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Top 10 Books About Deserts

noreply@blogger.com (فالح بن صقر) — Sun, 28 Jul 2013 08:05:00 +0000

Top 10 Books About Deserts

Wilfred Thesiger, (1910 – 2003)

About 37,000 years ago the last of the Neanderthals were becoming extinct in Europe. The world’s largest sand desert, the Rub’ al Khali, was failing to live up to its modern sobriquet, the empty quarter (known to the Bedouin as ‘the sands’). Hippos, grazing deer and water buffalo drank from lakes and ponds. Even today the Rub’ al Khali is home to more than thirty different plant species and twenty different birds. The word desert is borrowed from Old French desert, from Late Latin desertum, literally, thing abandoned.

San Gorgonio Pass – Richard Misrach: Desert Cantos

Travellers and writers have long been attracted to deserts, places of wonder that offer that combination of disturbance and delight that make up enchantment, a suspension of chronological time, a ‘moment of pure presence.’ The list below comprises a personal top 10 of books about deserts. Please feel free to add your own suggestions in the comments section.

Arabian Sands, by Wilfred Thesiger – This is the Urtext. Apart from the Badu that live there, Thesiger was the first traveller that crossed the Rub’ al Khali twice, and the only one to write so extensively of the time before oil was discovered. The way of life he depicted has long disappeared.
Desert Divers by Sven Lindqvist – For a slight book, Lindqvist combines autobiography, history and diverse biographies. Named after the well diggers that descend 50-60 metres to build and clean wells in unstable desert sand.
Daisy Bates in the Desert by Julia Blackburn – Daisy Bates’s memorial in Ooldea in the deserts of Southern Australia, reads ‘Daisy Bates devoted her life here and elsewhere to the welfare of the Australian Aboriginals.’ Julia Blackburn’s book tells the story of the woman that, at the age of 54, wandered into the outback and lived there for nearly 30 years. (thanks to flowerville)
The Lives of the Desert Fathers: The Historia Monachorum in Aegypto – Biographies of twenty-six ascetics as they travel through the Egyptian desert. Whatever belief system you subscribe to, these are extraordinary tales of monks and hermits living enchanted lives. (There were also desert mothers - Marilyn Dunn’s The Emergence of Monasticism: From the Desert Fathers to the Early Middle Ages devotes a chapter to Women in Early Monasticism, thank you DZ).
Desert Cantos by Richard Misrach – spectacular photographs of the American desert. Misrach’s landscapes offer an apocalyptic, post-human interpretation of these primordial places.
Desert Tracings: Six Classic Arabian Odes by ‘Alqama, Shánfara, Labíd, ‘Antara, Al-A’sha, and Dhu al-Rúmma (translated by Michael A. Sells) – Winners of poetry competitions held during annuals fair at ‘Ukaz, near Mecca, these six odes offer a matchless encounter with an ancient, sophisticated culture.
The Nomad: Diaries of Isabelle Eberhardt (translated by Nina de Voogd) – Partial diaries of an utterly remarkable woman who converted to Islam and devoted her life to travelling the Sahara.
The Woman in the Dunes by Kōbō Abe – also a breathtaking film, Abe’s book is a bit of a stretch in this list. Are the dunes in a desert? I don’t know but I could not resist listing Abe’s crisply written and compelling tale of an entomologist who becomes trapped in the sand dunes.
Desert by JMG Le Clézio – An atmospheric, beautifully written novel about the lives of the Blue Men, notorious warriors who live in the desert. Sense of place and wonder win over a light plot, but what remains is the sense of the desert’s beauty.
The Crab with the Golden Claws by Hergé – Unapologetically included is this magnificently illustrated tale of Tintin and Captain Haddock’s crossing of the Sahara.

ARTICLES ABOUT WILFRED THESIGER

Newest First
| Oldest First

‘Arabian Sands’ and ‘The Marsh Arabs’

By RICHARD B. WOODWARD

Wilfred Thesiger’s accounts of crossing the Empty Quarter of the Arabian desert and living among the marsh Arabs of Iraq are invaluable as anthropology and thoroughly gripping as action tales.

December 30, 2007, Sunday

MORE ON WILFRED THESIGER AND: MIDDLE EAST, REVIEWS, BOOKS AND LITERATURE, TRAVEL AND VACATIONS

Wannabe Discoverer

By D.T. Max

Sir Wilfred Thesiger b. 1910 'The English,'' Prince Faisal tells T.E. Lawrence in the movie ''Lawrence of Arabia,'' ''have a great hunger for desolate places. I think you are another of these desert-loving English.'' With the death of Wilfred Thesiger, age 93, the line of ''desert-loving English'' -- Richard Burton, Charles Doughty, T.E. Lawrence -- comes to an end. Of all of them, Thesiger never wanted to be a writer. He wanted to be a discoverer. But by the time he came along, discovery was...

December 28, 2003, Sunday

MORE ON WILFRED THESIGER AND: BOOKS AND LITERATURE, BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION

Wilfred Thesiger, 93, Dies; Explored Arabia

By PAUL LEWIS

Wilfred Thesiger, who was among the last of the great explorers lucky enough to have lived when the globe still had some uncharted corners, died on Sunday in England. He was 93 and had been living in a retirement home in Coulsdon, Surrey. Sir Wilfred was an insatiable traveler throughout his long life. He was also a man of private wealth and a romantic who seemed to hate the modern world and found nobility in privation.

August 27, 2003, Wednesday

MORE ON WILFRED THESIGER AND: SAUDI ARABIA, BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION, EXPLORATION AND EXPLORERS, DEATHS (OBITUARIES)

In the Bush With Thesiger

LEAD: To the Editor:

May 01, 1988, Sunday

MORE ON WILFRED THESIGER AND: STOLAR, JAY, MEWSHAW, MICHAEL, BOOK REVIEWS

Barbaric Splendor Suited Him

By MICHAEL MEWSHAW; Michael Mewshaw is the author of 10 books, three of them set in the Sahara. ''Playing Away,'' a collection of his travel writing, will be published later this year

LEAD: THE LIFE OF MY CHOICE By Wilfred Thesiger. Illustrated. 459 pp. New York: W. W. Norton & Company. $25.

March 20, 1988, Sunday

MORE ON WILFRED THESIGER AND: BOOK REVIEWS

A Vagabond's Life; Vagabond

By ALISTAIR HORNE

AMONG the more interesting products of the Victo rian era was the explorer/empire-builder, a unique breed of dedicated eccentrics whose wanderings took them across vast tracts of undiscovered Africa, Asia, Australia and into the polar wastes. Livingstone, Lugard, Franklin, Burke ...

April 20, 1980, Sunday

MORE ON WILFRED THESIGER AND: BOOK REVIEWS

Obituary: Sir Wilfred Thesiger

Thesiger was inspired by his African childhood

Sir Wilfred Thesiger, who has died aged 93, spent most of his life roaming the most distant, desolate and inaccessible parts of the world.

Seemingly armed with little more than an all-encompassing gaze, he travelled with the hardiest and most daring of regional tribesmen.

His subsequent writings bore witness to both the savagery and beauty of the places and people he met.

In 1909, Thesiger's father was appointed British minister in charge of the legation at Addis Ababa. Wilfred, his youngest son, was born in the Abyssinian capital the following year.

The young Thesiger was soon entranced by the place, revelling in the sights and sounds of everyday life.

Above all, he was inspired by the dramatic return of the emperor's army in 1917, from one of the last great pitched battles between traditional African warriors.

"I believe that day implanted in me a life-long craving for barbaric splendour, for savagery and colour and the throb of drums,'' he said.

Following his family's return to England in 1919, Thesiger was educated at Eton and Oxford.

Thesiger found the desert a natural home

Nevertheless, he found ''comradeship more easily among races other than his own" and, for most of his life, he had uneasy relationship with the western world.

From Oxford, Thesiger set out on the first of his many adventures in Africa. He joined the Sudan Political Service in 1934, and his first appointment was to the remote Kutum district where he lived in a thatched hut.

It was here that Thesiger fell in love with the desert. In his book, The Life of My Choice, he wrote: ''I was exhilarated by the sense of space, the silence.

