The document discusses various achievements and events involving Saudi Aramco and its affiliates in early 2010, focusing on the themes of technology, teamwork, and talent. It highlights a new supercomputing system for oil exploration, Saudi Aramco's global oil spill response capabilities, and contributions to the Shanghai World Expo. It also recognizes long service anniversaries for Vela International Marine and Saudi Aramco World magazine.

1. First there
were fifteen…
The humble
beginnings of a Saudi
Aramco reunion.
A walk in
the hills
Fourteen years of desert living
did not deter John Convery from
keeping up with his passion.
The Voyage
of the Thane
The journey of a
lifetime on a
32 foot Golden Hind.
AOC retirees celebrated a major
milestone when they came together
for their 12th biannual reunion.
Across
the miles

2. Alaela (Family) is produced for annuitants, families and
friends of Saudi Aramco and Aramco Overseas Company
(AOC) as well as its associated companies by AOC B.V.
Managing Director Ahmed M. Alzayyat
Public Relations Supervisor Luai Al-Subaiey
Editor Kimberly Johans
Design Firedog Design
Contributors Ray Findlay, John Snell, Martin Wingrove,
Arvid Koris, Randall Baker, Patricia Cromberge,
Tom & Eileen Henderson, Doody Hough, Steven McDuff,
Alison Hooker, John Convery, John Thomas,
Arvid & Jakki Koris, Tom Peirce, Dave Thompson
Address correspondence to
The Editor, Alaela
Aramco Overseas Company UK Ltd.
Level 26, Centre Point
103 New Oxford Street
London WC1A 1DD
Spring 2010. ISSN 2044-4982
Cover photo Cees Bogaert & Elly Trossel
1
A very moving email from a retired Saudi Aramcon came to my
attention some time after Alaela went into production. A call for
submissions had gone out and his exuberant response to that
request left such a positive impression, I had to share some of it
with you.
“Many, many thanks for taking the time, your precious time, to
communicate this message from utopia past. I am greatly interested in your
project and would be honored to assist in any way possible.”
As I perused some of the articles coming through, it humbled me to see
that so many of you have such wonderful memories of working for Saudi
Aramco and of the Kingdom.
It gives me immense pleasure to be able to offer you a platform for exchange
of memories, of current lives and future dreams. More importantly, I hope
Alaela will encourage further reunions such as the 2010 Ukaramcons
reunion to be held in Edinburgh in July.
I wish to extend warm thanks to everybody involved in producing this
publication. Yet, we are aware that Alaela’s continued success lies in
the hands of you, its readers. As such, I urge you to get involved in its
production, whether by submitting articles or via your comments and
suggestions through emailing alaela@aramco.com.
I would like to end by touching upon the idea of ‘family’, as this
publication’s title alludes to. In my 30 years at Saudi Aramco and now AOC,
I have come to understand the true meaning of ‘family’ and to appreciate
the valued position Saudi Aramco and the Kingdom hold in the hearts of
its employees, both current and former. There is nothing like it in the world
and it should be celebrated.
I hope you enjoy reading the stories in this edition of Alaela and I look
forward to reading your own contributions in future issues.
Ahmed M. Alzayyat
Ahmed M. Alzayyat
Managing Director
Message
from the MD
Intro | Message from the MD

3. To begin, I would like to revisit a
message given towards the end
of last year at the Oxford Energy
Institute in London by Saudi
Aramco President and CEO Mr.
Khalid Al-Falih. He talked about
the three “T”s that shape Saudi
Aramco: Technology, Teamwork
and Talent; I have chosen these as
the main focus of my summary as
they guide all Saudi Aramcons, be
they in Saudi Arabia itself or, within
affiliates such as AOC in Europe
and Asia Pacific, ASC in Houston,
Vela Marine in Dubai or our Saudi
Petroleum Overseas offices around
the globe.
Oil and Gas is of course a high tech
industry, so what better place to
start than with Technology and
the new supercomputing system
which was commissioned early this
year by Saudi Aramco’s exploration
organization EXPEC (Exploration
and Petroleum Engineering Center),
and which boasts the largest
data storage installation in Saudi
Aramco’s history. The computer
system will support Saudi Aramco’s
exploration in the frontier areas and
the Red Sea and boasts a storage
capacity that exceeds one petabyte.
If you think of it as the information
in 20 million four-drawer filing
cabinets filled with text, you begin to
realize what a staggering amount of
information it is.
Secondly, Teamwork which I
personally feel is the most important
of our corporate values.
We have all read about the impact
of the huge oil spill in the Gulf of
Mexico. But not everyone realizes
that Saudi Aramco’s Global Oil
Spill Response Team, together with
regional teams in AOC and ASC,
support the Company’s shipping
affiliate Vela by providing standby
teams if there should be a spill from
one of its supertankers anywhere
around the globe. The ASC team
has already spearheaded a drill
in Louisiana earlier this year and
the AOC team is in the process of
arranging drills for later in the year
in Egypt and China, where we will
work with Saudi Aramco, ASC and
the National Governments to build
relationships and fine tune our skills.
A true example of global Saudi
Aramco teamwork!
Touching briefly back upon the
spill in the Gulf, it is also worth
mentioning that through AOC and
ASC, Saudi Aramco were able to
give access to 500 barrels (around
100 tonnes) of our own chemical
dispersant stockpile to combat
the disaster. Another example of
Teamwork is World Expo, which
provides a forum for development
of international relationships and
promotion of the world’s economy,
culture and technology.
This year the event is being held
in Shanghai, China and the team
at AOC’s Shanghai and London
offices supported Saudi Aramco’s
Public Relations department with
the inauguration of the Saudi
Arabian pavilion at the Expo. The
Saudi Arabian ‘Moon Boat’ pavilion,
featuring date palms on the top deck
of a boat creating a hanging garden,
was the largest after the Chinese
pavilion and a clear crowd favorite.
And finally the third, but certainly
not the least ‘T’, Talent, which I
could of course discuss in terms of
the many personal achievements
of our 60,000-odd workforce
worldwide. However, I think the
best way of summarizing the
contribution of our ‘people’ is
through the words of Mr. Dawood
Al Dawood, Saudi Aramco vice
president for Marketing, Supply
and Joint Venture Coordination
in response to the award Saudi
Aramco received early this year
from Hart Energy Publishing as
the 2010 ‘International Energy
Company of the Year’. Accepting
the honor on behalf of the company
Mr Al-Dawood dedicated the
award to Saudi Aramco employees
worldwide. ‘They are aware of
their global responsibilities and are
among the finest talent in the world,’
he said, ‘and as I stand here today,
only accepting this award on their
behalf, I would like to thank them
for their great contributions toward
Saudi Aramco’s success -
day in and day out.’
Finally, this reminiscence wouldn’t
be complete without mention of
a couple of important early 2010
‘birthdays’.
Vela International Marine Ltd.,
Saudi Aramco’s shipping affiliate
celebrated its 25th anniversary
on January 13. The company was
formed in September 1984 as the
owner of four second-hand tankers
to provide marine transportation
for Saudi Aramco crude oil. Vela is
now at the forefront of the shipping
industry and the owner of 20 Very
Large Crude Carriers (VLCCs) and
five product tankers.
Saudi Aramco World, the company’s
flagship English-language magazine,
kicked off its sixth decade in January.
Many happy returns to them both.
Well, that concludes my brief look
at Saudi Aramco for the first few
months of 2010. I hope I have given
you a flavor of the achievements and
of the contribution made by those
of us outside Saudi Arabia to the
successes of the Company.
Technology,
Teamwork and
Talent Words Martin Wingrove
Please consider this to be
a personal reflection upon
a few of the Company’s key
achievements during the
first part of the year, written
from the perspective of
a 28 year Aramcon, now
based at Aramco Overseas
Company’s headquarters
in The Netherlands.
“I would like to
thank Saudi Aramco
employees worldwide
for their great
contributions.”
Contents
Ahmed M. Alzayyat ∙ Managing Director
Message from the MD
Company News
Technology, Teamwork and Talent
Montages
Anecdotes
New Beginnings
Randall Baker, Arvid and Jakki Koris
Across The Miles …
AOC retirees celebrated a major milestone
when they came together for their 12th
biannual reunion on March 20th, 2010.
First There Were Fifteen...
As a member of the Ukaramcon family,
in 2006, Peter tried to organise a reunion
amongst all of his past colleagues in Saudi
Aramco but unfortunately nobody could
agree on a date or venue and all his efforts
were in vain.
The 3rd UKARAMCON Reunion 2010
This year, the reunion will be taking
place at the Holiday Inn, in Edinburgh,
Scotland, widely considered one of
Europe’s most picturesque cities.
First Steps In Arabia
The date was 9 November, 1977 and I was
about to start a new job and a new way
of life.
Reflections on Aramco and the Kingdom
I never imagined that I’d be spending
New Year’s Eve 2008 in Saudi Arabia.
Roses In The Desert
Welcome to the Dhahran Women’s Group
in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia!
Scenes from a Saudi wedding
Tom had received a wedding invitation
from one of his trainees, Fayez, addressed
to Sir Tom and his Lady to attend his
wedding in Hofuf.
New Horizons, New Careers…
Hello, we are Eleanor and John. She’s
the Jock, I’m the Welshman (not the jock
in the frock) and this is our account of
retirement after Aramco.
A Walk In The Hills
Fourteen years of desert living did not
deter John Convery from keeping up with
his passion for hiking.
Silver Coast-ing Through Life!
With impending departure from Saudi
Arabia and Saudi Aramco looming after
20-plus years, we are constantly being
asked, “What will you do?”
The Voyage Of The Thane
The “Thane of Lochaber” is our 32ft
Golden Hind, which we decided to sail
to Spain in the late summer of 1999.
John Blagdon ∙ Colin G. Graham ∙ Joan Durband
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Features
Intro
In Memoriam
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36
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Intro | Company news
2 3

