A Cruise Designed for You – See Who Has Registered
The 2022 Aramco Hafla Reunion Cruise will be held October 31 - November 5, 2022, departing from Miami, FL. Ports of call are Grand Cayman and Cozumel, Mexico. More information to come.
2022 Aramco Hafla Cruise - December 1, 2021 Update
The 2022 Aramco Hafla Reunion Cruise will be held October 31 - November 5, 2022, departing from Miami, FL. Ports of call are Grand Cayman and Cozumel, Mexico. More information to come.
Getting in Shape: Vignette from 'Tales from the Desert: An Arabian Memoir'
Throughout the cooler winter months, the running club would put on a variety of races, typically of five and ten kilometres, in addition to half and full marathons. Barely three months after I had started running, a ten kilometre run seemed nothing out of the ordinary and was completed with relative ease. I was never particularly fast and although my times were respectable...
Layla: The Arabian Lady of the Lakes
The town of Layla, located some 330 Kilometers south of Riyadh in the Al-Aflaj oasis, is noted today for the enormous sinkholes and caves that dot the surrounding gypsum rock formations. But that was not always the case.
Congratulations to Casey Garretson on Graduating as Doctor of Occupational Therapy
Casey Garretson, the grandson of Byron and Sarah Garretson and son of Kyle Garretson, graduated with a doctor's degree in Occupational Therapy from the University of Central Arkansas this spring. He received his license to practice in October and has opened an office in Little Rock, Central Arkansas Occupational Rehabilitation.
Hafla 2022 is Way More Than a Cruise - It's All About the People!
In case you missed it, registration is now open for the Hafla 2022 Cruise. We are looking forward to Annuitants, Brats, Aramcons, and Employees from Around the World joining us. Hafla 2022 Cruise will be a five-night cruise leaving Miami on October 31 and returning to Miami on November 5, 2022. We look forward to seeing you at Hafla 2022.
Coast to Coast - A Trip to the Red Sea: Vignette from 'Tales from the Desert: An Arabian Memoir'
Pulling onto hard-packed sand we moved far enough away from the road to avoid any nocturnal traffic collisions and parked in the shelter of some rocky outcrops. Camp beds were erected and a small gas stove was lit to prepare an evening delicacy of baked beans and beef sausages.
Syria’s Treasures, Part 3 – Krak des Chevaliers
In this photo essay, Mark Lowey recounts his travels to Syria with his wife and another Aramco couple in April 2011, which inadvertently coincided with the beginnings of the civil uprising in Syria. In Parts 1 and 2, the party of four toured Syria’s capital, Damascus, and the ancient Roman city of Palmyra.
Moving into Town: Vignette from 'Tales from the Desert: An Arabian Memoir'
I lived on the construction camp for three months before space was eventually found for me on the main camp. I was advised I would initially be moving into temporary housing until a more permanent residence became available.
Saadeddin Pastry: A Green Box of Joy
My memory of Dhahran includes various emblems that marked my time there. One of these emblems is the Saadeddin Pastry shop/stop inside the Dhahran Commissary. When I first moved to Dhahran I was amazed by the colorful squares of chocolate wrapped in baby pink or turquoise blue covers placed symmetrically around a large gold plate.
Getting Down to Work: Vignette from 'Tales from the Desert: An Arabian Memoir'
Dhahran North Office Complex was a collection of twenty large, temporary office buildings located about half a mile from the residential camp. They certainly weren’t as swish as the more glamorous steel and glass offices on the main camp complex, but at least I didn’t have far to commute.
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...
Orientation: Vignette from 'Tales from the Desert: An Arabian Memoir'
Aramco came into existence some years before there was a fully functioning Saudi government and had therefore developed its own extensive laws and procedures which, by the time I arrived, ran in tandem to those which had later been created by the government. Indeed many laws subsequently enacted by the government were lifted straight from various company manuals.
Hymn for Healing Illustrations, a Public Art Project by Christine Olga Smith
The following paragraph is a short summary of my public art project, Healing Illustrations supported by Methodist Hospital through their Healing Arts program. Healing Illustrations Series is a visual arts project for social benefit.
Saudi Arabia's First October Big Day of Birding
In celebration of Global Bird Weekend and World Migratory Bird Day, on Saturday, October 9th, birdwatchers in Saudi Arabia took part in this year’s October Big Day. During the event, the global birding community tried to record the highest number of bird species possible in a single day.
Syria’s Treasures, Part 2 – Palmyra
In this photo essay, Mark Lowey recounts his travels to Syria with his wife and another Aramco couple in April 2011, which inadvertently coincided with the beginnings of the civil uprising in Syria. In Part 1, the party of four enjoyed an exciting, if somewhat stressful, four days in Syria’s capital, Damascus.
What Does It Mean To Be An Aramcon? A Reflective Essay
What does it mean to be an Aramcon? How exactly is our identity both similar and different from all those that are bound by the Aramcon story? These are some questions that I’m thinking about lately.
Aramco Retiree Golf Group Teed It Up at Pine Mountain, Georgia
The Aramco Retiree Golf Group held their second 2021 event in Pine Mountain, Georgia at Callaway Resort & Gardens September 14-18, 2021. It was a fun filled 5-days of activities including 3 rounds of golf at Callaway Resort Lake View and Mountain View golf courses. The evenings included an “Ice Breaker” Tuesday night at the Cason’s Tap Room onsite...
Luncheon with Ali and Amira Al-Baluchi
A small group gathered on September 10th at the Grove in west Austin, TX to visit with Ali Baluchi and his lovely wife Amira. In attendance were Ali, Amira, Harlene Morrow, Karen Morrow, David Jessich, Judy Walker, Bill Walker, Chris Owen, and long-time friends of Ali who live in Georgetown, Jay and Donna Casper.
Brat Lifetime Achievement Award: The Dammam Well #7 Award
This year at the 18th Biennial reunion, Bridget Halpin and Liz Germani created a new BrAt Lifetime Achievement Award, “The Dammam Well #7 Award.” Going forward at each reunion, the ABI will present this award to a BrAt that has gone above and beyond to the Aramco Brat organization.