"I felt in harmony with the past, travelling as men had travelled for untold generations across the desert.''

Meanwhile, Mussolini's invasion of Abyssinia in 1935 served only to strengthen his distrust of the western world. And, even in his 90s, he did nothing to mask his detestation for the forces of globalisation.

During World War II, Thesiger moved on to Cairo and Trans-Jordan with the Special Operations Executive.

He fought with the newly established Special Air Service in North Africa, before leaving to become an advisor to Haile Selassie in Abyssinia.

The first of Thesiger's travelling tales

In joining the Desert Locusts Research Organisation, he undertook a deeply dangerous journey across the uninhabitable dunes of Arabia - leading to the book, Arabian Sands.

By this time, Thesiger, the colonial officer and soldier, had effectively been reborn as an explorer and author.

Thesiger went on to record the lives of the remote peoples and places of Iraq, Persia, Kurdistan, Pakistan, Afghanistan and, more recently, Kenya.

He rode camels and, amongst others, mixed with a murderous tribe which determined a man's status by the number of men he had killed and castrated.

Wilfred Thesiger was one of the 20th century's greatest explorers, and his recollections influenced a generation of travel writers including Colin Thubron and Paul Theroux.

Ill health left him little choice but to spend his last years in a Britain that was largely alien to his desires.

Knighted in 1995, he would have preferred to stay where his heart lay, in the deserts of Africa or the hills of the Hindu Kush.

Arabian Sand

noreply@blogger.com (فالح بن صقر) — Sun, 28 Jul 2013 07:59:00 +0000

* Great Arabian Desert, and probably known to the ancient Arabs Mvazh the Sahd «, but European

travelers took the name of the Empty Quarter 'from the mouths of Bedouins who رافقوهم in impenetrable, as well as The Modern Arab geographers called it. The reality choppy sea of sand covers nearly 200,000 square miles of south and southeast of the Arabian Peninsula. We may find in poetry the old descriptions of different Mvazh or the desert, mostly approaching from the description of the Empty Quarter, but Hamdani in his book »Description of the Arabian Peninsula« provides us with verses of the shaggy pleural describes Mvazh Sahd where's intersect with descriptions of European travelers to this wilderness Waste. Shaggy says:

If Mvazh Sahd Btnofah

Teh winds do not remain guided by

Bung remains of Qtaha and have

And go from without water and Tgtda the

Country Tkhal it crow if it appears

King Aserbl in Riyat (1) and wearing

I asked while absent flags

Of Hadramout any star Ngtda

Said the galaxy or Suhaila Padilla

Then guided Bakvolhm the Balvrkd

Ntgha horrors Nbga the full of

Tznin him if there is no (2)

This became Sand Sea, in the nineteenth century, Circuit for استهوت adventure most European travelers and explorers. It says in the writings of British travelers to Oman and the Arabian Peninsula from majestic descriptions of this vast wilderness inflamed dreams adventurers to penetrate the imagination of poets and writers to sing them. In 1835, could James travelers and Alstad from the top of the Green Mountain that made this panoramic scene of the Empty Quarter:

Vast plains of quicksand baggy stretch in sight, which in the Bedouin overcome even severe barely dare to take risks. Plateau not even change the color of the plains that can happen, to break the desolate appearance and second Apt for this scene (3).

And tells Bertram Thomas for travelers and writer Premier Richard Burton said he had heard from reliable sources of his Bedouin that Khali is: the depths of appalling filled with a range large population of half-hungry, and they abound also بأودية and grooves and coral fed partly Seoul intermittent, and therefore open to the traveler adventurers ( 4).

Samuel Miles, too, during his journey from Hebrew to Dhank, in the interior of Oman, December 1885, he arrived at the sidelines of major health Hira »as he calls it, and made this scene«:

This Hera health, in the eastern border, which it now stand, stretching far to the west about 700 miles, the problem of the long largest and most جدبا the sand in the continent of Asia. In general, if her abstract from rivers, trees, mountains and human dwellings, and undiscovered not discoverable. It's free of food, water, roads, and shadows, as she storms تذروها. It is the land of tranquility, lethargy and monotony say that is unrivaled in the world (5).

As to Mr. Percy Cox in 1905 during his journey between Ibri, Nizwa, decided to explore the Empty Quarter of the town of Adam, on the borders of the sand, especially when he accepted fellow nomads to accompany him. But the publication of an article by Mr. Bacon, as Cox states, which suggests that the Empty Quarter can express balloon (6), Otnth this idea that if completed would have been, actually, the pioneer in this sand penetration. All of these challenges and obstacles mentioned by desert travelers Els ابقين a made both Bertram Thomas John Philippians Atsabakan, in breach of the Empty Quarter, but Thomas was able to score while prized traversed this desert from Salalah in southern Oman to Qatar in 1931. Was left for his rival John Philby, but crossed from north to south in 1932. As the British traveler and was able Wilfred Thesiger to penetrate the Empty Quarter twice from south to north and vice versa in the period from 1946-1948.

Europeans saddled backpacker to the Empty Quarter They wrote him stories of their adventures with the Bedouins and »or Asameem« and »Binalshibh veins« quicksand, was to echo in the literature crossed his poetry and account قصصيا and novelist. There are three traveler Britons have left us works is considered one of the finest literature trips in the world takes place in the Empty Quarter: the first book »Arabia Felix: Across the Empty Quarter in the Arabian Peninsula« to Bertram Thomas, released the first version of 1932, the second book »Empty Quarter« John Philippi, the first version was published in 1933, and the third book 'Arabian Sands' to Wilfred Thesiger, the first edition was issued in 1959. These trips, without a doubt, influenced the writers of English issued a collections of poetry and short stories and fiction, titled 'Empty Quarter' and sing it. Writer American Lao Cameron Lou Cameron issued a 1962 novel عنونها b »Empty Quarter«, poet Irish Jerry Murphy, Gerry Murphy issued in 1995 a collection of his poems chose her title »Empty Quarter« the title of a poem included in the same group, also issued Alqash American Sharon Masamar Sharon Mesmer 1999 collection of short stories titled one of her stories and is the 'Empty Quarter', and in 2000 the novelist David Alomarki issued Marion Wilkinson David Marion Wilkinson novel is also عنونها b 'Empty Quarter'. All this creative momentum on the Arab sand in English literature offset, unfortunately, drought in Arabic literature is nothing less than the same silence Empty Quarter. Perhaps I may be exaggerated in this provision, because there may be an Arab texts on the Empty Quarter, I could not be accessed, the information network is Arabic online unfortunately very poor has Khzltna in obtaining any Arabic text, if there is already text. On the contrary, the richness of English information network enabled me to hunt for a good set of texts, which I'm going to be translated now. Of course, what I'm interested in this context is a creative texts that have made the Empty Quarter, a central theme, as we shall see in the English text, not the text which referred to the Empty Quarter, from near or far. All I can refer to now in the literature three groups: the first poetry published in 1993 by Dar new title »man of the Empty Quarter« the poet Cup of Tea, which includes a provision fantastic derived Rahbi beauty and transparency of the mystery and myth »veins Binalshibh«, one of the miracles majestic Quarter Empty. The second group of short stories published in 1996 by the publication of the Arab Writers Union of the Egyptian Waqas Muhsin Khadr. The group took the title of one of her stories is 'Empty Quarter', but they were inspired by the desert Inspired technically own just hired storyteller is the reading of the writings of some British travelers like Philby and Thomas. The third group is also anecdotal issued in 1999 by Dar Al-Farabi under the title rolls of the Empty Quarter, the Emirati writer Mohammed Hassan al-Harbi, that the group did not take the Empty Quarter, only the name.