4. On leaving school, Randall joined BP Chemicals in
September 1965 where he was initially employed as a
Process Apprentice for a four year period and then as
a Laboratory Analyst. From BP Chemicals, he took the
opportunity to join Saudi Aramco or Aramco as it was
known in those days as a Laboratory Scientist in March
1982. His ambition back in 1982 was to see more of the
world and to experience a different work and cultural
environment.
His first work location was at Berri Gas Plant from where
he was assigned to Shedgum Gas Plant in June 1983. At
that time accommodation was provided in construction
camps close to the gas plants. One of the responsibilities
at Shedgum was to prepare Saudi employees for future
positions in the Laboratory field as Technicians and
Arvid & Jakki said an early ‘Masalamah’ to friends and
colleagues at Saudi Aramco on January 17, 2010 after more
than two decades working with the company, as they took a
12 month advanced early retirement.
Arvid joined Saudi Aramco in 1988 after serving 12 years
and four tours of duty with Shell International in Indonesia,
Brunei, Malaysia and Nigeria. His first assignment in Saudi
Arabia was as a Commissioning Engineer on the Iraq Trans
Arabia Pipeline and Terminal (IPSA) Project and at the
outbreak of hostilities in Iraq, Arvid transferred to the Yanbu
Gas and Terminal Department where he held supervisory
positions in both engineering and maintenance.
In 1996, Arvid transferred to the Rabigh Refining
Organization as part of the ‘Integration Team’ when Saudi
Aramco merged several of the former SAMAREC refineries
into the corporation. Once integration activities were
complete, Arvid rejoined the Gas Operations business line
at the ‘Southern Area Gas Operations’ administration area
in Udhailiyah where, as part of a team, he was instrumental
in the formation of the first unique “in-house” Human
Resources Development Department where he acted as
Scientists. From Shedgum, he was then assigned to
Hawiyah Gas Plant in April 2001 where he remained until
his retirement in December 2009. At Hawiyah, he was
initially responsible for the running of the Laboratory
before being assigned to the Engineering Division with
responsibility for the Hazardous Communication Program
and Management of Change Program in addition to other
safety activities.
Having worked for the last 44 years and being away from
home for long periods during his time in Saudi Arabia,
Randall looks forward to being able to spend more time
with his family which now includes three grand children. In
addition he plans to keep in touch with the many friends of
different nationalities that he has made during his time with
Saudi Aramco, which will of course include attending the
UK Aramcons reunion in Edinburgh in July 2010.
Randall can be contacted at:
bakerra6@hotmail.com
both Supervisor and Superintendent of the ‘Professional
Development Teams’.
In 2003, Arvid moved to the Dhahran Core Area where he
worked for both the Exploration Organization and the E&P
Business Line Continuing Excellence Organizations as a
consultant responsible for identifying, interviewing and
performing psychometric analysis on hundreds of potential
earth scientist candidates for employment with E&P. This
position saw him travel to all corners of the globe in an
effort to establish world-class earth scientists to work in the
world’s largest oil and gas company.
In his retirement, Arvid has been invited to join the
UNHCR on a consultative assignment as an ‘as-needed’
representative for the Middle East, a position that will
require infrequent travel back to the Middle East regions.
The rest of their time will see Arvid and Jakki integrating
fully with their adopted home in Portugal where they have
already started an intensive language school, as well as
travelling Europe, playing golf and fishing.
Arvid and Jakki can be contacted at
arvidkoris@yahoo.co.uk.
New Beginnings
Randall Baker
Arvid and Jakki Koris
Beam me up Scotty!
At the end of February ’93 a young Irish person (Name withheld to protect
the innocent) in Abqaiq, received papers from his wife of the legal type,
which needed to be signed and returned, as soon as possible. He was
advised to fax them to a number supplied.
However, in ’93 fax machines were not every family or person’s must-
have item. “Ray Offert has one…go and see him and see if he will let you
use his,” he was advised. Ray obliged and Sean, having no idea how the
machine worked, asked for instructions. “Place the papers you want to send
in the top here and dial the number on the keypad and press ‘send’,” said
Ray. Sean followed the instructions to the letter and immediately jammed
the machine solid! Nobody had told Sean to first remove the A4 papers from
the envelope they were in! New-fangled, darned machines should surely be
able to beam things up, was Sean’s Star-Trek thought process.
I heard this story second-hand one Friday and did not believe it for a second
but was assured it was true. As luck would have it, the very next day Mr.
Brennan (forget about protecting the innocent!) was working with Abqaiq
Utilities, in re-positioning a large electrical junction box within Roads &
Heavy Equipment facility where I worked. I was a little wary of broaching
the subject, as Sean could demonstrate a pretty short fuse on the footy
pitch, when annoyed. I need not have worried. As soon as I looked at him
and laughed he knew what I was laughing about and came clean about the
whole thing, able to see the funny side himself.
“I had to be Irish, as well.” was his red-faced comment. Technology can be
tricky, even to a good lad.
Ray Findlay
Returning full circle
When I left the army after six years in 1946 I joined a company called
United Overseas Petroleum Company, doing a clerical job for a salary of £5
per week. This company was in Millbank, in London and amongst other
activities, handled European purchasing for Aramco. In 1948, George W
Moore came to London from San Francisco and a small group from UOPC,
including myself, joined him in forming Aramco Overseas Purchasing
Company which then handled all purchasing activity in Europe whose
activity was expanding, partially due to non convertible currencies, and
also competitively for many major items. In 1954 it was decided to establish
the European headquarters of Aramco Overseas Company in The Hague
and I moved there to assist in that operation. In 1957 I returned to London
to become Manager at Aramco Overseas Company, London. At the time
we had a staff of about 80 to 90 employees. It was decided in 1966 to
consolidate all activities in The Hague and I closed the London office and
moved to The Hague as Vice President, Purchasing and Traffic. In 1972
I moved to Dhahran as Manager of Purchasing where I stayed until my
retirement in 1985 as General Manager, Purchasing & Inventory Control. I
had an exceptionally enjoyable career of 39 years. I visited Dhahran a few
years ago - the change from what I initially saw on my first visit in 1950 and
today is hardly believable, but says much not just for the people of Saudi
Arabia but also I hope, the results of the efforts which we made in those
early days to train local personnel - I was very happy in my last years to be
reporting to a Saudi Vice President whom I had helped to train. I was very
pleased to see AOC re-established in London and will enjoy following your
fortunes in your publication.
Good luck to you.
Tom Peirce
Montage
Back in the early 1980’s many Aramco employees still lived in construction
camps (ACC’s) because of a lack of senior camp housing or being assigned
to work in a remote area. I lived at Shedgum ACC which in those days was
about a good two hour drive on the old and dreaded single lane “Abqaiq
Highway”.
There were rudimentary facilities so you had to make your own
entertainment with what was available. I was involved with the squash
team that managed to reach the heady heights of the Gulf League Division
One. Members were Tommy Dodds, Alan Spooner, John Snell, Geoff
Worthington, Harry Wigham, Geoff Morris and anyone else we could drag
in when we were short! We only had one nearby away match which was in
Abqaiq and all of the others were in Khobar, Dammam and one in Jubail,
so we were definitely the Bedouins of the League! All of these venues
had “proper courts” but we in Shedgum had open air, wooden walls and
concrete floors (a bit tricky after a shamal!) so there was a certain home
advantage! Playing in the summer evenings after the temperature had
dropped below 38 degrees, there was the added distraction of a variety
of flying bugs joining us on court, some almost as big as the squash ball!
Anyway, we were hosting Jubail in the League one winter’s night, who
were pretty much the top team at the time, when part-way through the
second match, it started to rain and we had to abandon the match. They
were less than well pleased and faced a three hour drive back without the
points. Has anyone else heard of a squash match abandoned for rain?!? It
was a relatively tough existence but we survived!
John Snell
When life gives you lemons,
you play squash!
From left to right:
Paul Walker, Harry Wigham,Alan Spooner, John Snell and Geoff Morris
Intro | Montage
4 5
Intro | New Beginnings

5. 1. Fred Caro & Kay Eleveld-Silvey
2. Cees Bogaert & Elly Trossel
3. Joop & Pauline van Diest
4. Dirk Jans, Peter Cramer-Bornemann,
Harry Schultinge, Jaap Prins
5. Reunion organizer Frans Boverhof
addresses the attendees
6. AOC Traffic (Logistics) – a long way
from Scheveningen!
7. Guests were treated to a buffet of international food and
delicious desserts.
8. Cees Bogaert & Liesbeth Annegarn
9. Steve Harding & Christel Triebert
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8 9
Across the miles…
Not surprisingly, it was an emotional
night for the reunion’s three
organizers, Frans Boverhof , Jaap
Prins and Jan Beijer. Speeches
given at the beginning were briefly
conducted as everyone was eager
to catch up with old friends. In his
speech to guests, Frans spoke of
his surprise (although he shouldn’t
have been) that so many were still
interested in such reunions and
in enjoying the company of old
friends and former colleagues. Frans
mentioned two former colleagues,
Ben Hofland and Louis Retèl, who
relayed their dismay at missing the
event due to their physical condition.
For those that had departed
permanently, he noted:
AOC retirees celebrated a major
milestone when they came
together for their 12th biannual
reunion on March 20th, 2010.
Held at the Hotel de Gouden
Leeuw in Voorschoten (close to
The Hague in the Netherlands),
more than 165 AOC retirees
attended what was widely
believed to be the final reunion,
25 years after the first one
was organized.
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Cover story | Across the milesCover story | Across the miles

6. 10. Flowers for Organizer Frans Boverhof’s wife,Willy
11. Engineers gather together again
12. Wim Bodde & John van Deijk
13. The AOC ties and AOC Service Awards,
are proudly worn once again.
14. Foreground: Reg Peacock speaks to Sally Fahle.
15. Reunion Organizers Jaap Prins, Frans Boverhof and
Jan Beijer with AOC Management Representative,
Patricia Cromberge
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“Some of our former
colleagues and friends
have left us for good.
We all know that life
goes on and therefore
we hope that all
present will enjoy this
dinner party tonight.”
Meanwhile, the background
music of the past was forgone to
concentrate on those all-important
conversations. Reminiscing was
the focus of the evening with guest
Roel Timmer commenting, “I think
that everyone that has worked for
Aramco have actually experienced
that period as working for a family.
I don’t think that atmosphere and
warmth exists in today’s working
society.”
Jaap echoed those sentiments,
suggesting that “there was such
a special bond with the people
working for AOC that 25 years later,
they still want to come. No one
who has left for another company
has ever experienced a sense of
belonging like at AOC.”
An official photographer ensured the
occasion was recorded for posterity
while tables were readily abandoned
in exchange for cries of recognition,
followed by the traditional Dutch
greeting of three kisses on the
cheek. The night ended with a
steady stream of congratulations
to the organizers for another job
well done. Speaking with the trio
after the event, Frans spoke of his
surprise at the passing of so many
years of such reunions. “We didn’t
have a clue [when we began] that it
would continue for so long,” he said,
with Jaap adding that it had initially
started out as a one-time event. As
guests lingered long into the night,
the prospect of another year of
celebrations floated promisingly in
the air.
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Cover story | Across the milesCover story | Across the miles

