By Laura S. in't Veld
Eighth U.K. reunion draws more than 70 retirees to weekend event.
Meeting and greeting special friends at the ex-Aramcon reunion dinner in Southampton.
Southampton, a great British city full of undiscovered heritage, hosted the eighth ex-Aramcon’s reunion from June 8 - 11. The former Aramcons stepped back into history, walking the city’s medieval walls, while reconnecting with each other.
Over 70 ex-Aramcons participated in the weekend event, getting together with former colleagues from their careers at Aramco in Saudi Arabia. With careers at Aramco spanning from the 1970s to the early 2000s, a vast span of Aramco’s 90-year legacy was represented at the reunion.
Meeting up again after all these years did not only bring up feelings of nostalgia, but also shows the ex-Aramcons’ loyalty to the brand and each other, as proof of the good times they had working for the company.
The reunion’s organizing committee lined up a program of various activities, making use of Southampton’s rich and vibrant arts scene, maritime heritage, and forest parks. Guests to this year’s reunion could make their schedules as busy or as relaxed as they wished.
“It was wonderful to reunite again and share memories of our previous adventures working as expats, especially since previous years’ reunions were cancelled due to the pandemic.”
— Linda Young, U.K reunion co-organizer
Previous reunions have been in Derby 2007, Windsor 2008, Edinburgh 2010, Cardiff 2012, York 2014, Stratford upon Avon 2016, and Bristol 2018.
“Guests have been wonderful and have expressed much gratitude for Aramco’s support and our input. It was just incredibly wonderful watching the flow of positive togetherness, as people meet up,” commented Marcia Hudson, who organized the reunion alongside Young.
The ex-Aramcons are all looking back on a successful event, meeting and greeting special friends, and are looking forward to creating more memorable moments together at future U.K. reunions.
— The Arabian Sun: June 19, 2023