English poetic texts about the Empty Quarter, which I am presenting today to the Arab reader, of varying quality. That its importance lies in the functioning on the theme Desert: »Tits dunes«, »trades artificial«, »storks migrating«, Altnhanh and spitting behind the tents «,» Trthurat gin dry «,» locusts Mtazavrh «,» appearing convex retractable «,» jumps towards Jaradah Hbay the towards the song ',' lava corridor to caudal lights on hills', 'Temple of sand is dissipated in the neck of the hourglass',' burn the hoof and impairs the hump ',' the foul Balmagnaseyoum wells', etc.. Such exquisite poetic themes make delirious texts worth translation because it gives a significant picture of the impact of the writings of travelers to the Empty Quarter in English literature, as most of these poets, if not all of them did not see the Empty Quarter but Astelanmoh the artistically inspired by beautiful of trips literature. I will give texts arranged by date of publication, and I will give About Us margin of their respective owners.

1 - Empty Quarter

Alan Cielito (7) 1993

Meditating in the Empty Quarter:

Temple of sand is dissipated in the neck of the hourglass. Features on the camel loads

Flying to Amman or Muscat

Markatura invisible beam

Sears hoof and impairs hump.

Fascinated by the Empty Quarter, travels Bakafelth the المكومة

Across the floor seemed courses Ktjaaid

The land does not have a stable, and golden sand grains

Uphill كثبانا still gray trees along the volcanic

The foul smell of magnesium wells

Drink them snakes and camels.

Coming bells, ornaments, silk, guns,

Knives, Moccasins, scattered all

Money needed him - camel meat

Carrion eaters, everything

Except its own body towels.

Naked and crazy hugs

Tree rooted in the world's largest wilderness

Clutching dew from God Hour foll s

Lapsed during the wet rot,

The only taste tree shade

No one can be interrupted or he taketh away

Even travels - days - in the White اشتعاله.

Abandons the Empty Quarter

Back then struggled to terrorize the world.

2 - Empty Quarter

(To AD.)

Jerry Murphy (8) 1995

Where you are tonight

Or what you are doing

Is important.

At this moment

Tent was erected

In a cool hotel

Under a نخيلات to creak.

Nyakk has brought water, Oafatt, and rested

Next the names of Allah.

Tstgayn

In transparent black shirt

On the sofa studded with jewels

While I am (in the body of Richard Gere) (9)

Kiss

In a fit of trembling long hot.

3 - in the heart of the Arabian Peninsula

Fergus Allen (10) 1996

Residents of the current quarter

يهجعون bulk of their day and leave at night

Going out from behind the dunes Tits

To resume their conversations confidential and that its beginnings

Forgotten and insoluble - stability lies

In the remnants of the present and the future

Bones heaped on the edge of the dish of the day.

Questions about the way to the Fertile Crescent

Mixed with smiles and nonsense about camels

And traditions and loss of marks.

But it seems that orgasm burdensome come and go

Nearby toward their ends

Valsafqat artificial fills the evening

When the full moon, the great evils hyper bargains

You can see the distant reeling over the hills.

Overwhelmed immigrant Ballqalq,

We have to نتلكأ to Adltnar -

Characters and vague that almost embodied

Smiling from unheated rock shelter,

And that all they can do to colds

Some lessons in audio output or simple specifications

With Altnhanh and spitting behind the tents.

However, as far as the message appears

And be neutral tone, the other can tell jokes.

Bedouin wheat stores are everywhere

Height lines and display are food

Drifter mine

And lies beneath a Dom Bmaadadh the tree.

The dilemma is to set the rhythm stick function

To vibrations of rice, wheat, and corn.

4 - Timed revealed

Jane Drikut (11) 1999

At the last minute Empty Quarter

Stand and watch Zlna the

Tnghazl on the face of the sand clock.

We dunes, Chiltern Handrides (12),

Lilac and ash, oak and beech forest

I made all the women of your tribe.

Our room filled Kal_khasam, empty

A child with windows abroad. And broken clothes

Racing across the floor.

We are not even stars. Cover Beiteinu

Away, and in the path of the lava to caudal lights on the hill

You must re-أسفارنا again.

5 - Empty Quarter

John كانادي (13) 1999

Early in the spring - here - in the Empty Quarter

Gabriel shook his cane to appear convex

The turbulent drag. It's wasting such as camels angry

And rumble around farmers' fields.

At night, I dream of grass Mkhaddra speak.

But hours Alhger, even dry chatter Committee

Abandon valleys. Sun casting prolapse,

Although the body is the only well in this desert.

Mtdhrj due stone from the bottom

Accompanied by voice Jaradah Mtazavrh the: Set

Security for you, my darling, and the rain will walk

On tiptoes over the dry hills Aalak

As poppy Cncj himself dress

Leicester broad shoulders of the desert.

Ever-words such as smoke from the fire covered

Rising slowly to me as if to indicate

Where the survivor has finally reached the beach.

So far I have not spoken yet. Voice limp

Above obsolete bones, legs withered and brittle

Not strong enough to jump such as Jaradah Hbay the towards the song.

But I imagine what he said or what he may say

Some narrators about

Falah loved the open land

Or Caliph longing to Mostagm Sahara

Where whispering Algolam (14) like a breeze when prayer

And where poppy bright bow their heads toward its destination

Each mumbled his words for something trivial.