7. what I was attempting to do by
holding a reunion and creating
a website. Vicci replied straight
away and offered to advertise the
event and put me in touch with
Aramco Overseas Company B.V. and
suggested I enquire if they could
provide the same service for the
Abqaiq-Brits reunion as ASC does
in the United States.
With the above information I
contacted Femke Baudoin, Public
Relations, at AOC B.V. and was
delighted to hear that they were
willing to sponsor the reunion by
providing promotional material.
I explained that the majority were
Aramco retirees and I was hoping
for sponsorship similar to what ASC
gives the American Retirees, i.e. the
dinner on the Saturday evening. To
my surprise, the AOC board agreed
to sponsor the dinner, welcome
drinks, a welcome flower for each
lady, and a commemorative gift for
everyone. Of course there was a
budget which had to be adhered to.
I explained the welcome drinks
were being sponsored by the hotel
and we were then allowed to use the
budget to cover other expenses.
On reservation closing day there
were 59 people noted down to
attend the reunion, but as the date
approached I began to receive a
few cancellations. Thankfully I also
received a few late requests and
eventually ended up with 54 guests
attending.
The sponsorship was
kept as a surprise
and I informed none
of the attendees
during the months
following up to the
reunion.
August 24, 2007 was finally here and
as Eileen and I loaded our car with
everything required for the reunion
we received a phone call from Allan
Fox who had just flown in from Saudi
Arabia that morning. He had driven
up from London and wondered where
we were – he was stationed outside
the hotel waiting for us! As we were
only 15 minutes from the hotel, it
did not take long before we were
all sitting outside in the brilliant
sunshine enjoying a catch up. One
by one the arrivals filtered in during
the afternoon. The hotel receptionist
was able to book a mini-bus and taxi
to take the group to the Carvery and
to pick them up later in the evening
to return them to the hotel. I was
finally able to relax and enjoy the
evening. It had all worked out well
and everyone had a great night. Day
one down!
The next morning it was breakfast
and making sure all the golfers were
up and ready to play. All but one had
made it to breakfast so while the
others dragged him out of his room,
I made off to the golf course with
another golfer. Everything was ready
at the golf club - the professional
had all the hired clubs ready for
pickup and the tee times were clear.
The only problem I had was that the
golfers had not arrived at the course.
The Satnav had taken them past the
road to the club and they were 10
minutes away. Thankfully the Club
professional was very obliging and
offered to slot two golfers in who
were waiting to tee off early, giving
me an extra 10 minutes. As three
members of our group were ready to
play, I quickly rearranged the draw
and sent them off before the others
finally arrived. Crisis averted!
After the Fun Tournament, most of
the golfers were peckish and to our
surprise, three ladies were cooking
burgers, hotdogs, chilli and the
sort, with the proceeds going to
the McMillan Nurses Charity. The
golfers all gave generously for the
food they ate.
By the time I returned from golf, it
was 14:30pm and the lounge had
to be decorated and the projector
set up for the evening activities.
It was here I met Juvie de Koning,
Public Relations Representative
at AOC B.V. for the first time. We
had corresponded frequently while
setting up the reunion. Juvie also
had all the commemorative gifts
and other promotional material
to organise for distribution in the
evening. This took my wife Eileen,
our friend Carmel and my son Craig,
2 – 3 hours to complete.
By now it was approaching 17:00pm
and everyone was due to arrive for
the reunion at 18:00pm. It did not
leave any time to relax. Thankfully
my speeches were already written
and once I had worked out who
the winners were for the Golf
Tournament, it was a quick shower
and back down to the lounge. On the
way to the lounge I met Juvie, who
introduced me to Salah Al-Masoud,
Director of Industrial Relations, AOC
B.V. who had come to represent AOC
and give a short speech on their
behalf. Everyone was beginning to
congregate in the bar area waiting
Ukaramcons was created from an idea
by an old friend Peter K. Jackson.
As a member of the Ukaramcon family,
in 2006, Peter tried to organise a reunion
amongst all of his past colleagues in
Saudi Aramco but unfortunately nobody
could agree on a date or venue and all
his efforts were in vain.
First there were fifteen...Words Tom Henderson
Later that year in November, around
15 friends, all from Abqaiq, met
up to celebrate Lynne Hampson’s
birthday and her graduation from the
University of Liverpool with a First
Class Honours degree in English.
It was during that evening someone
mentioned how good it was to meet
up again and talk over old times.
From that conversation, developed
the idea of a reunion and somehow
I was landed with the task of putting
it all together.
Having had an enjoyable evening,
I agreed, but on a few conditions.
The conditions were that I would
choose a venue, set a date and it
would be open to all Abqaiq-Brits.
Everyone at the party agreed and
offered to help where they could.
With Christmas and New Year not
far away, the idea was put on the
back burner until the Spring of 2007.
Emails were sent out to see if people
were still interested and the replies
were positive.
The first item on my agenda was to
find a venue and this being the first
reunion, I decided on a place close
to where I live. Eileen (my wife) and
I checked out a few places on the
internet and then followed up with
visits to the venues.
We settled on the Holiday Inn, Derby
– Nottingham, situated between the
two cities on the outskirts of Long
Eaton. The hotel staff were very
accommodating, giving us a special
function rate for the rooms and
agreeing to sponsor us by providing
each hotel guest with a VIP goody
bag and all function guests, with a
welcome drink.
The venue and date were now fixed
– Holiday Inn, Derby-Nottingham,
Long Eaton on Friday August 24
and Saturday August 25, 2007.
Information on the location was put
together and emails were sent out
to all the contacts I had gathered
- around 104 emails and 26 postal
addresses. The response was
positive with half those contacted
showing an interest.
Between April and June, I received
various emails about the reunion
with one email noting that it would
be good to have our own website.
This idea got me thinking and
I decided to check into how to
create one. The first thing to do
was register a name and I decided
on Abqaiq-Brits as that was the
original group I was targeting.
I then contacted Vicci Thompson of
AramcoExpats.com and explained
Images opposite page (left to right):
Jean Sullivan and Jimmy Churchill
tee up for a round of golf.
Tricia Ryan, Jean Sullivan and
Lesley Williams pore over images
at the Welcome Reception.
Reunion organizers Tom and Eileen
Henderson make sure every year’s event
is better than the last.
10 11
Cover story | First there were fifteenCover story | First there were fifteen

8. The Holiday Inn is approximately
20 minutes away from Princes Street
for those who are still energetic!
Otherwise, buses (No. 41) pass by
frequently from the front of the hotel.
Some of the highlights worth seeing
include:
• Edinburgh Castle
The most famous of Scottish Castles;
• Dynamic earth
Travel back in time to witness the Big Bang
through the eyes of the Hubble Telescope;
• Yacht Britannia
Explore five decks of the Royal Yacht
with your own audio tour uncovering
Britannia’s fascinating story;
• Edinburgh Zoo
Enjoy a wonderful day out at Edinburgh Zoo,
Scotland’s largest wildlife attraction.
Home to over 1,000 amazing animals;
• Royal Botanic Gardens
World-famous garden set in 72 acres of
beautiful landscaped grounds.
• Attractions in and around Edinburgh
and a few hours’ drive away include
The National Museum of Flight and
The Falkirk Wheel.
The 3rd UKARAMCONS
Reunion 2010 When: July 29th, -August 1st, 2010Where: Holiday Inn,Edinburgh City West,107 Queensferry Road,Edinburgh, EH4 3HL
FULLY
BOOKED
for the reunion to begin and at
18:00pm with the hotel staff ready
and hostess Eileen and myself at
the entrance, we welcomed each
guest/friend to the reunion. Each
lady was given a red rose as they
arrived. The dinner was due to be
served at 19:30pm which gave time
for everyone to arrive and for all the
speeches to be made.
With all the guests
gathered in the
lounge, I greeted
them by saying
Salaam Alekum and
immediately they
all replied Alekum
Salaam!
There were many things to
address before dinner, so I began
by presenting the prizes for the
morning Golf Tournament. There
were prizes for the most points
scored, nearest the hole and a
consolation prize for the person who
had received the most exercise!
All of the prizes were sponsored by
the hosts (my wife and I) etvideo, a
nickname Eileen and I created 24
years ago when I made a film about
life in Abqaiq during 1985-86.
With that over, I moved onto the
website. Nobody knew I had
developed the site and were
surprised and enthusiastic about it.
With the help of my son Craig, we
toured the site showing all the pages
and explained it would cost so much
per month to maintain if everyone
agreed to its launch in September
2007. It was also explained that
their participation was imperative
to maintain the site by sending in
articles and photographs. I also
wanted to change the name from
Abqaiq-Brits to Ukaramcons. As
2008 was the 75th anniversary of
Saudi Aramco, I suggested our
2nd reunion be held and that it
would be a good time to include
all UK employees of Saudi Aramco.
Everyone agreed to the name
change as well as another reunion.
With the business of the evening
over, I then explained what had
been going on behind the scenes of
the reunion and explained the Saudi
Aramco displays and stand. This
was another item I did not want to
disclose until everything had been
finalized. This was received with
an enthusiastic and spontaneous
applause from all the guests. It was
then my pleasure to introduce Salah
Al-Masoud, Director of Industrial
Relations, AOC B.V. Salah addressed
the guests with an informal short
speech and finished by saying he
hoped to be invited again.
With all the speeches over, it was
time for a group photograph which
was subsequently posted on the
website, as well as the Arabian
Sun, AOC Overseas newsletter
and AramcoExpats website, in the
weeks to come.
After dinner, the guests wandered
from table to table meeting up with
friends they had not seen for years.
The evening was very relaxed and
went on until 01:00am when we had
to leave the dining room but a few
stayed up longer in the lounge area
to reminisce.
The next morning it was up for
breakfast before packing and
heading home. As everyone
appeared, the chatter of the
group was like a swarm of bees –
continuing conversations from the
previous evening and catching up
with others they had not had time
to speak with. Seeing everyone
laughing and enjoying each other’s
company made all our efforts
worthwhile. The reunion was
declared by all as a great success
and something they all wanted to
repeat.
By the time Eileen and I said farewell
to everyone, it was 14:00pm before
we left for home and a well deserved
rest. It had been a lot of hard work
over the months, but was obviously
worth it as within one month, I
started to organise the 2nd reunion
at the Holiday Inn, Maidenhead-
Windsor for August 21-24, 2008.
During all this time I must give my
wife, Eileen a big thank you for her
support and patience with the whole
process. Without her support the
reunion might never have occurred.
Old friends and colleagues gather to
capture the moment at the 2nd reunion
in 2008 at Windsor & Maidenhead.
There is also a shopping center across the road from the
hotel including Marks & Spencers,T. K. Maxx, Boots,
Mamas & Papas, Homebase, and Sainsburys. Marks &
Spencers and Sainsbury have cafes and there is Kentucky
Fried Chicken for those who want more than a sandwich.
It is hoped the event will run the same as last year -
Thursday evening out locally for dinner and drinks and
on the Friday a meal at a Toby-Carvery Restaurant which
is nearby (approx. 2 miles). Transportation from the hotel
to the venues will be arranged and costs will be advised
once numbers have been confirmed.
Golf will also be arranged at one of the many courses
around Edinburgh and depending again on numbers,
a fun tournament will be held.
Please email your hosts Tom & Eileen Henderson
on www.ukaramcons.co.uk/contactus.aspx
for further information or to be updated on future events.
12 13
Cover story | UKAramcons ReunionCover story | First there were fifteen

