In February, our own Mrs. Rader, the Chair of the Social Studies Department, and 24 other teachers from around the country, visited Saudi Arabia on an Aramco sponsored Educator’s Tour. The purpose of the trip was to provide U.S. teachers with a unique opportunity to learn more about Saudi Arabia and deepen relations between it and the U.S. During the study visit, the participants, who were all either Social Studies Teachers or School Librarians, heard from experts in the theme areas of education, industry and technology, and history and culture. They visited elementary and secondary schools, areas of cultural and historical significance, and modern industrial facilities. Their visit took them to the cities of Dhahran, Riyadh, and Jeddah.

Mrs. Rader said that during the time in Dhahran, they learned much about how Aramco extracts its oil and how they fill the need they have for various types of employees—from petroleum engineers to air-conditioning repairmen. The group also had the pleasure of meeting and attending a lunch hosted by the President and CEO of Aramco, Mr. Abdallah Jum’ah.

A highlight of the stay there was when the group was flown to Shaybah, the newest oil field deep in the Rub Al-Khali. The Shaybah story was fascinating and Mrs. Rader says she learned a lot about horizontal drilling!

Shaybah Oil Field

Climbing a sand dune at Shaybah

After touring the site of the oil field, the group enjoyed a delicious dinner at the Oasis tent and a reading of poetry by the poet Nimah Ismail Nawwah.

In Riyadh, the group had the good fortune of being able to attend the Al Janadriah Festival. This cultural event occurs only two weeks out of every year and was a great opportunity to learn much about Saudi Arabia’s cultural heritage. Numerous craftsmen displayed historic skills such as net-making and bowl-carving. Folk dancers displayed traditional dances and modern companies such as Saudi Arabian Air had contemporary exhibit halls. One exhibit hall had a tribute to all the Saudi military, National Guardsmen, and police who have died as a result of terrorist activity.

Another highlight of the stay in Riyadh was a meeting with six members of the Shura Council, including Dr. Saleh A. Al-Malik, the General Secretary, and Dr. Abdulaziz Al-Harthi, the Deputy Minister of Education. In a dialogue that took place with the group, they addressed many of the issues confronting Saudi Arabia today. A tour of the Shura Council Chambers followed.

The last city on the itinerary was Jeddah. At Effat College, Mrs. Rader ran into a former ISA student, Munira Al Saud. At the Safeya Binzagr Art Gallery, Safeya Binzagr, the artist and owner, took the group on a tour. It was here that Mrs. Rader found an ISA medallion in one of the gallery’s display cases. It seems that around 1984, Safeya sent copies of some of her prints to ISA which in turn sent her the medallion as a thank-you!

One of the final events of the tour was a visit of the Jeddah Islamic Port. It was fascinating to see how efficient they are at getting containers and cars in and out of Saudi Arabia! The last official stop was a meeting and dialogue with Khaled A.Al-Maeena, the Editor-in-Chief of the Arab News.

Following Jeddah, the group flew back to Dhahran and enjoyed one final dinner with the Aramco hosts. Mr. Mohammad A. Mulla, the Manager of the Public Relations Department, spoke about the desire for better understanding between Saudis and Americans. There is no doubt but that all of the members of the Educator’s Group left Saudi Arabia with a greater appreciation of the attitude, traditions, culture and history of Saudi Arabia. Mrs. Rader said it was a WONDERFUL trip and a rare opportunity to learn about a part of the world that westerners know little about.