco Brat: How Arabia, Oil, Gold and Tragedy Shaped My Life'
Not quite 4,000 days before the Cairo crash, I could be found in Glenshaw, a suburb outside Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It was the day after Christmas, 1955. My father had joined giant Aramco (the Arabian American Oil Company) thirteen months before, and we would soon be with him in KSA, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
2015 Dhahran Cricket Association Trip to Morocco - Capturing Memories
Back in 2015, the Dhahran Cricket Association (DCA) explored another out-of-kingdom destination on a 5-day tour of Morocco. See photos from the excursion enjoyed by 60 DCA members and family recounted here by Farooq Khan.
The Traditional Jewellery of Arabia: A Conversation with the Zay Initiative
I was delighted recently to be invited by the Zay Initiative to discuss traditional Middle Eastern jewellery as part of their 2022 Speaker Series. The Zay is a UK registered non-profit organization devoted to the Art of Arab dress.
Shopping: Vignette from 'Life in the Camel Lane'
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
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.