9. because people would hoard stuff
so it would run out within hours of
being put on the shelves. So you could
go to the commissary with a list of
ingredients to buy, and have to change
to a backup menu halfway around
because you just couldn’t get the
things you needed on that particular
day. There were no big supermarkets
in Al Khobar or Dammam at the
time, and the roads were narrow and
sometimes bumpy. The shoppers’
buses were the old yellow ones
with no air-conditioning, so going
into town was not the smooth and
comfortable ride it is nowadays.
There were no malls –
in fact the Shula Mall caused quite
a stir of excitement when it first
opened. There was a road that linked
Dhahran Camp directly with the
beach. The Hobby Farm was outside
of camp and covered an area which
included two lakes that you can still
see on the left hand side of the road
into Al Khobar. Aramco had its own
TV and Radio stations. Most people
could also pick up Bahrain radio, but
very few of us could get reasonably
good reception for other English
language TV stations (Bahrain, for
example) on some of the old TV’s
that we owned.
TV listings would be in the Arabian
Sun each week, and Aramco would
print off a listing of what music
would be playing on its popular
radio stations. Whole albums would
be played without interruption,
which was great for putting together
mixed music tapes for parties.
There was a weekly Highlights and
Notices that we would all get, and
this gave work-related information,
Commissary Highlights which
had some interesting recipes and
ingredient substitution ideas, and
a daily news-sheet containing
extracts from the wire news
agencies.
Aramco TV would
pause at the correct
times for Prayer
Intermission, but the
shops in Al Khobar
used to stay open
during prayer times.
A trip to Bahrain wasn’t the easy
spur-of-the-moment day or weekend
out that it is now. It had to be
planned well in advance because
the Causeway was just a seemingly
impossible rumour, and the only way
back and forth was by air or by dhow
(a sailing vessel). The flight was one
of the shortest in the world. The
plane would take off, the seat belt
and no smoking lights would go off,
the cabin crew would sprint down
the plane distributing orange juice,
then the seat belt and no smoking
lights would light up again and the
plane would land. I think in terms
of cost per distance it was also one
of the most expensive flights in the
world. Apart from booking your
flights, you also needed to organize
an Exit/ Re-entry visa, which would
need to be applied for at least a
week in advance and sometimes
longer during busy holiday periods.
We weren’t able to get Multiple Exit/
Re-entries until some time after the
Causeway opened. Until that time,
an Exit/Re-entry visa had to be
applied for each time you went on
any trip out of Kingdom.
A fun weekend away would be when
someone would organise a Dhahran
Outing Group trip to Bahrain.
We would fly to Bahrain and stay at
either the Dilmun or Gulf (the sum
total of good hotels at that time).
We would do a cultural or shopping
tour, take in a show or play, and
then return to Saudi Arabia by
dhow, and stop for a picnic at one
of the small islands on the way.
Communications weren’t as simple
as they are today. Making a phone
call home could take as long as two
days. You had to book your call with
the operator and wait for it to come
through. If you weren’t around and
missed the call when it finally came
through, you had to start all over
again. And if you wanted to just
send a message, you could either
send a telex or telegram, by going
down to the basement of the Admin
Building and writing the message
out on a telex form. You handed the
completed form over the counter and
were charged for the message by the
number of words.
There were no PC’s but there were
computer terminals which were
connected to the computer room.
IBM MT/ST’s were state of the art
word processors, and worked by
recording text on magnetic tapes.
There was no Internet and so there
was no easy transfer of data. This
article would have had to be typed
on to paper and sent in the post.
Right now I’m typing it on my
netbook thousands of miles from
home, and now that it’s finished I
will send it to AOC by email.
How times have changed!
Left to right:
Ann McGrath and myself outside the caves in Hofuf. Admin Building with Communications Building on the left.
The old Hobby Farm off the Al Khobar road. One of the lakes at the old Hobby Farm off the Al Khobar road.
It all began when I answered
an ad for secretaries to go out
and work in Saudi Arabia.
There followed interviews and
tests, both professional and
medical, and a job offer with the
warning – “don’t do anything
until you hear from us because
there’s a housing shortage.”
It took a few months, but everything
eventually fell into place, and at
Heathrow Airport I met two fellow
travellers who were also heading
into the unknown with me.
As we stepped off the plane, the
heat and humidity hit us, and the
walk to the terminal felt a little like
wading through warm soup. Years
later, having become acclimatized
to Saudi weather, a November
night like the one on which we first
arrived would have felt a little bit
chilly, but on that particular day it
felt positively warm in comparison
to the weather we’d left behind.
We arrived in Dhahran just in time
for the Thursday/Friday weekend,
which theoretically gave us time to
familiarize ourselves with the camp,
meet a few people, have a bit of a
rest, and be fresh and ready to start
work on Saturday. So on Thursday,
we were taken around and shown
where everything was: Offices, Mail
Center, Commissary, Dining Hall,
Swimming Pool, Snack Bar, Theatre
and so on. We got a free meal at the
Dining Hall, and were issued with
linen and towels, and an allowance
so that we could go downtown and
purchase necessities like pots and
pans, kettles, plates, cups, glasses,
and cutlery.
I was told that I would be working
for ERP&P but nobody I spoke to
seemed to know who they were,
so I had to wait until Saturday to
find out. On Saturday I reported to
the Typing Pool, where I spent my
first week reading manuals and
familiarising myself with the way
things worked in Aramco, and the
following week I moved to ERP&P.
Dhahran in 1977 was very different
from the way it is now. The present
Mail Center and Commissary were
just twinkles in a planner’s eye. The
old Mail Center was where the car
park currently is, and a flag would
be run up to show when the mail
had arrived. The old Commissary
was much smaller than it is now,
and was right next to the Mail
Center. There was an open area
between the two where people
would meet up after work. The
work day began at 7:00 am and
ended at 4.30 pm with one-and-a-
half hours for lunch. This was quite
nice, since Dhahran Hills was just
in the process of being built and
most places on camp were easily
reached, so there was enough time
to go home, have some lunch and
a bit of a siesta before going back
to work for the afternoon. A hooter
used to sound at 4:30 pm each
working day.
There were no walls or fences
around the Administration
buildings, and the Tower building
had not yet been built. The Admin
Building consisted of the original
U-shaped building as well as the
quad building behind. There was
a roundabout and Kings Road ran
straight off it. There were no fences
after the main gate.
All new secretaries had to share
a room to begin with. However,
there were lots of house-sits
available when people went on
vacation and on business trips,
and I was quite lucky to get a long
six month house-sit just next to
the library and Patio Pool. I could
get to and from work in a matter
of minutes. I was just across the
road from almost all the recreational
facilities, and I passed the Mail
Center, Commissary and Dining
Hall on my way to the office. When
I first arrived, Third Street pool was
just opening and the Patio Pool and
surrounding area was the main
recreational area on camp. The
squash courts were at Third Street,
and the snack bar there hadn’t yet
opened. Most shows and social
events were held at the Patio Pool,
which had a large patio area on
one side of the pool and a stage on
the other. The pool wasn’t covered,
and it was a family area. There
was waiter service in the snack
bar, rather than self-service, with a
printed sheet with the menu on it.
You ticked off what you wanted and
handed it over, and the waiter would
bring your order to the table.
Aramco had its own bakery, which
used to make bread and sweet
rolls among others. A printed list
detailing what particular goodies
were going to be baked and put on
sale on any particular day would
be put up by the bread section in
the Commissary. But you had to be
flexible if you were planning a menu.
There would sometimes be shortages
of this or that because new supplies
hadn’t yet arrived, or maybe even
First Steps in Arabia
Words Doody Hough
As the plane came in to land, the darkness outside
the window was punctuated by pockets of twinkling lights.
The date was 9 November, 1977 and I was about to start
a new job and a new way of life.
14 15
Saudi Life | First Steps in ArabiaSaudi Life | First Steps in Arabia

10. Also being blonde little girls and
learning quite a few Arabic phrases,
the locals really welcome them.
We now have an excellent lifestyle
here. My daughters spent the whole
summer in the pool and we go
swimming every week – both my
daughters can now swim unassisted
which is quite an achievement
at 3 and 5 years. The people here
are very friendly and some have
become our adopted family.
The shopping is also nowhere near
as bad as I expected and you can get
everything here that you would back
home with a couple
of obvious exceptions. The hardest
thing is getting 110v appliances as
the normal voltage is 220v outside
the Aramco camp. We’ve also been
to the desert a couple of times to find
desert roses, camel spotting and for
my kids to slide down the sand dunes which they loved.
I don’t know anyone back at home who can claim to
have seen camels in the desert.
Adapting to the Saudi Arabian culture has been pretty
easy. It doesn’t take long to get used to prayer call when
places shut. Coming from Scotland, the weather was
also surprisingly easy to cope with though a few times
in the summer the temperatures were horrendously hot.
The hardest thing for me to adapt to is the working
culture. New jobs are hard to get used to anywhere
but when you have so many different nationalities
and cultures to deal with it makes it all the harder.
Fortunately I work with some very good people who
have helped me alot.
On reflection my first year with Aramco has gone pretty
smoothly. For anyone thinking about it or just starting
out the best advice is stay positive and be patient –
things take time and they do work out.
Also accept help from people here even if it’s just a ride
from the commissary with your groceries. And enjoy the
sun and beach!
My Aramco adventure started on
December 28th and for the first
three months I was in the Kingdom
without my family, but found this
easier to cope with than I first
thought. This was mainly because
I was so busy. I was either dealing
with administration, getting things
ready in the house or working. I also
started going swimming after work
and reading a lot which made the
time pass all the quicker until my
family arrived. The beach at Ras
Tanura is also the best pick-me-up
for when you start to feel homesick.
The first six weeks were spent
getting all the administration work
done for staying in Saudi Arabia.
Giving over my bank details (make
sure to give something with the
bank address on it – or you get
a cheque for your first month’s
salary as I did), getting my Iqama,
driving license, multiple entry visa,
paperwork for my family coming,
shipment forms, going from a yellow
temporary pass to a temporary pass
to a permanent pass and refinery
pass, getting ADSL (necessity for
Skyping back home), getting phone
lines, lawn and sprinklers organised.
Looking back it seemed a lot of
hassle at the time but it wasn’t
that bad. The best advice is to stay
positive as you will get it all done
eventually and then it’s the easy life
(well, until your family arrives and
you need to do the same for them).
At the end of February I had my
first trip to Bahrain. The causeway
makes it so accessible that you
could go every weekend if you
wanted. I was also lucky that
someone I knew had come out to
Ras Tanura a few weeks before me
so this made it all the easier to have
a familiar face around.
Finally in March, my wife and kids
arrived. It was brilliant to have them
here and finally start our new life in
Ras Tanura. My kids settled in easily
and love the beach especially.
Ras Tanura is so family friendly and
suited for young children like mine.
My wife took a bit of time to settle
in, but by the time we had our first
trip back to Scotland in June she
was starting to enjoy life here.
She now has lots of friends from all
over the world and is always busy
doing something. She also runs the
Daisy Scouts for a group of 5- and
6-year olds. The chance for my kids
to meet people from all over the
world has been brilliant and well
worth taking the plunge. The life
experience for them is excellent.
Words Steven McDuff
Reflections
on Aramco and
the Kingdom
In March 2008, I was contacted by Aramco Overseas
Company (AOC), saying they’d seen my CV and had
a position that I might wish to consider. When I said
I would be interested in it, I never imagined that I’d
be spending New Year’s Eve 2008 in Saudi Arabia.
Top: Our two girls,Amy & Katie, at Ras Tanura beach November 2009.
Bottom:The girls at the Grand Mosque in Bahrain.
16 17
Saudi Life | Reflections on Aramco and the KingdomSaudi Life | Reflections on Aramco and the Kingdom

