Jaber S. Jum'ah Passed Away
DHAHRAN, October 15, 2008 -- Long-time Saudi Aramco employee and well-known weather expert Jaber S. Jum'ah Al-Dossary passed away Sept. 30 at age 76.
Jaber S. Jum'ahJaber started with the company in 1958 as an employee of the Mechanical Services Department. He served there until 1976, when he went to the United States for a year of out-of-Kingdom training. He returned in 1977 and was transferred to the Public Relations Department in 1978.
In 1979, he was made general supervisor of Publications, where he served until 1989, when he became part of the Policy and Planning Staff. He joined Government Affairs Services in 1990 and was acting manager of that department for two months in 1991 and in August 1992 before retiring in October of that year.
During his years with Saudi Aramco, Jaber worked closely with Saudi nationals and expatriate employees and made many lifelong friends.
"What I recall best about him was that he was an always-smiling guy, who was really interested in the people who worked for him," said Arthur P. Clark, who met Jaber when he came to work for Public Relations in 1980. "I also recall that he could recite rhymes, in Arabic and English, at length, to fit the moment."
Jaber Jum'ah was an astronomy enthusiast and became known among friends as the local weatherman.Jaber was renowned for his poetic and linguistic abilities. "He knew how to speak Tagalog and Indonesian, and he could recite poetry in English, Arabic and Farsi," said Salman S. Al-Dossari, who was his neighbor, family friend and colleague. "I remember we had a farewell party at the office for one of our American colleagues, and he wrote and recited a poem for the occasion that made her cry."
He was also loved by his peers and colleagues. "When we were at Penn Center Academy, he was as a godfather to all of us," said Abdullah A. Al-Hijji, who knew Jaber from their days as students in 1976. "He would always visit anyone who fell sick or did not show up to school. If anyone became homesick, Jaber would brighten his day."
His extensive knowledge of Saudi culture and heritage made him a great storyteller. "He was happy to share his knowledge with all who were interested and inspired many Arabian Sun stories," said Jane W. Grutz, who also worked with him in Public Relations.
"These stories were always well-received by both the Saudi readership, who were proud of their heritage, and the expatriate readership, who were eager to learn more about the culture of the country they had temporarily adopted as their home."
Jaber Jum'ah started with the company on April 23, 1958, as an employee of the Mechanical Services Department.Jaber was also an astronomy enthusiast and became known among friends as the local weatherman. "He had a special bond with nature," said Mary Norton, a former Public Relations employee. "With respect to weather patterns, he was like a walking Farmer's Almanac."
His passion carried into his family life, and his son also learned to look to the stars. "Some of my earliest childhood memories are of my father and I gazing at the moon and the stars for many hours identifying the planets, different constellations and individual stars," said Basim J. Al-Dossary. "My father had planted the love of astronomy and meteorology in me that it grew to be my passion."
You can read some quotes from Jaber in an article by Nimah I. Nawwab for The Kingdom, print edition of Saudi Aramco World, on Aramco ExPats: The Culinary Kingdom.