Vanessa Mullen

noreply@blogger.com (فالح بن صقر) — Thu, 27 Jun 2013 06:09:00 +0000

by Vanessa Mullen

Northern Virginia Community College

Vanessa Mullen Saudi Arabia CST229 from

Northern Virginia Community College

1. Vanessa Mullen CST 229 STEFNOSKI
2. History Established as a Kingdom in 1932 Abdul Aziz became king in 1937 Oil was Discovered in 1938Muslims made contributions in mathematics, art, architecture, philosophy,chemistry, and more.
3. 5 PILLARS OF ISLAM Shahadah (Kalima)(Faith) Salat( Five Daily Prayers) Zakat (Charity) Roza (Fasting) Hajj (Pilgrimage)
4. RamadanThe Holy Month
5. Hajj
6. Language Arabic   English  Arabic SignImmigrant Language  Chinese  Korean  Somali Sudanese spoken Arabic  Urdu  Among many others
7. Hello!As-salam alaykom ‫السلم عليكم‬
8. Meeting Etiquette Men shake hands. Good friends maygreet each other with a handshake and a kiss on each cheek.  Women generally hug and kiss close friends. Men and women would not greet each other in public if from outside the family.
9. It is appropriate for men andwomen to cover most parts of the body, even in warm weather.
10. For women, dressingHajib is to respect oneselfand prevent the lusting of men.
11. Children are taught cultural values and customs at an early age. An Arabian Proverb states: , "He who grows on something, will grow old with it"
12. -Courtship and dating is unacceptable -Most marriages are arranged-A man will likely pay a dowry for his bride -Sex before marriage is a grave dishonor that is punishable by law
13. The Saudi Arabian work week begins on Saturday and ends on Wednesday The legal age to work is 13 Men conduct business and most public service jobsWomen are only allowed jobs where they are away from the public
14. Travel Franklin D. Roosevelt donated a plane to Saudi Arabia Airport in 1945 3 International and 24 regional airports 21 sea ports First highway tunnel in the world to convert solar power to electricity Over 100,000 miles of roadway/highwayFleet of 2000+ Saudi bus network provides affordable public transportation 2 Railways that span a combined 1,000+ miles
15. The King Fahd Causeway
16. Government MonarchyConstitution is the Holy Quran Strict enforcement on Laws, and limited Freedoms
17. Economy Exports: $238 Billion in Oil (Petroleom & Products)Natural Resources: Gold, Silver, Iron, Copper, Phosphate Agricultural Resources: Livestock, Dates, Vegetables, Grains Imports: $88 Billion in Processed Foods,Textiles, Manufactured Goods, Transportation Equipment Trades with: China, Japan, Singapore, India,South Korea, Tawaiin, United States & Others
18. Climate: Harsh and dry desert with very high and extreme temperatures.
19. Rub Al-Khali Desert Asir Province
20. Social and Economic Status Rich get Richer, and the Poor get Poorer! Some required to stand in lines for rations of waterThe Rich order food so lavishly they are often fined for the amount that is wasted The poor have group Wedding Ceremonies because they cannot afford an individual one The poor sew there own clothing for their families,while the Rich often spend so much the ATMs run out of money (especially during Ramadan)
21. Education is separate for males and femalesStudents are required to have a certain amount of Islamic Study time. Education is free
22. Hospitality is Enjoyed by Hosts and their Guests in Saudi ArabiaIt is typical for Arabic Tea or Coffee to be Served with dates or other small snacksIt is an Insult to the Host if theGuest Declines Refreshment
23. The Fast Food Industry is ExpandingFatir, a flat bread andkimaje, similar to pitais used at every meal, in place of a fork or spoon. No Pork or Alcohol Meat must be butchered in the name of God Lamb is served for Holidays or Honored Guests
24. Jenadrivah Heritage & Cultural Festival Started in 1985 Celebrated yearly for 2 weeksTraditional Arabian Culture is the Theme
25. Recreation in Saudi Arabia is anything that does not conflict with the laws of the countrySoccer, Tennis, Diving, Softball, Swimming, SailingFor Tourists Camel Racing is popular along with the National Zoo
26. calligraphy is a dominant theme in metalwork, ceramics, glasstextiles, painting and sculpture throughout Saudi Arabia and the Muslim world. Inscriptions often adorn the interior walls of mosques, as well as public and private offices and homes.
27. Travel guidelines Bibles allowed only for personal use Alcohol and arriving drunk are prohibited Inappropriate attire and pornography prohibited Importation of Pork is prohibited Homosexual activity, Adultery, and theimporting of Drugs is Punishable by the death penalty RESPECTING THE CULTURE AND ISLAMIC LAW IS VITAL!
28. IF traveling to Saudi Arabia, it is important to follow the rules of the country sincepeople can be detained for no reason and it is not required that each person has legal representation. Women are not allowed to drive! Photographs of the local people or anyGovernment building, Military Institution, or Palace are prohibited Petty crime is common There is always a high alert for Terrorism
29. Saving Face is a way of life and is used to: Avoid Conflict, EmbarrassingSituations, or CausingDiscomfort for others Maintained by: Self control, Patience,
30. The Saudi Arabian culture and the many outsideinfluences effect communication in many positive andnegative ways. Because of the restrictions of freedoms, Saudi Arabians often feel as if they are restricted and limited because of the increasing knowledge of the Western Culture.
31. Sourceshttp://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/17/business/worldbusiness/17iht-inflation.1.15359629.html?pagewanted=allhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_m4cFo1fQc4http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/travel-and-living-abroad/travel-advice-by-country/middle-east-north-africa/saudi-arabiahttp://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/3584.htmhttp://www.networkoverseas.cc/maps/saudi.htmhttp://www.glamour.com/fashion/blogs/slaves-to-fashion/2011/09/women-in-saudi-arabia-can-fina.html#ixzz1qSXHBa3Uhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/03/hajj-2011-saudi-arabia-muslim-pilgrims-gather_n_1073584.htmlhttp://www.saudiembassy.net/about/country-information/transportation_and_communication/communications.aspxhttp://www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/global-etiquette/saudi-arabia-country-profile.htmlhttp://www.sacm.org/http://www.nationsonline.org/oneworld/saudi_arabia.htmhttp://www.saudiembassy.net/about/country-information/culture_art/http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/3584.htmhttp://www.wayfaring.info/category/countries/saudi-arabia/http://www.asianguide.com.au/category/saudi-arabia/http://emilystrempler.com/2011/03/17/understanding-unrest-4/http://www.juggle.com/saudi-arabiahttp://lucys6.blogspot.com/2012/02/truth-about-saudi-arabia-and-royal.htmlhttp://financial-jobs-in-saudi-arabia.seebyseeing.net/http://content.undp.org/go/newsroom/2010/july/saudi-arabia-project-launch-puts-development-into-new-gear.enhttp://www.saudinf.com/main/q031.htmhttp://www.traderscity.com/abcg/cultur11.htmhttp://www.arabmediasociety.com/?article=421http://teenfreedom.wordpress.com/country-reports/saudi-arabia/http://www.arabianbusiness.com/saudi-fast-food-market-hit-4-5bn-by-2015-446129.htmlhttp://www.foodbycountry.com/Kazakhstan-to-South-Africa/Saudi-Arabia.htmlhttp://www.communicaid.com/cross-cultural-training/culture-for-business-and-management/doing-business-in/Saudi-arabian-business-and-social-culture.phphttp://mysauditour.blogspot.com/http://wondersofsaudiarabia.blogspot.com/p/culture-traditions-and-art.html

humanities-presentation

noreply@blogger.com (فالح بن صقر) — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 19:24:00 +0000

humanities-presentation

Humanities Presentation from 12mk

The+Characteristics+Of+Saudi+Arabia

from guestbcf003

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. from aqibfarooq

International business practices in saudi arabia from yogeshmbk

Saudi Arabia Powerpoint Map Template from Andy Robs

Brief Introduction to Saudi Arabia from Ashish Malhotra

king-abdullah-bin-abdullaziz

King abdullah bin abdullaziz from faisal saleh

People Of The Camel

noreply@blogger.com (فالح بن صقر) — Mon, 01 Oct 2012 17:06:00 +0000

Wanderers, warriors, and trackers, they are "Al Murra," the ...

People Of The Camel

Written by Robert L. Headley

There's a saying in Saudi Arabia, Fi al Sama barqiyah, Fi al ard Marriyah, which means, "In the sky the telegraph; on the ground Al Murrah." The saying, in couplet form, pays a subtle tribute to the tribe of nomads which more than any other has given birth—and considerable substance—to the colorful image of the desert Bedouins: Al Murrah, one of the largest and most important tribes of the country.

Behind the tribute lies an admiration verging on awe. For the tribesmen and kinsmen of Al Murrah are trackers of such repute that their feats would be scarcely credible if not based on incontrovertible fact. Their ability to follow trails over miles of difficult terrain and through milling crowds, or to pick out unerringly a single track of man or beast from among hundreds is not only famous, but is accepted by Saudi Arabian courts without question. As courts in most parts of the world accept fingerprints, so courts in Saudi Arabia accept Al Murrah.

Yet, remarkable as it may be, the tracking skill of Al Murrah is but one thread in the tapestry of fact and fiction that has been woven into extravagant legend for many years and extended to all those tribes of nomads called generally, and often inaccurately, "Bedouins." The term "Bedouins," an English word going back to Badiyah, Arabic for the arid regions where nomads live, springs directly from Badawi—or Badu in the plural—and is used to distinguish the nomadic Arab from his sedentary countrymen in the villages and oases. It is significant, however, that the Bedouin often rejects this term when speaking of himself and says simply, "Arab." It is significant because in using "Arab," the Bedouin excludes all Arabs but nomads and infuses the word with more than a hint of arrogance which suggests the pride and independence that has helped him survive and even prosper in the midst of that great wasteland in the southern half of Saudi Arabia, the Rub' al-Khali, or, as it is more commonly known, The Empty Quarter.

The Rub' al-Khali is an enormous expanse of sand covering some 250,000 square miles of the Arabian Peninsula. Forbidding, barren, remote, it was for many years one of the largest unexplored regions of the world and consequently subject to the misconceptions, rumors and exaggerations from which legends are born. The very name "Empty Quarter" with its implications of mystery came to suggest a region somehow ominous and dangerous when in fact the name does not mean an area destitute of life, but is actually a direction—southeast of the settled points of central and eastern Arabia. It was cartographers who applied the term "Empty Quarter" to the area, not the Badu who call it al-Rimal, "The Sands." If less mysterious than legend would have it, however, the Empty Quarter is nonetheless a harsh land demanding of its inhabitants knowledge, fortitude and courage. And it is here, anywhere from Najran near the border of Yemen to the foothills of Jabal al-Akhdar, the mysterious Green Mountain of Oman, that Al Murrah make their home.

Like the deserts in which they lived and found refuge from whatever threatened them, Al Murrah were for years the subject of conjecture and legend, partially because of a decided lack of information but also because the tribesmen themselves, with admirable cunning, spread grossly exaggerated tales of their exploits and of the rigors of their habitation, thus perpetuating and adding to the legends and, behind this screen of myth, carefully guarding their secrets. Contributing to the legend too were British intelligence reports which were written prior to and during World War I, but which were, nevertheless, the most authoritative sources of information about both the tribe and its place of habitation for many years. One such report, for example, stated flatly that Al Murrah tribesmen, although brave, were "ill provided with any domestic apparatus or clothing in advance of the Stone Age." The same report even speculated that these particular desert tribesmen might be some sort of freakish survivors of a pre-Arab civilization.

