New Facilities in Aramco Camps

Author: Sun and Flare
Released 28 February 2007

Sun and Flare - September 7, 1955
New Office Building in Dhahran

Photograph by Aramco Photographer, Seal

Soil boring tests are being carried out as part of the initial stage in site preparation for a 130,000-square-foot office building to be built during 1956 on a site north of the present Administration Building in Dhahran. Tentative schedules call for completion of the three-story, hollow square building in late 1957. Shown above is a model of one quarter of the new building. An interesting structural feature of the projected building, one entrance of which will open on a drive leading to the Al Khobar Road, is the use of under-floor ducts for power and communication lines and movable metal partition to provide flexibility of office space. The new building will allow the consolidation of all Dhahran offices - G.O. and District - in one area, although some portables may continue in use. The proposed project was approved in May and design and drafting work are now underway. Actual site preparation is expected to begin late this year.

Sun and Flare - August 24, 1955
New Hospital and Clinic for Abqaiq

New Hospital

Construction is well underway on Abqaiq's new hospital and clinic building, scheduled for completion in 1956. The building, which faces D Street with an east-west length extending 300 feet, will have facilities including dental, X-ray and laboratory departments. The hospital will be able to accommodate 32 bed patients, 12 Senior Staff and 20 Intermediate and General employees.

Sun and Flare - August 17, 1955
Ras Tanura Dining Hall Ready in Late Dec.

Dining Hall

The facade of the new Ras Tanura dining hall, construction on which began in January, 1955.

Sun and Flare - August 31, 1955
Third Wing Under Construction at Dhahran Health Center

Health Center
Photograph by Aramco Photographer, Walters

A third wing to the new Dhahran Health Center is under construction with work scheduled for completion in 1956. The new wing will give the center an additional 67 beds for regular cases and 40 beds for isolation cases. The addition will also have a surgery emergency operating and control area, a kitchen and a central sterile supply room. The cost of the new wing will be about $2,184,000.

Upon completion of the third wing, the center will comprise a large two-story clinic, complete laboratory and office facilities and three hospital wings. Facilities at the Dhahran north hospital, completed in 1949, are being utilized in part for employee care until completion of the third wing. After that it is planned that the north hospital will be used exclusively for the care of women and children who are members of the families of Intermediate and General employees.

Details concerning the new hospital-clinic now under construction in Abqaiq appeared in last week's Sun and Flare. Engineering work is underway for a similar hospital-clinic in Ras Tanura.

The above photo shows a view of construction now underway on the third wing of the Dhahran Health Center, scheduled for completion in 1956.

Sun and Flare - Sept. 14, 1955
What the New Ghawar Community Will Look Like

Ghawar Community
Photograph by Aramco Photographer, Seal

This contour model of the new Ghawar Community shows what the projected development may look like several years hence. On the far left is the power plant. The road in the left foreground leads through the main gate past a circle to a T-shaped administration building. Various facilities such as the Commissary, dining hall and shops are planned for location just right of the Administration building. Housing for intermediate and general employees is in center foreground. Senior Staff housing appears on the model between the radio tower (center) and the right edge. There will be a second radio tower located on a rise in land just to the right of the edge of the photograph. This model shows more than the plans for the first increment, construction on which is to start this fall. Initial occupancy is estimated for late next year.

Sun and Flare published every Wednesday by the Public Relations Department, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia

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