Thirty-five years ago, King Fahd, terming the giant edifice "one of the miracles of the 20th century," inaugurated the causeway between Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.
There was a rose for every driver who passed through the toll booths on the first day the causeway was open to the public on Saturday, Nov. 29, 1986. On average, traffic across the four-lane highway was expected to be about 1,000 vehicles a day — 500 traveling in each direction.
Dec. 4, 1946
First Tanker to The West
The first tanker load of Saudi Arabian crude to reach the Western Hemisphere has arrived in Argentina and been discharged. A second shipment is en route.
Delivery was made under an arrangement between Arabian American Oil Company and the government oil monopoly. Although the total contracted for has never been disclosed, it is believed to be in the neighborhood of 2 million bbla.
Dec. 5, 1956
25,000 to be Vaccinated in Anti-Smallpox Drive
Aramco's emergency program to provide some 25,000 extra smallpox immunizations for all employees and dependents neared its conclusion this week.
Dr. R.H. Daggy, assistant medical director in charge of Preventive Medicine, said that although all Aramco personnel receive smallpox vaccinations periodically as part of regular immunization, the present program was undertaken as a "double precaution" following a recent outbreak of the disease in the Eastern Province.
Two light cases of the disease among Aramco employees were detected shortly after the outbreak.
Despite the fact it had some significant erosion and its face was worn off in many places, a limestone ashlar with what was thought to be an Aramaic script was quite a find in 1966.
Dec. 7, 1966
New Qatif Find
A limestone Ashlar measuring 53 x 53 x20 centimeters with what is thought to be an Aramaic script was found recently in the Qatif Oasis. The 'Umdah of Qatif, Shaykh Muhammad al-Faris, reports that the stone was found somewhere near al-'Awwamiyah.
The inscription is now under study but unfortunately, the stone is eroded on the sides, and the face is worn off in many places. It has also been holed in the lower part and is plastered in such a manner that the inscription is partly obliterated.
Seen from the air, the site work for seven LPG storage tanks at Ju’aymah takes on a new dimension. To compact the ground, 55-foot high earthwork hills called surcharges were built and left to settle three to four weeks. When measurements indicated the ground had compacted to the proper density, the surcharges were leveled to form the tank pads, as at bottom left.
Dec. 8, 1976
Construction Begins at Ju'Aymah NGL Center
Site preparation is nearly complete and construction has begun at the new gas liquids processing complex at Ju'aymah.
The complex, one of the key components of the gas program being undertaken by Aramco for the Saudi Arab Government, consists of two fractionation and treating plants, a boiler and utilities plant, seven liquid petroleum gas (LPG) storage tanks and associated refrigeration units, and a six-mile long trestle that will carry piping to a new two-berth LPG sea island to be constructed off Ju'aymah.
Under the gas gathering plan, sour gas processed at Aramco's 54 gas-oil separating plants will be sent to one of several collection centers to be sweetened (remove acid gas), and chilled to condense liquids.
Dec. 3, 1986
King Fahd, Shayk 'Isa Open Causeway Linking Bahrain, Saudi Arabia
Servitor of the Two Sanctuaries King Fahd ibn 'Abd al-'Aziz and Amir of Bahrain Shaykh 'Isa ibn Salman Al Khalifah jointly inaugurated the 25-kilometer long King Fahd Causeway at ceremonies held on the causeway itself on Wednesday, Nov. 26.
Terming the giant edifice "one of the miracles of the 20th century," King Fahd went on to praise all those involved in the development and construction of a "dream ... that has become reality."
In his address, Shaykh 'Isa lauded the efforts of King Fahd in fostering good relations between the Arab states of the Gulf regional and said he was plead to call the edifice the King Fahd Causeway.
— The Arabian Sun: December 12, 2021