In the 1930's, with the explorations of Bertram Thomas and H. St. John Philby and the subsequent publication of their documented findings, and with the initial explorations by the company that was to become the Arabian American Oil Company (Aramco), the distorted picture of Al Murrah began to come into focus. Then, with the intensive exploration of the Empty Quarter after World War II, the last traces of mystery were dispelled forever. During the initial explorations oil men not only gathered comprehensive information about the topography and geology of the desert, but learned a great deal about its inhabitants. As the explorations went on, the Arabic-speaking research men of Aramco began to delve into the background and history of Al Murrah, and the full story of the sturdy, independent nomads slowly emerged.

The tribe of Al Murrah traces its origins back to Qahtan, the progenitor of a group of Arabs known as the South Arab. From Qahtan a lengthy genealogy ascribes the noble bloodlines of the tribe through Yam and Jusham to Murrah and his two sons, 'Ali and Shabib, who lived in the far southwestern corner of Saudi Arabia near the ancient town of Najran. Once, long ago, the seat of a Christian bishopric, Najran more recently has been in the news in reports about the Yemen conflict.

The tribe of Al Murrah still maintains blood ties with kindred groups among both nomadic and settled Arabs in the Najran area—chief of whom are Al Hindi, Al Dimnam and Al Hutailah. The Arabic word Al which precedes these three names as well as that of the tribe itself means simply "the family of," just as ibn means "the son of." The naming system of the tribes is very similar to that employed in Scandinavia where, until quite recently, a boy named Gunnar, the son of Nils, the grandson of Harald, would become Gunnar Nilson, the son of Nils Haraldson. The system was important to historians who could trace by such means the ancestries of societies whose bloodlines are considered important; and the recent change that has begun among some Arabs of standardizing their names has been a blow to such research.

Research has traced the tribe of Al Murrah back to two main branches, the descendants of 'Ali ibn Murrah and those of his brother Shabib. Those branches in turn are divided into sub-groups which, to historians accustomed to ancestry patterns in neat pyramidal shapes, grow increasingly confusing because intermarriage among branches of the tribe goes on continually.

The Shaikh of Al Murrah, or Amir as he is commonly called, is Amir Talib ibn Muhammad ibn Shuraim from the family of Al Shafi' of the sub-tribe of Al Fuhaidah. Al Shuraim is the traditional ruling family of the tribe and has provided its Amirs for many generations. The rule of primogeniture, however, does not hold in the desert where every man must prove his mettle. The most worthy man, as decided by the councils of the heads of families, is chosen as Amir. While Al Shuraim is so large that a worthy chieftain can always be supplied from among its members, no bearer of the family name has positive assurance that he will succeed to the leadership of Al Murrah.

Precisely why the tribe migrated from its place of origin is unknown, but it was probably because of some disaster, the nature of which is now lost in history. The direction of the shift from the southwest to the northeastern parts of Arabia fits into the pattern of movements of other tribes at about the same time, suggesting some kind of upheaval so enormous as to alter the environment of many thousands of people and make emigration mandatory. In any event, Al Murrah moved—so far that they can be found today ranging from Najran in the south to Kuwait in the north and the Oman mountains in the east.

In the years that followed, Al Murrah slowly accumulated the lore essential to survival in their hostile environment, such as the location of the grazing lands for the beasts that have permitted them, more than any other tribe, to penetrate regions where other Bedouins fear to go, and there survive and flourish. Those beasts are, of " course, camels, and because of their dependence on and close association with these animals, Al Murrah are sometimes given the name ahl al-ba'ir, the "people of the camel."

Unlike the Bedouins of the north who travel frequently in hordes—as depicted in motion pictures—Al Murrah today travel in small groups, usually carrying no more than three or four of the small black tents which are the mark of the Arabian nomads. The size of the groups is determined by the amount of grazing area available for their camels and water is generally no problem, for if there is any at all there is enough for the usual numbers of tribesmen moving as a unit.

To those who know it well the trackless sands of the Rub' al-Khali can provide an ample living. When grazing has died out on the plains to the north and wells are running low, Al Murrah may be found in the midst of their reputedly barren lands tending well-fed herds and living comparatively well. During certain periods of the year the pastures of the Rub' al-Khali, provided one knows where to find them, are greener than elsewhere. In the summer months when the other tribes are constantly on the move to the north seeking grazing areas and water, Al Murrah camp by briny water holes in the deep sands. Although this water is too salty for human consumption, camels can and do live on it for long periods of time, and in addition provide the milk on which the tribesmen largely survive. To this they add rice and dried dates and occasionally desert game, and on special occasions, such as the advent of an honored guest, a sheep.

The fame of Al Murrah is based upon other foundations too. Throughout a great part of their history, Al Murrah were also noted as breeders of fine horses, a reputation reflected in an old saying of the desert which compares the Al Murrah tribe to the 'Awazim, a tribe that maintained large flocks of sheep as a source of mutton: "The horses of Al Murrah were as numerous as the sheep of 'Awazim." The fame of the Arabian steed, of course, has since spread throughout the world and many a rider is justly proud of a mount whose bloodlines go back to the desert of Al Murrah.

Breeding and raising horses in such a land as theirs, however, was a luxury that few tribesmen could indulge in on any scale without the ancient and honorable custom of raiding. After that was outlawed Al Murrah reluctantly turned away from their fine horses to concentrate instead on fast greyhound-like saluki dogs.

Prior to the decree of the late King 'Abd al-'Aziz ibn Sa'ud outlawing raiding, Al Murrah had carved another niche in desert history with daring exploits that added to their reputation for courage. Internecine raiding was then common, not only because of the practical need to accumulate wealth and livestock but also to sustain personal reputations for bravery. Forays were especially common during the summer when heat and drought drew animals and herdsmen to scarce water wells. Al Murrah tribesmen enjoyed unusual protection afforded them by the wilderness in which they lived and at the same time could launch swift raids into the border lands. When no isolated targets could be found, Al Murrah were known to attack even the walled towns of eastern Arabia, inspiring fear and adding substance to the legends that surrounded them.

Today the life of Al Murrah has changed as the modern age that has come to Saudi Arabia has steadily crept out into the desert. Their once impenetrable homeland has been explored and charted. Their tracking skills are gradually being replaced in the Department of Public Security by modern police methods. Their horse breeding has become too difficult and their personal courage has lost its outlet as the fierce tribal warfare has come to an end. Al Murrah, it would seem, are about to lose their identity.

Yet today a now familiar sight, on both the asphalt highways of Saudi Arabia and in the desert, is that of slight, powerfully built men at the wheels of huge-tired diesel trucks hauling tremendous loads between points of commerce to the remote oil exploration camps of Aramco. Their thick braids of hair tucked up under their headcloths, they swing agilely into the high cabs and with puffs of diesel smoke roar off into the desert, often guiding their 25-ton loads through the once unknown lands where enemy raiders feared to go, often pulling up by an unknown water hole to greet families and friends and distribute gifts, before rolling off again across the towering dunes. Al Murrah tribesmen have not fled the coming of the modern age but with the adaptability that enabled them through the centuries to survive in the Rub' al-Khali have begun to adjust to the demands of another life. It is not easy, of course, but it never has been; and it is unlikely that the challenges of the future will be able to defeat Al Murrah any more than the challenges of life in "The Sands" could defeat them during centuries past.

Robert L. Headley, who studied in the U.S.A., England and the U.A.R. and spent ten years with Aramco's Local Government Relations Department in Dhahran, is the coauthor of several books on the Arabian Peninsula and the oil industry and a contributor to the second edition of the Encyclopaedia of Islam.