11. Welcome to the
Dhahran Women’s
Group in the
Eastern Province
of Saudi Arabia!
A stunning Sumatran wedding re-enactment;
a joyful Latino festival; a traditional Saudi If
tar dinner for the breaking of the Fast; a taste
of the warmth of Canadian hospitality, and the
beautiful faces of India - where in the world
could you experience all of these in one place
in the space of a few weeks?
Words Ali Hooker
Roses In The Desert
A DWG Treasures fan dance
18 19
Saudi Life | Roses in the DesertSaudi Life | Roses in the Desert

12. A returning student recently gave
a presentation to the Dhahran
Women’s Group about the cultural
exchanges that occurred along the
famous Silk Road across Asia and
into Europe. She likened her own
life to travelling this ancient route
– born of Chinese ethnicity, she
was raised in the Middle East and
educated in the West. She viewed
her life journey as representative
of an exchange of cultures, values
and traditions; not without its
own tensions and challenges;
but ultimately meaningful and
enriching.
The Silk Road analogy translates
well to the Dhahran Women’s Group
itself, an Aramco self-directed
group of many years standing. After
all, judging by the attendances
at Mall Days at the Baker House
(home of the DWG), silk is just one
of the many exotic commodities
that changes hands to avidly
shopping DWG members! And a
membership of 450 ladies from
more than 50 countries ensures a
dynamic and meaningful setting for
cultural exchange - an environment
assuredly reflecting those ancient
transactions of the trading route
between East and West!
Programs and activities of the
Women’s Group include quality
speakers, trips and cultural events
which reflect the diversity of the
membership and the needs and
interests of both working women
and those at home with their
families. Each month’s Monday
morning and evening program
follows a cycle of health-related,
culinary, cultural and self-
development themes, with numerous
special events along the way. A
number of related activity groups
allow members with English as their
second language an opportunity to
enjoy learning and friendship whilst
speaking their own language –
currently there are Latino, Chinese,
Filipino and Desi groups.
The monthly DWG cultural
events, celebrating the customs
and traditions of members’
homelands, are extremely popular,
not least because they are usually
accompanied by a veritable feast of
national foods, proudly and lovingly
prepared and presented by the host
country members themselves!
The success of these cultural
events has now spun off an annual
celebration of the community’s
diversity, called ‘The Treasures
of Dhahran’, a dinner-show where
different nationalities present
music, art, song or dance from their
homelands. In 2009, the show also
featured a fashion parade of national
costumes. What is most impressive
is the quality of the performances
– the wealth of talent within the
different cultural groups, and their
pride in presenting their countries
in the best possible way, is truly
inspirational.
”The Treasures of Dhahran is a dinner-show
where different nationalities present music,
art, song or dance from their homelands.”
1
For the return of Annuitants
to Aramco in early 2009, DWG
members found themselves staging
a ‘Flying Carpet Ride through Saudi
Arabia’ – a marvelous parade of
regional and historical costumes
from all over Saudi, the proceeds
from which were able to be donated
to local charitable schools for the
handicapped and orphaned. The
parade also gave the ladies an
opportunity to learn and perform
traditional Saudi dances alongside
Saudi women and to learn about
Saudi wedding customs.
The DWG program emanates from
its Italian-born Coordinator, Ilaria
Sezanne Beard, and her driving
passion to create a program that
allows community women to ”learn
from each other, from our different
walks of life, with an emphasis
on the ‘paths’ we have taken,
rather than social backgrounds or
professions.
By broadening our horizons through
the exchange of our passions and
experiences we will ultimately
develop finer ‘tools’ with which to
solve our personal issues and live
a fuller, happier life!” Ilaria has an
uncanny propensity to find women
(and men!) within the community
with all kinds of skills, talents and
knowledge of the highest level, and
to persuade them to share!
From Recycling to Natural Medicine
to Cross Cultural Communication Skills, there is
always an opportunity to learn, to dialogue and to be
challenged in our thinking. And for women who may
have left careers elsewhere to join their husbands in the
Dhahran community, it provides the chance to explore
new possibilities.
The DWG 2010 Board is the first one in the group’s 54
year history with each Board member of a different
nationality, and its vision is for the Women’s Group
to continue growing in vibrancy and creativity,
encouraging a stronger cohesiveness within the multi-
cultural Dhahran community by: ”promoting friendship,
personal growth and a better understanding of the
world and times we are living in, through cultural,
educational and recreational activities“, (DWG Welcome
Pamphlet). There is still a long way to travel down the
Silk Road, and many more valuable exchanges to be
shared!
It’s certainly much, much more than a gossip over coffee!
For the latest news and events, please visit
the DWG website: http://sites.google.com/site/
dhahranwomensgroup/home
Images
1. DWG Sumatran dancers show off their skills.
2. A Saudi ceremony is re-enacted to show the local wedding customs.
3. DWG members show guests the beauty of a traditional Saudi dance.
2
3
20 21
Saudi Life | Roses in the DesertSaudi Life | Roses in the Desert

13. 1. A Silk Road dance - Saranya.
2. DWG’s Italian-born Coordinator,
Ilaria Sezanne Beard in costume.
3. DWG members Yanira and Hanan.
(left to right)
4. DWG members at a Bollywood night.
5. DWG member Munira at Iftar.
6. DWG Spring Fling hat
competition winners.
1
2
3 4
5 6
July, 1984
Tom had received a wedding
invitation from one of
his trainees, Fayez,
addressed to Sir Tom
and his Lady to attend
his wedding in Hofuf,
about an hour’s drive south
of Abqaiq. Tom’s workmate
and good friend Brian Fox
(commonly known as Foxy
Brian!!) was also included in
the invite. Fayez was so anxious for
us to go that he arranged for one of
his brothers to drive up from Hofuf
and meet us outside Abqaiq Camp
Security Gate so we could follow
him to where the wedding was to
take place.
Although I had
attended several
Saudi weddings
– each one very
different – this
turned out to be the
night of a lifetime!
I knew that it was highly likely that
I would be the only foreign woman
there and the chance of any of the
women speaking English would
be minimal but I was really keen
to go. No way was I going to miss
a chance like that and also Brian
had never been to a Saudi wedding.
Scenes from a
Saudi wedding
The wedding was initially held at
the bridegroom’s home in a little
village outside Hofuf. When we
arrived we were greeted like royalty
and I was ushered into the family
room with great courtesy. I was the
only Western female there and the
women did not speak English so I
made the ‘grey matter’ work and
had to speak Arabic! Surprisingly,
they understood what I said and
we managed to have a sort of
conversation.
The groom’s mother was wonderful,
as were they all. Their kindness and
hospitality was just out of this world.
The ladies could not get over my
only having two sons as they had at
least six or seven but usually more.
The mother showed me the herbs
they used to make tea with, which
was a totally different flavour – quite
mint-ish. She then gave me some to
take home.
Two of Fayez’s brothers came in
to talk with me as they both spoke
English and interpreted various
questions put by their mother and
aunts. The brothers were anxious
in case I was feeling strange and
lonely as the women could not
speak English but it was a lovely
compliment when the mother said
we were having no such problem at
all, that we could understand each
other just fine!
When the band arrived the brothers
quickly apologised that they must
Words Eileen Henderson
now leave – they were not allowed
to stay but should I have any
problems, to send out one of the
small children to find them. The
‘band’ was made up of five much
older women who are paid SR500 for
singing and playing the skin drums.
The men also had another band that
played outside on the street which
had been cordoned off and well
decorated with lovely carpets and
lights.
The ladies of the band were real
characters. Some had a cluster of
a green ‘plant’ stitched into their
long plaits and when I asked about
it, one gave me a cluster to tie to
the string at the neck of my shirt.
It had a smell of both lemon and
mint!!! They wear it to smell fresh
and also to smell nice for their
husband.
The oldest lady of the band told
me that she had 23 children so I
suggested that perhaps the plant
had succeeded too well!
After evening prayers in the family
room, a delicious kabsa was served.
I was given a fork, spoon and bowl
which no way was I going to use –
eating as they did, with the correct
hand, gave me brownie points!
During the evening one very jovial
lady, Sulima, kept me up to date
with all that was happening during
the evening. All of a sudden the
dancing started out on the patio. It
was packed and the vast majority of
Looking Back | Scenes from a Saudi wedding
22 23
Saudi Life | Roses in the Desert

