A Look Back At Our Favorite 2021 Highlights & Notices
While the world did slow down in 2021, the interesting tales and photos from Aramco ExPats didn't. View this collection of community favorites from 2021.
A Photo Essay of the Dhahran Cricket Association's 2018 Trip to Sri Lanka
Petroleum Engineering Specialist Farooq A. Khan, who retired from Aramco in January 2021, recalls a remarkable trip to Sri Lanka he enjoyed as president of the Dhahran Cricket Association (DCA) in 2018. The following report captures the memorable time that was had by 69 DCA members and their families who journeyed on a beautiful 5-day excursion.
The Taste and Memory of Breakfast
Breakfast is the meal that often commences our day. While doctors emphasize the importance of breakfast for maintaining our physical health and more recently also emotional health, I also believe that breakfast is the first fraction of our day that can be used as a hallmark to build traditions upon.
Help Get Kristofer LeRibeus Home
Our son, Kristofer LeRibeus, was recently involved in a catastrophic car accident in Oman which has left him a quadriplegic. Our family is coordinating his urgent evacuation to the USA for medical care and we need your support. We launched a GoFundMe site to raise funds to get Kristofer home for the treatment he needs. ~Myron Scoggins and Rhonda LeRibeus-Scoggins
Online Irish Step Dancing with Annette Collins
If you lived in Dhahran in the early 2000s, you may have encountered the musical group Get Reel performing a blend of Irish, country and bluegrass songs at various venues around Dhahran and Bahrain. Annette Collins, one of the group's founding members and a native of Ireland now returned to the Emerald Isle, has continued to pursue her love of music and Irish dance. She is currently offering a unique opportunity to learn Irish dance online.
My Madinah Mosque Misadventure
In the late 1990’s I was in Saudi Arabia on a consulting contract for a leading tourism company. I was to travel the Kingdom, putting together travel itineraries for the expatriate market. On this nearly month-long expedition, I was accompanied by Mohammed, my Saudi driver assigned to me...
The Crash - Vignette from Aramco Brat: How Arabia, Oil, Gold and Tragedy Shaped My Life
Two a.m., Thursday, May 20, 1965, Cairo, Egypt. A Boeing 720B is in its second landing approach; the first attempt was aborted. The Cairo airport has just installed a new night-guidance landing system. Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) Flight 705 is inaugurating a new service: Karachi to London with intermediate stops in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia; Cairo; and Geneva, Switzerland. The plane is piloted and crewed by the airline’s very best.
Surrounded by Impermanence: Lessons from ExPat life and Natural Disasters
It was a windy morning in Boulder, Colorado on December 30th, 2021. I had been woken up by the cacophony of the swaying trees. While the wind usually feels like a refreshing breeze, on this particular day the wind sounded rather ominous.
The Gathering Storm - The Gulf War: Vignette from 'Tales from the Desert: An Arabian Memoir'
Dhahran is situated on a low hill a couple of miles west of Dhahran airport which is an enormous military airbase and at that time, a commercial airport. Within hours of President Bush announcing ‘Operation Desert Shield’ a continuous stream of enormous US Air Force transport planes began landing at the airport, depositing men, supplies and weapons.
An Unexpected Saudi Christmas Gift
Christmas in the Kingdom has been in the international news recently, with many stories detailing how more and more shops openly sell Christmas trees, lights, tinsel, and the other decorations westerners want to buy for their festive celebrations.
Reliving a Memory
A mini Aramco Brat reunion was held Sunday, December 12th at Rocco's Tacos on Clematis Street in West Palm Beach, Florida. After dinner and drinks, we all went to see the 700 ton Christmas Sandi Tree at dockside. A fun time was had reconnecting with many embellished Aramco stories told.
Syria’s Treasures, Part 4 – Aleppo
In this photo essay, Mark Lowey recounts his travels to Syria with his wife and another Aramco couple in April 2011, which inadvertently coincided with the beginnings of the civil uprising in Syria. In Parts 1, 2, and 3, the party of four toured Syria’s capital, Damascus, the ancient Roman city of Palmyra, and Krak des Chevaliers castle.
The Art of Getting Curious: Vignette from 'Life in the Camel Lane'
Heavy-duty canvas, black with cream horizontal stripes, the tent sat on a knoll nestled in a large sand dune. Six or seven irregular, somewhat buckled, knobby wooden posts supported the tent, which seemed to hug the landscape. Sturdy guy ropes pulled it in every direction.
Christmas Time in Dhahran: Reviving Memory and its Impact on the Present and Future
As Christmas approaches, the Holidays are on my mind, especially as it relates to how my holidays used to be. I came across a Charles Dickens quote recently and it made me think so differently about Christmas breaks in Dhahran. It’s now going to be the second Christmas that I am not going to be there [as my family retired].
A Cruise Designed for You – See Who Has Registered
The 2022 Aramco Hafla Reunion Cruise will be held October 31 - November 5, 2022, departing from Miami, FL. Ports of call are Grand Cayman and Cozumel, Mexico. More information to come.
2022 Aramco Hafla Cruise - December 1, 2021 Update
The 2022 Aramco Hafla Reunion Cruise will be held October 31 - November 5, 2022, departing from Miami, FL. Ports of call are Grand Cayman and Cozumel, Mexico. More information to come.
Getting in Shape: Vignette from 'Tales from the Desert: An Arabian Memoir'
Throughout the cooler winter months, the running club would put on a variety of races, typically of five and ten kilometres, in addition to half and full marathons. Barely three months after I had started running, a ten kilometre run seemed nothing out of the ordinary and was completed with relative ease. I was never particularly fast and although my times were respectable...
Layla: The Arabian Lady of the Lakes
The town of Layla, located some 330 Kilometers south of Riyadh in the Al-Aflaj oasis, is noted today for the enormous sinkholes and caves that dot the surrounding gypsum rock formations. But that was not always the case.
Congratulations to Casey Garretson on Graduating as Doctor of Occupational Therapy
Casey Garretson, the grandson of Byron and Sarah Garretson and son of Kyle Garretson, graduated with a doctor's degree in Occupational Therapy from the University of Central Arkansas this spring. He received his license to practice in October and has opened an office in Little Rock, Central Arkansas Occupational Rehabilitation.
Hafla 2022 is Way More Than a Cruise - It's All About the People!
In case you missed it, registration is now open for the Hafla 2022 Cruise. We are looking forward to Annuitants, Brats, Aramcons, and Employees from Around the World joining us. Hafla 2022 Cruise will be a five-night cruise leaving Miami on October 31 and returning to Miami on November 5, 2022. We look forward to seeing you at Hafla 2022.