The Not – So – Empty Quarter

noreply@blogger.com (فالح بن صقر) — Wed, 26 Sep 2012 00:28:00 +0000

The Not – So – Empty Quarter

Written and photographed by: Tor Eigeland

The twin-engine Otter sputtered into life at Dhahran's busy airport. We taxied past three big Boeing 707's: Saudi Arabian Airlines (Saudia), Middle East Airlines and Pakistan International Airlines. I have to fly a lot on the big jets, but I was pleased that today I was really going to fly. We were heading down to Arabia's Texas-sized Empty Quarter, the Rub' al-Khali, or "the Sands," as Bedouins call it. It is the largest uninterrupted mass of sand in the world, and I was going to photograph its spectacular dunes from the air. I would be sitting in the co-pilot's seat and we would fly the area any way we wanted to.The little Otter on its outsize wings lifted off like a bird in grayish-yellow buffeting cross-winds and we again headed south along the Arabian Gulf shore. This time the vivid coastal colors were faded by the dust storm we were going through.An hour later the air cleared as we headed inland from the Gulf. The sands near the coast were whitish in the glare of the sun, but soon turned pink in tone. I have found that the desert is not at all monotonous. It changes from mile to mile and with the time of day. Now it looked like ocean waves when seen from a jet liner, a strangely pink ocean. We droned on, by now much further south than on our previous flight to Haradh. The waves became larger and larger, changing subtly from waves into mountains, sand mountains separated by broad white flats. "Pink whipped cream on ice cream!" a pilot's wife once exclaimed.Banking sharply, diving, climbing, we took our photographs of this vast, weird, beautiful desert. At Shaybah, a mobile camp as tiny as one grain of sand in this expanse where Aramco is drilling for oil, we landed on a flat stretch of sand, a sabkha, and refueled for the trip back. A dry sabkha is as flat as a lake bed and great for driving a car or landing a plane. Hitting a wet sabkha (which does happen near low coastal areas or at certain seasons) a plane would tumble straight on its nose and a car could sink to its axles.We decided to fly back on an inland course, over desert all the way. Shortly after takeoff we spotted six enormous trucks pushing south through the sands down below. It was a supply convoy for the Shaybah camp. I felt a strange twinge of guilt, soaring along in comfort and speed. Twice before I had been in this area, once aboard one of these truck convoys ( Aramco World, May-June 1969). It took us five days to reach Shaybah from Dhahran, rather than two hours in the Twin Otter. On another occasion, on a National Geographic assignment I had spent six weeks with the storied al-Murrah Bedouins and their camels on the edges of the Sands, sleeping in the desert, existing on camel's milk, dates, rice and—occasionally—camel meat. And, of course, the traditional strong Arab coffee and sweet tea.Now, cruising through the grayish-blue sky, half asleep, my eyes fixed on something that looked at first like a cluster of bushes. When it seemed that some of the bushes started to move away I asked Knut, the Norwegian pilot, if we could fly over and take a closer look.We had spotted a well where hundreds of camels were being watered. From the south, long lines of camels glided toward the well, other long lines moved away to the north. As we flew closer we could see Bedouins hauling up water and others walking on with the herds. Two pickup trucks were parked near the well—a sign of the new prosperity of the country. Bedouins use the trucks nowadays to carry heavy gear such as tents, blankets and cooking utensils and perhaps very old or very young family members as well. I was sure these must be Bedouins of al-Murrah tribe, since this was their area and many of the camels seemed to be of the black milk-breed that al-Murrah Bedouins treasure.In all the time I had spent living and traveling with the Bedouins I had never seen so many camels on the move. On the ground a few days later I saw many more and also found out why they were moving.With some old friends from Dhahran I had driven to some hill country south of the oil camp of Abqaiq looking for a suitable picnic spot. We soon came across a small herd of moving camels and two young herders, a boy and a girl. I've noticed that when seen from the air or far away camels glide through the desert. From close up they shuffle.Stopping our Land Rover, we got out and walked over to the camels and exchanged greetings with the young herders. They were friendly, but had to be on their way to keep up with their charges. Off they went, but every hundred yards or so they turned around and waved at us. They waved until we could see them no more.Then someone shouted, "Look over there!" As the rest of us turned to look we saw a long, endless line of perhaps more than 1,000 camels approaching. As they drew closer we saw men, women and children, some walking, some riding. The men were dressed in white thobes, the women mostly in black and with their faces covered. Some baby camels were trying very hard to keep up, chased by a very little boy in a brown thobe. He strode along with a proud and manly step. Several salukis, the speedy hunting dogs of the desert, ambled beside the herd with upturned curly tails. One was tied to a camel, but who was leading whom I don't know.It was like watching a super-wide Cinemascope production. In spite of our intruding cameras shooting away, the Bedouins paid almost no attention to us as they moved past. Finally I walked up to one of the men, exchanged greetings, and asked how many camels were in the herd. "Wajid, wajid (Many, many)," he replied. Bedouins rarely answer such a question directly, I knew, but I was simply trying to make friendly conversation. Then I asked where they were heading. "Near Kuwait, up north," said the man. "Why is that?" I continued, which must have seemed like a foolish question, since the only reason they would be likely to make such a lengthy move would be in search of more water and better pasture. Still he replied politely. "It has rained a lot up there. Our camels will feed and get fat before summer." He confirmed they were of al-Murrah tribe, as I had guessed. "Your camels have the best milk of all," I said. Which was true. It is also one of the nicest compliments you can pay a Bedouin. He was highly pleased and rode on with a smile covering his whole face.Tor Eigeland, a Norwegian-born American citizen now based in Spain, has photographed and written about countries from Australia to Mexico—the long way around—for such publications as National Geographic, Fortune, Time and Newsweek. He covered the Middle East from Beirut for five years and has been a frequent contributor to Aramco World.

The Beauty of Bedouin Jewelry

noreply@blogger.com (فالح بن صقر) — Tue, 25 Sep 2012 21:58:00 +0000

"Why does the turquoise and silver jewelry of certain American Indians and Mexicans resemble so closely that of the bedouins of Saudi Arabia?"

Written by Heather Colyer Ross Photographed by Ian Yeomans Additional photographs by Heather Colyer Ross

In pursuit of Bedouin jewelry - and its history - I kept discovering, or stumbling on, new facts. Even now, when documentation of Arabia's traditional jewelry seems as complete as possible, I am uneasily aware that the story must be cautiously told with a large "perhaps." Still, accumulating the pieces in my collection, and attempting to trace their history, has led me through some surprising gateways.

During a trip last summer, for example, I found a possible answer to a question I had asked many times: Why does the turquoise and silver jewelry of certain American Indians and Mexicans resemble so closely that of the Bedouins of Saudi Arabia? My conclusion is that Islam introduced the beauty of Bedouin jewelry to Spain sometime during the 800 years of Islamic rule there (See Aramco World, September- October 1976), and that the Spanish conquistadors then carried the artistic themes - and materials - to Mexico, Central America and the southwestern regions of the United States.

I based this conclusion on several observations: that some Mexican and Indian jewelry is identical to Bedouin jewelry, that the Indians never mined silver and that there was no native turquoise and silver jewelry until after the Spanish came.

My earlier research into the history of Bedouin jewelry had also turned up some surprising links in the complicated interchange of culture. In Saudi Arabia, for example, I examined the jewelry found by F.S. Vidal, an Aramco archeologist, in a tomb at Jawan in the Eastern Province. It was dated about A.D. 100 and, on close inspection, it was apparent that the mace-shaped bead in the necklace was identical to a bead used by the Greeks in the fourth century B.C. in the "terminal" or end position. Such a bead, faithfully reproduced, also appears in the silver Bedouin jewelry worn in Arabia, and in the terminal position - suggesting perhaps that the pattern was somehow transmitted to the Arabian Gulf.

The evidence for this is persuasive. Approximately 2,000 years ago when Southern Arabia was known as Arabia Felix, "Happy" or "Fortunate" Arabia, the great wealth which passed along the trade route undoubtedly included foreign jewelry, incorporating, probably, the mace-shaped bead. This bead had been designed to be placed at either end of a necklace to hold the coupling clasp - exactly as it appears in Bedouin jewelry. Traditional Arabian Bedouin necklaces, moreover, feature multi-colored and silver beads strung in irregular sizes - another echo of ancient jewelry characteristics. What supports this theory, of course, is the fact that the Arabian Peninsula, at various points in history, was relatively isolated. As a result, ancient patterns in such crafts as jewelry have been repeated - and faithfully preserved - for centuries. In a sense, therefore, Bedouin jewelry provides a fascinating window on the past.