14. 2
3
1pleasant aroma. From there I was
taken up on to the roof of the
house where earlier there had been
dancing. There was the decorated
‘grotto’ where the bride had sat like
a statue. Nearby was a room full of
the younger women plus the bride
who was dressed in white like a
foreign bride. She was very pretty
but had to sit looking downcast and
submissive.
Again, a very congenial atmosphere
and as most of the younger women
spoke English pretty fluently, it made
for easy conversation.
Time to leave again – a little girl had
been sent to get me to see Fayez
being put though the door. (The
bridegroom is supposed to show
some reluctance going to his bride
so his henchmen help shove him
through the door!) But by the time I
managed to leave this room, Fayez
was on his way upstairs with his
friends. Amidst numerous offers of
‘Please stay the night with me’, I
managed to leave. On arrival at the
front door there was an almighty
banging on it – Mohammed had
come to collect me. Time to go
home? No, not quite yet!
It was back to the bridegroom’s
home for the ‘big picture’. This time
I was allowed to stay with the men
and watch them dancing on the
street. Amid great protestations
for us to stay the whole night, we
arrived home at 1.30 a.m. on the
most incredible ‘high’!
the women kept on their veils and
abayas, only removing them when
they went to dance and replaced
them as they sat back down. The
band sat on cushions against
the outside wall with a few more
cushions beside them for certain
guests – one of which was little me.
No way was I to be allowed to sit
with the masses on the ground!
The music started and some of the
abayas came off to reveal stunning
outfits well bejewelled with gold
and diamonds – some even had
diamond tiaras! After a few dances
I was about to leave as Tom had
said that he wanted to leave Hofuf
just after 10 p.m. as that highway
was notoriously dangerous, but
that was not to be. Sulima decided
that I should dance! From there the
cry was taken up by the crowd and
there was a huge crowd there! The
youngest aunt (roughly my age) said
she would dance with me so I had
no option but to ‘do my bit’! The
‘gallery’ started their ‘yodelling’,
clapping and shouting plus the band
really got into top gear when I was
made to carry on, on my own!
What else could I do but play to
the gallery! They were not going to
let me stop but I only carried on for
what I felt was an adequate length
of time.
Later, speaking with Tom and Brian
as they were just outside the wall
with all the men, they had heard the
sudden cheering and yelling and
thought that the bride had arrived!
Earlier, Sulima had explained that
the bride was at her mother’s house
and Fayez would be going to her
there. Also earlier that evening, a
group of young women came into
the family room but remained veiled
as they were none too sure about my
being there. In that area it was quite
rare for a foreign woman to be in
their company. Anyway, I knew that
the conversation they were holding
with Sulima was about me and in
particular my blonde hair. They were
wondering if it was a wig! Sulima
said that she did not think so, so
I turned to her bending down my
head and said, “See for yourself.
It is my hair – not a wig!” They all
cracked up laughing and said I could
understand Arabic well enough.
It was now after 10 p.m. and I could
well imagine Tom outside waiting
to get away! Reluctantly I was
allowed to leave when I explained
that we had to drive back to Abqaiq.
Immediately the offers to stay
with them were numerous. Once
outside the gate, Tom and Brian
were waiting with a whole retinue
of trainees who worked with them.
It was like the royal line-up and I
received a lovely set of prayer beads.
Did we go home? No, there was
more to come. Getting to the car
was quite something else as we
were surrounded by crowds of
adults and countless kids. Once in
the car, Mohammed, Fayez’s brother,
said we were to follow him and we
thought we were going to the bride’s
house to see Fayez put in through
the door but not quite yet…
We were taken to another part of
the town where the street had been
blocked off with cars at either end
and it was filled with Saudi men
dancing, with the drums going
full tilt. It was another wedding.
That of Fayez’s best friend! He
was dancing in the middle of this
heaving mass with his friend. It was
really spectacular watching the men
dancing, waving the swords and
singing. I checked with Mohammed
if it was alright for me to be there
as I was the only woman! I was
assured there was no problem and
this was confirmed just minutes
later when a Saudi took a photo of
us with Fayez but alas we never got
a copy. Once that bridegroom was
duly delivered into the house to go
to his bride, we were off again.
This time it was to the bride’s house
where again I would have to go in
with the women in the family room.
Again the hospitality was very warm
and welcoming to this woman with
struggling Arabic! Outside I could
hear the racket of the drums starting
and the men singing, dancing and
firing guns (blanks, thankfully!).
Again the women tried to include
me in their conversation. One even
produced her Sri Lankan maid who
said she could speak English but she
was not much help – I was better
understood with my pidgin Arabic.
Soon more women arrived and much
to the astonishment of everyone I
was welcomed like a long lost sister
by one of them – Sulima! Now I
could ask some questions – was I
allowed to see the bride?
First I was taken to the nuptial
chamber where the walls were
decorated with various rugs and
incenses and spices were burning
permeating the place with a very
I was the only foreign female there and the women did not
speak English so I made the ‘grey matter’ work and had to
speak Arabic! Surprisingly, they understood what I said and we
managed to have a sort of conversation.
1.
The bride’s family greeting
the bridegroom and his entourage.
2.
The wedding “koosha” or raised
platform for the bride and groom.
3.
The wedding feast included
my favorite Saudi dish ‘kabsa’.
Looking Back | Scenes from a Saudi weddingLooking Back | Scenes from a Saudi wedding
24 25

15. in the evening, so watches are not
required. Apart from the birds, we
appear to have been adopted by a
red squirrel and a hedgehog that
comes into the conservatory most
night to eat the cat’s biscuits for
supper and will sometimes have a
little snooze under the cat’s chair
before venturing out for the night’s
adventures. We live off the land
which is completely organic and
very satisfying. (Mature fruit trees
for seasonal fruit abound on the
property plus the old vines, courtesy
of previous generations.) New skills
had to be learnt. Of course our new-
found careers as hosts to people who
would like to experience a way of life
difficult to realize elsewhere in this
day and age, will hopefully begin
next year as I had to return to Saudi
Arabia to finance the project which
has taken over our lives completely.
It just goes to show that there is life
after Aramco irrespective of one’s
age.
It was at that point
we decided to follow
the birds and migrate
south, a long way
south.
Needless to say, nearly everyone
we knew thought we were mad to
take on such a project at our age,
but it’s kept us younger than our
counterparts, just like all the years
with Aramco in Saudi had. You’re
never too old and it’s never too late.
British winter, hmm... I had not
experienced a winter back home
for 20 years and there I was out in
it several hours a day, six days a
week, cold and wet, thinking:“what
is this, what am I doing?” It was at
that point we decided to follow the
birds and migrate south, a long way
south - as far south as the south of
France. It was time for a new career.
something the wife and I could
share in our ensuing twilight years.
The plan was a guest house; it
was all going to be easy. Well it
was easy enough to tramp back
and forth to France but securing
not just a property, but a suitable
property, proved to be a little more
challenging than expected. After
many months of searching and
frustration, we eventually found a
house that had our name on it, with
my wife believing that the house
picked us, not the other way around.
I must admit I think she was right at
times.To start our new life in a new
country, we had to make some (what
I thought would be minor) changes
to the house, a bit of renovation - a
common word in France. A bit
turned out to be a lot - a lot more,
and expensive, like you wouldn’t
believe, but we persevered and still
do, although we are now 99 percent
complete.
The guest house grew somewhat
and also an added two gités (French
holiday home) with a possible third.
The house smiles on us every day
and it feels like we’ve always lived
here.
They tell me the original house
is 300 years old. Two women in
the village were born in the house
and a third is a sister-in-law, so
we’ve become part of their family
now. Coming from the cities, I
didn’t know how tranquil it could
be with just the birds to wake you
every morning. The church bell
tells you that it’s 7:00 am in the
morning, 12:00 noon and 7:00 pm
www.greenshutters-charente.com
My wife and I decided in June 2004, that after 20 years
and three months service with Aramco it was time
to leave, not to mention that at 54 years of age, an early
retirement appealed to me.
My time in Aramco spanned 10 years in Yanbu and
10 years in Rabigh. I thought early retirement would
be a breeze, unfortunately after three months I was
climbing the walls. I was determined not to become
a couch potato but spending time on my main hobby
of photography was limited due to adverse weather
conditions, as we lived virtually on the beach in
Saltcoats, Ayrshire.
The West coast of Scotland can be a beautiful place
when nature allows the sun to come out.
I decided that a part time job with no earth shattering
responsibilities was what I needed. I was fortunate
to get a part time job with the Royal Mail as a postie,
(Scottish for postman, aye) and being as I’d had by-pass
surgery a couple of years previously, the exercise would
be beneficial.
It was a bit like feast or famine though; I ended up
walking approximately 12 miles a day with several
kilograms of mail on my shoulder for six days a week.
If that was part time I’m glad it wasn’t a full time job,
but I was fit. The other thing I didn’t consider was the
New horizons,
new careers…
Words John Thomas
Hello! We are Eleanor and
John. She’s the Jock, I’m
the Welshman (not the
jock in the frock) and this
is our account of retire-
ment after Aramco.
Life after Aramco | New Horizons, New Careers …
26 27
Life after Aramco | New Horizons, New Careers …

16. Awalk in
the hills
Fourteen years of desert living did not deter John
Convery from keeping up with his passion for hiking.
As “Walks Convenor” John provides the lowdown on
hiking for beginners.
Words and Pictures John Convery
28 29
Life After Aramco | A Walk in the HillsLife After Aramco | A Walk in the Hills

17. 1
These days, good waterproof gear is very light
and “squashes” into quite a small volume of
space without suffering any damage. A well
designed waterproof jacket should be long, reaching to
below your bottom if possible. It should have very few
seams, while zips should have covering flaps. The hood
should be permanently attached, have a wired rim and
be fitted with a draw cord to tighten around your face.
The cuffs should be fitted with Velcro to tighten around
your wrists and there should be at least one large
inside pocket protected from the outer elements.
2
Attempting to put on waterproof trousers
whilst wearing your boots is very difficult
indeed and I just wish I could have filmed
all the one-legged dances I have witnessed, of those
attempting the near impossible! The secret is to slip
your booted foot into a plain old supermarket plastic
bag and then pull on your waterproof trousers. You
will be amazed how easy it is then. Better still, buy
waterproof trousers which unzip down the outer sides
of the legs... a little more expensive but it saves on the
swear words.
3
Go for dressing in layers... you can always
remove a layer should you get too warm. A
High-Tec “wicking” layer next to your skin, a
heat retaining layer (or two if it’s winter) and an outer
waterproof layer should suffice. Do not wear a heavy
duty cotton shirt; it will soak up your sweat.
4
The damp conditions in Scotland do not favour
the wearing of Gore-Tex fabric boots. Boots
should be of stout leather construction with
strong vibram soles and should be sufficiently high to
give support to your ankles. If you are good to them
and keep them clean and waxed, boots will serve you
faithfully for many years.
5
The wearing of gaiters might seem a bit over-
the-top to some. It depends on how serious
you want to take your walking. If you intend
going out into the hills, encountering real mud, swampy
ground and even the odd river crossing, then you need
gaiters - keeps all that stuff out of your boots! One tip
is, when the rain is pouring down, have your waterproof
trouser legs out over your gaiters. That way you don’t
channel the rain into your boots.
6
Just accept you won’t escape bad weather
forever. It will get you sometime. Be prepared
for it, have the right gear for it, dress for it and
enjoy the “bomb proof” feeling when you are all zipped
up and the elements are tearing at you.
7
Common sense tells you there will come a time
when a “strategic withdrawal” will be required.
Check local weather forecasts before setting
out. Check what the conditions are likely to be when
you are at your most vulnerable, i.e. the highest point,
furthest from base, and so on. Think carefully and plan
escape routes down off the hills should conditions
deteriorate. Think about river crossings, rivers being in
spate, bridges being washed away... what alternative
plan will you have?
8
If you are worried about the consequences
don’t go, or walk with experienced company,
and always have a map with you. An Ordnance
Survey Land ranger map can be purchased for about
£7.00 and you can get one to cover anywhere in
Great Britain.
9
Hill walking is very rewarding, providing
you approach it in a responsible manner. You
should not, under any circumstances, start off
up a strange hill at say, 3.00 pm in the afternoon of a
beautiful sunny day, clad in your shorts and “flip-flops”,
carrying a bottle of water, a packet of cigarettes and
naturally, your mobile phone. Very un-cool! The Scottish
tabloids however will just love it when you are found the
next morning, huddled under a tree nursing a twisted
ankle, your cell phone having no service and scores of
volunteers out all night looking for you. Man (or woman)
will you get headlines!
Enjoy your walking!
Some Observations
On Hiking For Beginners
Words John Convery
The weather in the Scottish hills must be just about as
unpredictable as it is possible to get. It is quite common
to experience four seasons all in one day... and that’s in
summer. Be prepared for the worst even if the sun is shining
brightly in the morning. Driving rain and mist present
the most uncomfortable environment, more so than just
plain low temperatures.
When I returned to the UK in 1994
permanently, I joined a Hiking Club
and today I find myself “Walks
Convenor” of that same club whilst
my wife is “Social Convenor”. It is my
duty to come up with all the hikes
which the Club undertakes whilst
my other half has the job of arranging
meals, where the “social hour” will
be held, booking accommodation
when necessary and arranging
special trips away.
Our Hiking Club was formed at the
beginning of 1993 to promote high
and low level walking interests
within one Club in the town of East
Kilbride. Hillwalking and rambling
are enjoyable outdoor pursuits which
can be undertaken by people of all
ages, male and female. The activity
can mean something different
to every person involved in each
outdoor adventure. There are many
aspects to a day in the hills. To
some it may be the flora or fauna, to
others the history of the land and
scenic views. Some may combine
exercise with photography and many
just go for a walk, whilst others
seek companionship and a natter
in the pub at the end of the journey.
Whatever the reason, it is the aim
of the Club that each person will
enjoy their walking and the sense of
friendship that prevails among the
Club members.
The Club walks once a fortnight
throughout the year with short
breaks for summer and Christmas
holidays. Normally on each Club
outing, there are two walks, a high
and a low level walk. The exception
to this is the winter period;
November to February, when high
level walking is more dangerous and
requires more specialised skills.
During this period, both high and
low level walkers join together for
a Club walk (a low level walk). A
bus is provided for each outing to
take members to the walk and bring
them back home. The walks take
place on a Saturday when the bus
picks up members at 8.00 am at a
pre-arranged spot.
The Club meets
in a church hall
on alternative
Thursdays
for sign-on which
is usually followed
by a short talk on
I have been hill walking
from as far back as
I can remember.
I continued to hill walk
as best I could during
my 14 years with Saudi
Aramco. During my
R&R trips back to the
UK, I would fit in a trip
or two out into the
hills of Scotland. It was
my way of recharging
the batteries and still
remains so, with the
added proviso these
days that I just do it
a little slower!
the next outing, plus perhaps, a slide
show or a specialised talk on a topic
of interest or navigation training.
The Club trains its own group
leaders and navigation sessions are
an important part of this. First Aid
qualifications are also maintained
up-to-date using suitably authorised
outside sources.
These days modern science plays its
bit in that hand-held GPS systems
are used in conjunction with UK
Ordnance Survey maps to navigate
our way through remote spots.
Away weekends and trips abroad
are popular and in recent times the
Club has travelled to the Island of
Skye off the west coast of Scotland,
to Torridon in the highlands, to the
Tatra Mountains in Poland, to Wales
and a trip to Andorra was planned to
take place in May 2010.
Lots of vigorous exercise, copious
amounts of fresh air, companionship,
social exchange, healthy outdoor
exercise and all that for a modest
membership fee, beats working
hands down, I think!
Image this page:
John (center, wearing black) and the
group take on the hills in Torridon, on
the west coast of Scotland
Title image:
Braving the Welsh mountains in 2009.
30 31
Life After Aramco | A Walk in the HillsLife After Aramco | AWalkinthe Hills

