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Tales of the Bedouin – Part XI: A Memorable Day Out – The Camel Beauty Pageant
In April 2014, my friend, Suhaim Alsy’ari, invited me to a special event in the desert. I first met Suhaim in 1978, when he was eight years old and I was 23. At that time, Suhaim and his family lived in a humble Bedouin encampment situated close to the remote Aramco construction site...
National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations Kicks Off its One-of-a-kind Summer Educational and Career Exploration Program for Students
Washington, D.C.: The National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations' ("National Council") Annual 10-week University Student Internship and Summer Scholars Program began on May 24, 2021. Keynoting the inaugural session – and serving as the lead lecturer and resource specialist for the duration of the program – was Dr. John Duke Anthony, the National Council's Founding President and CEO.
Arabian Bat Encounters
I would guess that not many of us think fondly about bats, those mouse-like creatures that fly around in the night sky. I know they are timid, useful creatures that eat tons of insects and all that, but they send shivers down my spine. They somehow remind me of the Alfred Hitchcock movie “The Birds” filmed in Bodega Bay...
Arrowheads and Shooting Stars in the Deserts of Arabia
Weekend trips to the desert often involved searching for arrowheads and other primitive stone tools. Finding areas where these were plentiful was never easy because we could go out one weekend and chance upon a promising site, with lots of arrowheads just lying there on top of the sand...
Tales of the Bedouin–Part XV: The Water of Umm Al Abel
In this piece, Mark Lowey, “Abu Jack,” is escorted deep into the Rub Al Khali (Empty Quarter) and told the astonishing story of a water well named Umm Al Abel.
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.
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.
Tales of the Bedouin – Part XVII: Roots of Thanoon
In this piece, Mark Lowey relates an alarming incident in the early childhood of Bakhait Al Marri, son of a Bedouin gentleman who Mark met in 1979.
Heart And Soul – Vignettes from Ali Al-Baluchi’s Memoir: Part I – Early Days
Ali Al-Baluchi was born in the Arabian Peninsula soon after the unification of the Saudi kingdom. Against the backdrop of a conservative society confronting a rapidly increasing pace of modernization, he has witnessed and participated in decades of great social and economic change.
Heart And Soul – Vignettes from Ali Al-Baluchi’s Memoir: Part II - An Education
Ali Al-Baluchi was born in the Arabian Peninsula soon after the unification of the Saudi kingdom. Against the backdrop of a conservative society confronting a rapidly increasing pace of modernization, he has witnessed and participated in decades of great social and economic change.
Heart And Soul – Vignettes from Ali Al-Baluchi’s Memoir: Part III - At Work
Ali Al-Baluchi was born in the Arabian Peninsula soon after the unification of the Saudi kingdom. Against the backdrop of a conservative society confronting a rapidly increasing pace of modernization, he has witnessed and participated in decades of great social and economic change.
Heart And Soul – Vignettes from Ali Al-Baluchi’s Memoir: Part IV – Opportunity
As Ali Al-Baluchi worked hard to establish his credentials within the Aramco workforce, opportunities to study overseas began to arrive. With his cordial personality and winning Saudi charm, Ali quickly formed friendships wherever he went, and even found himself representing the Kingdom in international student forums.
Heart And Soul – Vignettes from Ali Al-Baluchi’s Memoir: Part VI – The KSA Expat Reunion
The life and career of Ali Al-Baluchi has been richly interwoven with those of his many friends from around the globe. Consequently, he has attended nearly every Aramco Expat reunion held in the United States since inception in 1958. When the idea of an expat reunion in Saudi Arabia was mooted in 1998...
Taif’s Flowers: A Blooming Industry
Deep cultural history, economics, and female empowerment fragrantly waft together across the soaring peaks of the Sarawat mountain range in western Saudi Arabia’s Makkah Province. For three centuries, the exquisite pink hues of damask roses have nestled each spring in ancient farm fields ploughed among the giant granite boulders of Taif’s imposing 2,000 meter mountain slopes.
The Arabian Jambiya - Art with a Cutting Edge
I hate knives! In the cinema, whenever there is a scene with knives being flashed around, I get squeamish and must look away. I have no idea why I hate knives, but I find them truly scary. This makes it difficult to explain why I have a collection of jambiyas, the large, curved daggers of Arabia.
Aramco Announces Record Second Quarter, Half-year Results
Aramco today announced its financial results for the second quarter of 2022, posting a 90% year-on-year (YoY) increase in net income and declaring a dividend of $18.8 billion to be paid in the third quarter.
The Heart of Arabia Expedition
Explorers are a noble breed, and Arabia has certainly had its share - Bertram Thomas, Lady Anne Blunt, Gertrude Bell, Harry St. John Philby, Wilfred Thesiger, and, of course, T. E. Lawrence - Lawrence of Arabia. You can add another name to that list. Mark Evans.
Memory Lane: Homes Program Begins, Computers Called in For Logistics, and Jazan Project Gets The Green Light
Here are a few of the top headlines over the past seven decades. Building is no news in al-Hasa, but during the past year, the rate of construction has tremendously accelerated. Homes, as well as new business houses, are springing up everywhere in the vicinity of company operations.
Saudi Arabia to Ireland by Land Rover in 1997: Arriving in Italy - Part XI
At noon on Tuesday, December 16th, with 12,543 km on the Land Rover Discovery, we arrive in Italy. As expected, because of the late departure, we have arrived later than scheduled and are further delayed by the customs people, who are slowly checking the unloading of trucks from the ferry.