Another astonishing aspect of the foregoing is that Bedouin jewelry is rarely old. Unlike Western jewelry, often handed down as a treasured bequest, a Bedouin woman's jewelry is generally melted down upon her death. Having been given by her family as her dowry, it would be unacceptable to a new bride and is, almost invariably, worn and damaged. As jewelry often represents a Bedouin woman's personal wealth, it is often sold, too, in times of need and then melted down by a silversmith. But since the silversmith then remakes the silver into new pieces, and since the new pieces are in the same traditional style - albeit his own interpretation - the patterns continue to reappear; in some cases they span 6,000 years.

While doing research on the source of the silver used for jewelry, I also discovered that some Bedouin jewelry may - it is by no means certain - contain silver and other metals from one of the fabled King Solomon's mines.

I had begun my research in Riyadh and eventually was referred to Jiddah, where Ralph J. Roberts of the U.S. Geological Survey office supplied masses of interesting and useful papers. Among them were reports on the geology and ore deposits of a district called the Mahd al-Dhahab in northwestern Saudi Arabia, which the office had prepared for the Director General of Mineral Resources at the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources.

This report strongly suggested that the district was the site of King Solomon's legendary mines - partly because the name Mahd al-Dhahab means "Cradle of Gold" or Mother Lode, and partly because carbon dating of the tailings, the refuse from ore processing, confirm the era. As most of the metal used in jewelry prior to the 18th century came from local mining - and as the same metal is used over and over again in Bedouin jewelry - it is possible that todays ornaments contain at least a proportion of the silver and base metals which were also found in those ancient and fabled mines.

Other odd facts have surfaced during my research. Until the time of Britain's Queen Elizabeth I, for instance, men rather than women wore most of the jewels in the family. Elizabeth, however, inherited from her father, Henry the Eighth, his love of lavish body ornamentation as well as his throne and began to adorn herself with fabulous pieces of jewelry. Later she had elaborate gowns encrusted with priceless gems and the men at her court, taking the hint, began to give jewelry to their women, rather than wear it themselves.

For my book on Bedouin jewelry I also explored the rationale for wearing jewelry, and found that the answer is complex - and ancient. Since the earliest times, people have adorned their bodies in various ways: by tattooing, painting and, in some parts of the world, scarring. Body ornaments for prehistoric man also included jewelry fashioned from dead beetles, eggshells, seeds, bone, teeth, claws, tusk, wood, gem material and, later, faience and glass. Today, celebrated jewelers of the world use plastics as well as precious materials and there is a swing to primitive-looking pieces featuring shells, seeds, nuts, wood, teeth, claws and - a favorite through the ages - ivory.

One reason for body adornment in ancient times was superstition; ancient man tattooed or painted himself as a protection against misfortune and the displeasure of his gods. Later, he wore jewelry to manifest religious beliefs. And today women, primarily, wear jewelry to enhance their appearance, especially in circles where fashion, taste and beauty are important.

Even today, however, jewels have a fascination that goes beyond fashion. In the West, for example, there has been a revival of the medieval belief in the healing powers of precious metals and gems; and collectors, obviously, are fascinated in still another way.

In my case, collecting Bedouin jewelry - and researching its history - was the end result of a lifetime's appreciation of ornaments and objets d'art, the habit of collecting pretty glass, pottery and other appealing bits, preferably hand-made, and the desire for travel which led my husband and me to Saudi Arabia in 1969. Shortly after arriving in Riyadh, I began to visit the suqs and eventually discovered the "women's suq" where the traders are all women. Because of the tradition of disposing of a woman's jewelry upon her death, or selling it in times of need, much of the merchandise in the women's suq is jewelry and the traders' trays are usually brimming with second-hand ornaments, many richly embellished with turquoise and red stones. In addition there are closed showcases displaying some few old-gold ornaments which generally incorporate pearls from the Arabian Gulf.

From there I branched out into the women's suqs in the Dirah suq complex and the suq complex in Riyadh, gradually learning the customs, gradually building the relaxed rapport which is conducive to a happy transaction.

In jewelry suqs, of course, bargaining is important. Although this is a cliche by now (see Aramco World, September-October 1978), it is also a fact, and an important part of the ritual is a feigned indifference. This is very difficult when you see an unusual ornament or a specimen of jewelry you have been seeking for some time. But it is important; haste, it is often said in the Arab world, comes from the devil. Any obvious display of impatience, therefore, will be noted - at least as bad manners - and will almost certainly raise the price. In time, we also found the silversmiths who work in a remote part of the Batha suq in Riyadh and much later saw some at work in the Tayif suq. The new jewelry is often of far lower silver content than the older pieces - it is made from an alloy containing large amounts of base metal - yet is more expensive than the fine old pieces sold by the Bedouin women traders. This is obviously because of the rising cost of labor and silver and the desire for new pieces. At the silversmiths, however, as at the women's suq, we often met true Bedouins - actual desert dwellers - who had come for miles to purchase, or sell, silver jewelry. As it would be cheaper to buy direct from these Bedouins, I tried often to do so. But although they were always courteous and sometimes friendly, they would not engage in a transaction - apparently because they have, and honor, an agreement to deal with the merchants.

As with the collection of antiques - unless one is a trained expert - good purchases for my Bedouin jewelry collection usually occurred only after I became more familiar with the pieces. None of the ornaments, to be sure, is hallmarked, although some occasionally exhibit the mark of the maker, so the process of acquiring fine examples of traditional pieces demands both patience and luck. Repeated visits to the suqs at one time might yield nothing, or very little, while two rare items - such as ajnad or lazm -might suddenly appear on the same day and be sold just as suddenly. In recent years, the new Western interest in hand-made ethnic items has added to the rising prices. Even worse, for collectors, the new affluence of Saudi Arabia has brought with it light-weight, machine-made gold jewelry that is quickly replacing the traditional, cumbersome silver ornaments. The modernization of Saudi Arabia, furthermore, is swiftly eradicating regional differences and styles, and frustrating efforts to document knowledge of the history of jewelry on the Peninsula.

That history is very old. Ancient pictographs on rock faces depict human figures wearing jewelry and it is recorded that the men of Arabia, until quite recently, wore bold silver jewelry. But much is still in the "perhaps" stage and will remain so until the kingdom's relatively new Department of Antiquities and Museums can focus on the details of the Peninsula's past. In the meantime, collections such as mine help to preserve actual specimens and their revealing histories.

‎Aramcos Bedouins

noreply@blogger.com (فالح بن صقر) — Tue, 25 Sep 2012 21:55:00 +0000

Aramcos Bedouins

Written by William E. Mulligan
Illustrated by Penny Williams-Yaqub

Back before Aramco became Aramco, its geologists leaned heavily on local guides. Some were great, some amusing, and all provided at least one story for the files of such self-appointed historians of company folklore as William Mulligan, long of the Arabian Research Division, who recently submitted the following recollections.

When American geologists, exploring what became the Aramco oil concession in Saudi Arabia, asked the Amir of Dammam to recommend a guide, the Amir sent them a man named Sa'id ibn Nasir al-Mu'ammam, (meaning Sa'id, the Son of Nasir, the Turbaned One). Sa'id was known to his friends as "the Sinafi," roughly translated as "Squire," and his badge number was 132, which makes him virtually a founding father.

Although hired to help find water, the Sinafi, by 1947, had landed work more suited to his talents and his predilections. He became one of Dr. George Rentz's trusty Bedouin "relators" in what became the Arabian Research Division. The "relators" were Bedouins employed by Rentz as ambulatory encyclopedias of Arabian geographical, historical and ethnographical information in what would have been the first "oral history" project if Rentz had only thought to call it that.

One of the Sinafi's more interesting contributions was to stimulate an unexpected interest in natural history among the company's secretarial staff. He wandered through offices pulling out a terrifying collection of live lizards, snakes, hedgehogs and turtles from his pockets and presenting them to pale, quaking American secretaries. On occasion he even brought hawks and falcons.