18. With impending departure from Saudi Arabia and Saudi
Aramco looming after 20-plus years, as well as many
years spent elsewhere overseas with my husband, we are
constantly being asked, “What will you do?” My answer
is retiring and enjoying life, after all isn’t that what you
usually do? I am met by all sorts of responses but most
of them are pretty negative, which amazes me. It seems
that the thought of not having to get up to go to work at
the grand old age of 59 is something that seems very alien
to most. For us it is just another stepping stone in life and
one that we are looking forward to immensely.
We have enjoyed our time in the Middle East and have
met some wonderful people from all corners of the world
(an odd statement as the world is not square, right?). It
will be hard to say goodbye but we know that we are
moving on to something both of us have worked hard for
all these years.
My husband (Arvid ) and I have decided to live in Portugal
and found our dream location two years ago on the ‘Silver
Coast’, overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. Have you ever
had one of those moments when you just know that
something is right for you? Well that is how it felt the
Words Jakki Koris
Silver
coast-ing
through life!
first time we stepped foot on the land, or field as was. We
were fortunate enough to be introduced to a lovely man
(Bernardino Morgado) and his son (Isaac), who became
our builders and within ten months our house was built.
We couldn’t have been happier, as the house was better
than we could ever have expected and let’s face it; we
have all heard horror stories of building standards and
ethics in foreign countries. I can honestly say with hand
on heart that we have met two of the most honest people
we have ever met in our lives. How fortunate are we?
The region is stunningly beautiful with wide golden
stretches of unmarked sand, turquoise sea and rolling
countryside. You will find olive groves and luscious
vineyards. The cost of living is a fraction of the
surrounding Mediterranean hotspots. The Silver Coast
hugs the North Atlantic coastline and stretches from the
district of Porto down to Portugal’s largest city, Lisbon.
Until recently the region of the Silver Coast was a well
kept secret that only the locals knew about. But now this
area, with its rolling landscape, beautiful beaches, great
sporting facilities and affordable real estate is a popular
destination for tourists, golfers and property investors
alike. Listed as the third most profitable location in
Europe to invest in (by “A Place in the Sun”), the Silver
Coast is the ideal place to buy a home for investment.
The area is home to a stunning, silver shimmering, sandy
coastline, gentle rolling hills, quaint fishing villages and
some of the country’s most impressive architectural,
religious and historic sites. As well as great golf resorts,
the region also has the new Peniche recreation centre,
which is a superb place for water sports. Santa Cruz and
Peniche (Supertubos beach and Lagide beach) are the
areas for surf lovers and the Óbidos Lake has sailing,
rowing and windsurfing.
The opening up of this region by the new A8 motorway
from Lisbon means you can be sitting with a cool drink
in your hand within 45 minutes drive of the bright lights
of Lisbon. Money is pouring into the region, but the
Portuguese have learned their lessons from the Algarve
and developments are strictly governed and controlled to
ensure that the beauty of the Silver Coast region is never
spoiled.
32 33
Life After Aramco | SilverCoast-ingthroughlife!Life After Aramco | SilverCoast-ingthroughlife!

19. It’s a “Tigger” of a
ride at the museum!
Words John Convery
Summerlee is a 4-star rated Museum of Industrial and Social
History in Coatbridge, Lanarkshire. It is situated around the
site of the original Summerlee ironworks and a restored branch
of the Monklands Canal. The Museum first opened in 1987 and
has just recently completed a £10m upgrade.
One of the features of Summerlee is that it operates “live”
steam machines which actually trundle about smoking,
steaming, rattling, smelling and providing no end of
entertainment for the many visitors. That is where I come in. I
drive a 1927 Fowler Steam Roller or a Steam Min-tractor called
“Tigger”. There is also a Sentinel Steam Lorry which is being
completely refurbished at present and a small steam launch
called “Firequeen”. As well as driving the two steam engines
I also get involved in the refurbishment work associated with
restoring some of the, usually elderly, items. Another essential
activity is helping to keep the engines maintained to the proper
standards and getting them through their Annual Pressure
Tests for insurance purposes.
It’s extremely therapeutic work usually conducted in a very
relaxed and convivial atmosphere, and yes... it can be very dirty
work but that’s part of the attraction!
There are Steam Fairs to attend during the year, providing
the opportunity to renew acquaintance with old friends both
mechanical and human. I thoroughly enjoy my time with the
engines and in a way fulfilling a boyhood ambition regarding
that age-old question: “What do you want to be when you grow
up?” to which my response would be, an Engine Driver!
something we have wanted to do and
put off until retirement, as long haul
flights will not be high on our agenda.
In case you were all thinking that our
brains will turn to mush, we will be
continuing with our learning of the
Portuguese language and will also
be working on a website for anyone
interested in visiting and possibly
buying property in the area. We
feel that our basic knowledge of the
language will be of help to people
and we have already found honest,
reliable people to deal with when
buying materials or fixtures and
fittings. It is actually like stepping
back in time somewhat, people do
business the old way, they turn up
when they are supposed to, and are
not out to make a quick buck at your
expense. It has certainly renewed our
faith in human nature.
We expect to have family and friends
visit us in 2010 and really have to sort
out some time for ourselves to go and
investigate further the history and
beauty of our adopted country.
I just cannot imagine living in the UK
now, things have changed so much
and unless you have won the lottery
it is so expensive to live. We will of
course miss certain things like our
trips to certain shops, one of them
being Marks & Spencer (everyone
knows who they are, don’t they?).
Great news though, it seems they
now deliver to Portugal, so instead of
having to fly to the UK to buy those
items I just can’t live without, I can
order and have delivered.
Seriously folks, it is going to be
different, but isn’t that what being
an expat is all about? Adaptability
and flexibility: aren’t these attributes
we have developed while living in
Saudi Arabia and elsewhere outside
of our home countries? We are eager
to get on with this next period in our
life, so watch out folks, we intend
to keep you all updated on what is
happening in the Koris household in
the countryside of the Silver Coast,
Portugal.
The area is truly an unspoiled gem in
the heartlands of Portugal, you can
still drive for 15 minutes along the
coast and find yourself a completely
deserted stretch of beach or stroll
through the many medieval and
charming villages that abound.
Everywhere you go you will find
the people friendly and helpful.
The Castled town of Obidos is still
contained within its original city
walls and is described by many of
the travel guides as one of the most
picturesque medieval towns in
Europe.
Investment in modern roads has
made the countryside and villages
accessible, so you can enjoy the
tranquility of the countryside or
find water sports, golf, boating and
hundreds of other leisure activities
are all within easy reach. Water
sports can be enjoyed from the
Peniche recreation centre, including
scuba diving and fishing. There
are equestrian centres in Lourinha,
Atouguia da Baleia and Rio Maior.
We traveled to Portugal at various
periods during the build (thank
goodness for Eid holidays) to choose
fixtures and fittings. Everything
was so easy to do, the people are so
helpful and friendly, nothing is too
much trouble. We were fortunate
that we experienced a few weeks in
winter, so know what to expect and
if sitting poolside with feet in the
water wearing a pair of shorts and
a vest is winter then bring it on! Of
course they do have cold days, the
wind from the North blowing in from
the Atlantic can be cutting, but those
days are the exception not the rule.
After extreme heat, humidity, and
sand storms whilst living in Saudi
Arabia, I think we can cope with
whatever the weather has to throw at
us in Portugal!.
Although we have had our large
garden landscaped (well the basics),
our foreseeable future will be spent
working on our garden, growing
our own vegetables, fruit and
herbs (although to be honest we
are surrounded by fields of it), and
generally living the ‘good life’. We
plan to explore Europe, as that is
“After extreme heat, humidity and sand
storms whilst living in Saudi Arabia, I think
we can cope with whatever the weather has
to throw at us in Portugal!“
34 35
Life After Aramco | SilverCoast-ingthroughlife!Life After Aramco | SilverCoast-ingthroughlife!

