Saudi Dress: The Beginnings of a Modest Collection
My first traditional Arab dress was a gift from a family in the Asir. It is a beautiful black velvet dress with blue and gold stitching on the bodice, sleeves and skirt.
Reilly Financial Advisors Can Now Manage Your Aramco Savings Plan
We are excited to announce our latest service offering for new and existing clients of Reilly Financial Advisors (RFA), called FeeX. FeeX is a software system that will allow RFA to review, trade, reallocate, and rebalance accounts such as your Aramco Savings Plan at Vanguard.
How UK Boarding Schools Adapted and Moving Forward After COVID
UK Boarding Schools adapted quickly and effectively to the restrictions brought about by COVID, providing their students with a safe and secure home away from home with the benefit of being able to socialise with their friends, support from tutors, and access to excellent facilities and extensive grounds.
Mark Lowey’s Journey from Suburban California to Saudi Arabia in 1978
Today, I have the honor of sharing one of the most thrilling and heartwarming stories I’ve heard in a very long time, one that made me feel nostalgic, curious, and hopeful all at the same time.
Aramco Brat in Action for the 2021 UAE Tour Cycling Race
Aramco Brat and pilot, Captain Miki Dykes took part from the skies in the 7-day road cycling UAE Tour stage race held from February 21 - 27, 2021 in the United Arab Emirates. The 2021 race was the third edition of the UAE Tour, 'The one and only world tour race in the middle east,' and the first race of the 2021 UCI Cycling World Tour.
Saudi Aramco’s Ali Mohammed Al-Baluchi - 'Heart and Soul: A Memoir'
Ali Al-Baluchi’s memoir offers a rare Saudi insight into the development of his home community as it paralleled the growth of the world’s largest energy company, and the forging of an international community of Aramcons.
Poems of Arabia by Elise Kellett: Part III
This small collection of verses was written as a poetic diary of my thoughts and impressions, influenced by my life and travel within Saudi Arabia during the past eight years (circa 1980s), intending, hopefully, for them to be handed on...
Sweet Tea: Vignette from '3,001 Arabian Days'
When expatriates describe their experiences to the less traveled, it often starts with food. In Saudi Arabia, because the traditional cuisine is so minimalist — spare, unpretentious fare derived mainly from ancient nomadic bedouin culinary habits — only two items come quickly to mind: kabsah and sweet tea.
Dancing at the Camel Races
The annual Al Janandriyah camel festival had been held near Riyadh since 1985 but we never knew exactly when. Every spring, we waited in anticipation for rumors of when the races would run and more importantly what day in the two-week festival would be allocated for expat families to attend. That was the tricky bit.
Al-Balad – the Jewel of Jeddah
I have twice had the pleasure of visiting Jeddah, on the west coast of Saudi Arabia. The first was a scuba diving trip with two work mates in 2007, and, again nine years later, with my wife, Ann, shortly before retiring from Aramco in 2016.
Remembering the New Year at the Ras Tanura Beach
As I was going through photos on my phone, I came across pictures I took on January 1st, 2017, at the Ras Tanura Beach. A smile appeared on my face, and my nostalgia took me back to that winter breeze in Ras Tanura. After spending NYE in Bahrain, my family decided to spend a quiet afternoon at the Ras Tanura beach.
Help Solve an Aramco Mystery
Two weeks ago my wife and I went into Khobar and stopped by a little coin shop. The owner had two Aramco medallions for sale. One says Safety Award and the date 1959. The other is an Award of Merit without a date.
A Party Like No Other
In the mid-1990s, Cordoba compound was opened in Riyadh. At that time, it was at least a 30-minute drive to get to the city center, with roads devoid of traffic, yet far out from the center of activity. It seemed a world apart from the heart of a bustling Sulamaniya/Olaya district we had come to love...
2020 Year in Review: Highlights from the Past Year
Through our common bond, Aramco ExPats from around the world persevered in 2020. Meaningful stories, heartwarming photographs, and shared memories helped us stay connected which was needed more than ever. Here at AXP, we draw comfort from this and hope that you do as well. These are some of the highlights...
The Camel Races of Kuwait – A Photo Essay
On a blustery, overcast day in early Spring 1988, a friend and I spent our Friday day-off work at the camel races on the outskirts of Al Ahmadi, near the small residential community for employees of the Kuwait Oil Company.
Layakath Could Stand So Still: Vignette from 'Life in the Camel Lane'
A palpable sensation of peace and power emanated from him. A sarong was usually wrapped about around his waist and with rough keffiyeh fabric wrapping his ears like a package. Calm, steady stillness poured out of him in every direction while he simply held Autumn Breeze’s halter.
Bus as Social Institution: Vignette from 'Life in the Camel Lane'
In Al-Hasa, a town about two hours from Dhahran, there was a remote clinic operated by Aramco and staffed with a multinational workforce. The closest camp to Al-Hasa was an Aramco-sponsored compound called Udhailiyah, where many ExPats lived and worked.
Arabian Winters: A Homage to the Arrivals and Departures in Dhahran
Home is shuffling through Heathrow to reach the gate counting how many movies I can watch based on the flight duration but underneath the exhaustion of the journey rested the excitement of nestling under the covers upon arrival.
Saudi’s Asir Province – A Photo Essay
Although retired only three short years, my wife and I jumped at the chance to return to Saudi Arabia to attend the KSA ExPats Reunion in March 2019. Saudi visitor visas were rare and difficult to obtain at that time, but Aramco seamlessly arranged visas for the reunion attendees.
A Trip Down Memory Lane with Bil Jines
We recently had the opportunity to catch up with William (Bil) Jines who arrived in Arabia in October of 1988. Bil was a senior reservoir engineer who was in the PEASD department on loan from Mobil Oil Corp. He and his wife, Glenda, lived in Dhahran. Of particular note, the couple is soon to celebrate their 55th wedding anniversary on December 23rd.