20. We set sail on August 20th in pleasant sunshine with a light wind. After
two nights at sea, enjoying a fantastic sunset over Islay, passing the Mull
of Kintyre and the Isle of Man, we arrived at Howth, near Dublin in a lumpy
sea. After visiting Dublin, we left for Dunmore East in south east Ireland
from where we intended to set off across the Bay of Biscay. We arrived the
following afternoon at the small fishing village, and topped up with water
and provisions for the next 600 mile leg. After a good weather forecast
we set off the next day. During the first 24 hours we only sailed 40 miles
due to a lack of wind! The wind eventually strengthened, and during the
next five days we romped along under full sail, averaging over 100 miles
a day. We saw the lights of the Scilly Isles as we sailed along the reflected
moonbeams in the cloudless night sky, being rewarded with magnificent
sunrises, sunsets and moon rises every night. We saw a school of dolphins
and only two ships while out of sight of land.
Arriving at the Gironde river landfall buoy at 20:00 hours on the sixth night,
we spent five anxious hours “buoy hopping” along the estuary in the dark,
trying to identify the buoys against the multitude of background lights. We
finally crept into the marina at 01:00 hours feeling very satisfied and pleased
after an excellent safe and interesting 600 sea miles, 6½ day passage. We
all slept well that night!
Two days were spent recovering and finding our land legs again. We
explored Royan, a pleasant and interesting town, completely destroyed by
the British at the end of WWII since it had been the last remaining German
stronghold.
Leaving Royan the following day, we misjudged the tide and motored for
about an hour going nowhere, however when it turned, we soon made up
for lost time. The fierce current was impossible to motor against.
We passed many fine chateaux and famous vineyards. Our destination was
Pauillac, where the mast was unstepped, the sails stowed, and we were
given a gift as part of the service! We also paid a visit to the Chateaux
Margaux vineyard.
The river was extremely muddy and we splurged through it to Bordeaux
with the help of the strong current. Waiting 1½ hours for mist to clear the
next morning, we set off for the canal Lateral, arriving at the first lock three
hours later after riding a 7-knot current. In “canal mode”, it was now all
hands to the warps at each lock and we were soon into a routine with the
ladies helping with the lock operation and the men looking after the warps.
The canal was very quiet as we passed fields of maize, vineyards, beautiful
villas and sleepy villages. At Agen we met another two ex-Aramcons,
Bobby Khan and Keith Gration, who spent a few days with us before
continuing their cycle trip from Bordeaux to the Mediterranean.
A couple of days later, arriving at the lovely town of Moissac, in the fruit
growing area, a harvest festival was taking place with the locals dressed
in country costumes and lots of opportunities for tasting and imbibing the
local produce! Being in rural France, the locks were manually operated,
giving the ladies plenty of exercise. We joined the Canal du Midi at
Toulouse, continuing to the medieval city of Carcassone, Castelnaudary,
famed for the bean dish cassoulet, Narbonne then the short Canal du
Robine to Port la Nouvelle on the Mediterranean!
The “Thane of Lochaber” is our 32ft Golden Hind,
which we decided to sail to Spain in the late
summer of 1999. From our home port, Ardfern
on the west coast of Scotland, we planned to sail
down the east coast of Ireland, across the Bay of
Biscay to the French port of Royan on the Gironde
Estuary, thence through the Canals Lateral de la
Garonne and du Midi to the Mediterranean. Julia
and I were joined by two sailing friends, Tom and
Joyce, for the duration of the trip.
THE VOYAGE
OF THE THANE
Words Dave Thompson
1. A guardian at the Rock of Gibraltar.
Left page:
A beautiful cala in the Costa Brava
1.
Looking Back | The Voyage of the ThaneLooking Back | The Voyage of the Thane
36 37

21. 1
2
3 4 5
6
1. Market,Tetouan, Morocco
2. Blanes with Marina at far right
3. Ready to leave Ardfern
4. The Tramontana mountains, Mallorca
5. Bespoke shoemaker in Moissac
6. A wonderful sunset and peaceful
anchorage – Torrent de Pareis, Mallorca
The mast was stepped and we set
off into the Med. Wonderful weather,
excellent sailing past Cabo Creus
into Spanish waters then along
the Costa Brava with the Pyrenees
in the distance. We stopped at
Llanca, Estartit and St Feliu de
Guixols before arriving at our final
destination of Blanes to be met by
our son Stuart and Eva, now his
wife.
An amazing celebratory fish and
seafood meal, lasting all afternoon
finalised a wonderful seven week
trip, having sailed 1,200 sea miles,
330 canal miles, and passing
through 170 locks.
We returned to the Thane, at Blanes,
at 20:00 hours and after a refit,
which included painting the hull and
deck, we were on our way for what
was to be three years exploring the
Western Mediterranean. We would
be visiting the Ballearic Islands,
Barcelona, Tarragona, Marbella,
Gibraltar, Cadiz and Ceuta to
name but a few memorable places.
Additionally we traversed the
Tramontana Mountains in Mallorca,
a six- day trek, and also walked the
Alpuharras in the foothills of the
Sierra Nevada Mountains, while I
climbed Mulhacen solo, the highest
peak in mainland Spain.
After exploring the beautiful calas
of the Cost Brava, we went to
Barcelona, moored at Port Vell right
in the centre of the old city, and
enjoyed a week of the “Festa de la
Merce” where there was dancing
in the streets, fireworks, parades
and wonderful food. Another ex-
Aramcon, Ron Tomasina, joined us
and we coast hopped to Tarragona,
visiting the Roman ruins before
sailing to Soller, Mallorca in the
Balearic Islands. We spent some
time exploring the lovely island and
also had a five day trek, traversing
the Tramontana Mountains, quiet,
remote and brilliant for walking.
Heading for the mainland we called
at Ibiza and Formentera to arrive at
Calpe with its famous rock. By-
passing the resorts of Benidorm
and Alicante, we continued to
Cartagena, another interesting
town famous for its Roman ruins
and where Hannibal selected his
elephants to cross the Pyrenees.
Continuing along the coast we
anchored off Cabo de Gata, the
driest spot in Europe, remote semi
desert, and where many spaghetti
westerns were shot, before arriving
at Almeria. This was where we first
came across the Moorish influence
at the Alcazabar, the second largest
Muslim fortress after the Alhambra
in Granada. From here we went
walking in the Alpuharras in the
foothills of the Sierra Nevada and
I climbed Mulhacen (11,413ft) the
highest mountain in mainland
Spain.
Missing out Malaga, we arrived
at Marbella, well worth a visit
for its glamour, sophistication,
restaurants and location. We
departed for Gibraltar and for eight
hours were sailing in fog with
visibility of about 100 yards until
the famous rock loomed upon us –
impressive to say the least! After a
few days exploring Gibraltar with
its Barbary apes, finding graves
of sailors killed at Trafalgar, and
1960’s British feel, we plucked up
courage to pass through the Strait
with its unpredictable currents
and tides, into the Atlantic past
the windsurfers paradise of Tarifa,
where the wind increased to about
Force 7 and then eventually to Cadiz
after passing Cape Trafalgar. Cadiz
is the oldest continuously inhabited
city in the Iberian Peninsula dating
back to the Phoenicians occupied by
the Romans and ruled by the Moors
until 1262. A fascinating city with
lots of character.
We enjoyed the sherry triangle of
Jerez, Sanlucar and El Puerto de
Santa Maria in addition to anchoring
in the river Guadalquivir in Europe’s
largest national park – Doñana,
with its mass of bird wildlife.
We continued along the coast to
Huelva near the Portuguese border
but found the coastline somewhat
uninteresting so decided to return
to Gibraltar. It was during our
overnight sail we were buzzed by
the Spanish coastguards at 2:00 am
looking for illegal immigrants.
After negotiating the busy shipping
lanes of the Strait of Gibraltar where
60,000 ships a year pass through
into the Mediterranean, our next
port of call was Ceuta, the Spanish
enclave in North Africa. It was very
different to mainland Spain and had
a distinct Arab feel and character
with several hundred Moroccans
working there. We visited Tétouan
in Morocco with its interesting royal
palace and market where the Berber
people from the outlying areas came
to sell their produce.
We now decided we had
seen enough of the western
Mediterranean and made a decision
to return to northern Europe by way
of the European inland waterways to
Holland, then to the Baltic.
After 3½ weeks of sailing, we were
stormbound, at Cadaques the home
of Salvador Dali, waiting to round
Cabo Creus to return to France
across the notorious Golfe de Lyon.
Fortunately we had an uneventful
trip and laid the Thane up at Agde
on the river Herault in readiness
for the rivers and canals of France,
Belgium and Holland.
The Thane had spent three exciting
years and 3,800 miles enjoying
all the delights and variety of the
western Mediterranean with its
friendly people, wealth of history,
exciting food and diverse geography.
Looking Back | The Voyage of the ThaneLooking Back | The Voyage of the Thane
38 39

22. IN MEMORIAM
John Blagdon Colin G. Graham
November 26, 2009 April 9, 2009
Survived by his wife Florence, his
daughter and her husband Anthony
and their three children, James,
Alex and Dominic. Also his sister
Jean and brothers Jim and Edward.
Also missing him is his dog Heidi.
John joined Aramco in July 1979 as a
Senior Machinist assigned to Abqaiq
Plants Shift Crew. In 1984 he became
an Industrial Skills Mechanical
Trainer 1, working in Abqaiq,
Udhailayah and Ras Tanura. He
retired from Northern Area Job Skills
Training Department in July 1999.
Correspondence may be sent to
Mrs Florence Blagdon,
16 Abbots Way,
Preston Farm,
North Shields, NE29 8LX.
Survived by her brother Michael
Durband. Joan was also very close
with her sister-in-law Liz and her two
nephews Christian and Dominic, as
well as Christian’s wife Helen. She
joined Aramco in 1978 as a relief
secretary, retiring as a secretary
to the managers of the Petroleum
Application Service Department and
Drilling and Workover Operations in
1990.
Correspondence may be sent to
Michael at Pear Tree Cottage,
Whitchurch Road,
Hatton Heath,
Chester, CH3 9AU.
Survived by his wife Fiona and their
two daughters, Alana and Natasha.
Colin first joined Saudi Aramco
as a Senior Instrument Specialist
assigned to Abqaiq Plants in1984 –
86 and after a brief period away, he
returned in 1987 to complete another
13 years before finally leaving in
2000.
Correspondence may be sent to
Silverdale,
Sunnyside Road,
Brightons,
Polmont, FK2 ORW.
Joan Durband
September 19, 2009
40
In Memoriam

23. Alaela (Family) is produced for annuitants,
families and friends of Saudi Aramco and
Aramco Overseas Company (AOC) as well
as its associated companies by AOC B.V.
Address correspondence to
The Editor, Alaela
Aramco Overseas Company UK Ltd.
Level 26, Centre Point
103 New Oxford Street
London WC1A 1DD