The Sinafi was of slender build, but he was stuffed to overflowing with proverbs and maxims. One of his favorites was al-dunyah buq'ah: "The world is spotted," better translated as "In the world there are good spots and bad." Once, pressed for a definition, he quoted another Bedouin saying: "Three things that prolong life are riding horses, being with young girls, and walking in greenery; three things that shorten life are fighting with other men, being with old women, and walking in funerals." This was presented as a simple fact. He left it up to you to decide if any value judgment were involved.

Since the Sinafi had a striking white beard (which he later dyed orange with henna) he was a natural for the movies, and when Aramco decided to produce Miyah, a film about water conservation, there was the Sinafi in what we old types still call Technicolor. For the same reason he was much in demand as a model and at-one time or another his distinctive features appeared in Life, National Geographic and most of Aramco's and its owner companies' own publications. Arid for years he was the principal provider of a handy Bedouin setting—tent, coffee making equipment, and camel saddles—whenever visiting journalists and other dignitaries asked to see a "real Arab."

Like most Bedouins of that period, the Sinafi accepted the new marvels of technology and the strange customs of Aramco's foreign employees without surprise. Airplanes, hospitals, and binoculars were obviously very useful. On the other hand, it was evident to him that Americans thought highly of aspects of Bedouin life.

They spent enough time asking him questions about it! The Sinafi was particularly good at adapting Western concepts to his style. When he received a gold pin after 15 years' service with Aramco, he soldered it to the hilt of his dagger.

Since he started early the Sinafi never got really enmeshed in company bureaucracy, but his cousin 'Ali ibn Hadi did, when years later he became a consultant and had to put his thumbprint on a very formal contract with several "whereas" clauses, one of which reads: "Whereas, Consultant states that he is an experienced and qualified expert in the fields of geographical names, tribal customs and field guiding..."

Another "relator" who rose to stardom was Muhammad ibn Khursan. Muhammad, who won kudos for his sensitive handling of key roles in such Academy Award contenders as The Fly (a company film on public health, not science fiction) and The Explorers, a film about Aramco geologists. Also, he was once a guide for former Aramco President Tom Barger when Barger was a young geologist. He was also the man who arranged for Barger's first meeting with the imposing King 'Abd al-'Aziz in 1939. As related by David Howarth in The Desert King, this is how Ibn Khursan remembered the event years later:

"My boss Tom Barger said to me: 'Muhammad, we would like to pay a courtesy visit to King 'Abd al-'Aziz and invite him to coffee, but I do not know Arabic'

"I said: 'That's not a bad idea, but, after greeting him and sipping our coffee, you should speak all the Arabic you can the minute the coffee boy leaves ... Then I, Muhammad, will speak to the King all the good words you desire.'

"Then we went by car to the King—I, Tom Barger, and also Berg (Ernie Berg, a geologist). We reached him and, by God, we found him sitting there. We greeted him, and he ordered us to approach. He bade us sit down. As we sat down coffee was brought, and the King ordered it to be served to us, which we drank. When we finished, Tom Barger said: 'We wish to make you some coffee.'

"Replied the King: 'What are you saying? What is he saying?'

"I said, 'Yes, Your Majesty, may God prolong your life. This boss, Tom Barger, wishes to invite you to coffee at the time you choose, any hour you like. His aim has been to call upon you since your arrival at this place where we are both camping.'

"The King said to me, for Tom Barger spoke no more: 'It is a blessed hour. This night dinner at my place, you and all your companions. At two o'clock, the day after tomorrow ... we shall be with you, God willing. This companion of yours, this boss of yours, Muhammad ... how long has it been since the day he arrived in the kingdom?'

"I said to Tom Barger ... 'The King asks how many years you have been in Arabia.'

"Tom Barger replied: 'I have been in Arabia 22 months ...'

"The King said to me: 'This companion of yours will not be here more than a couple of years more before becoming a real boss because he is a first-rate man. It is evident that he is one of those excellent men who undertake to do things properly.' "

Aramco's Bedouins played a part too when, in 1947, the King came to visit Aramco for the first time. The guides, Khumayyis ibn Rimthan, Aramco's chief guide, and 'Abd al-Muhsin ibn Jum'an, an employee of the Transportation Department, were trotted out to meet the King, and Ibn Jum'an, who had composed a poem for the occasion, recited it. Since the King was pleased with the poem—interrupting Ibn Jum'an several times, apparently to discuss meter, rhyme and so forth—Ibn Jum'an from that time on has been known in Bedouin circles as "The Company's Poet."

Khumayyis, better known as Khamis, holds a very special place in Aramco's history. Pulitzer Prize winner Wallace Stegner tells a couple of yarns about Khamis in Discovery!, Col H.R.P. Dickson writes of him fondly in Kuwait and Her Neighbours, and many Aramco officials have hung photographs, drawings and paintings of his handsome head, his fine features and well-trimmed beard on their office walls.

As a guide, Khamis had an uncanny knowledge of the land, and built-in navigational skills. But in addition, he was a real leader of men—wise, decisive and diplomatic. He combined humility, respect for God, and manliness in proportions that would have done credit to a Knight of the Round Table. When, for example, the Saudi Arab Government undertook to survey a railroad route from Riyadh to the Hijaz, its officials sought the services of Khumayyis for the foreign surveying crew. The surveyors didn't need a guide so much as an advance man and a readily identifiable guarantor that the work of the survey party was proper and approved by the authorities. When Khumayyis went on ahead to call on the next village amir, the surveyors not only got maximum cooperation, but usually also got invited to a feast. In the winter many Bedouins wear heavy olive-drab army surplus overcoats. They are inexpensive and extremely practical. But Khumayyis one year somehow came across a light blue West Point cadet winter overcoat, complete with brass buttons and cape, and began to wear it every winter. Although at first it seemed odd, it was in fact very suitable on Khumayyis's fine, military figure. It looked so good that West Pointers would have been proud to see it worn so well.

Guides like Khamis and Sari ibn Mukhaili, a chubby, jolly guide who had served with Jordan's Arab Legion and Syria's French Legion (and could therefore shout the manual of arms in French and English although he didn't speak either language), were extremely valuable to the Arabian Research Division. But they only summered, as it were, in the Dhahran offices. Others, like 'Ali ibn Humaid of the tribe of the Manasir, were year-round "relators."

'Ali could write and not many Bedouins then could claim as much. 'Ali had been taught to write in a dream, he said, and people who saw him write were prepared to believe it. 'Ali drew, not wrote, his letters. He tackled them from different sides at different times. It was as though he sometimes started with the bottom part of a "g" and sometimes with the top. Sometimes he dotted his "i" or crossed his "t" before he did the body of the letter.

'Ali's voice was shrill and cracked with age, so it helped Westerners, especially, to check what they thought he said with what he wrote. Even more valuable was his ability to convert a wide variety of Bedouin dialects into one written standard, no matter how crude.

As a poet, 'Ali was highly regarded by other Bedouins. He once wrote of a young secretary that her face lit up like a flashlight and that "her breasts were like goose eggs, but soft." He reached his greatest poetic heights in angry tirades against other Bedouin poets with lines like: "May God, when he dies, place him in hell, and may the eye that bemoans him meet with everlasting blindness."

Another year-round "relator," Thu'ailib ibn Saqr, whose name means "Little Fox, Son of Falcon," was of the southern, sand-dwelling tribe of the 'Awamir. He was working on a roofing gang in Dhahran in 1948 when his fellow workers identified him as someone who had crossed the great Rub' al-Khali desert a half dozen times. His boss was truly sorry to see the strapping young fellow go when he was pirated by the Arabian Research Division.

At first Thu'ailib was so self-conscious in conversation with Americans that he was nearly unintelligible. He hid his saturnine face in his hands or covered it with his headcloth, and he giggled and squirmed like a schoolgirl. But in time Thu'ailib became one of the most intelligent and responsible of Aramco's "relators." He made unique contributions to the mapping of the Arabian Peninsula, and he was borrowed frequently by Aramco's Exploration Department and by the Governor of the Eastern Province to speak authoritatively about the most distant reaches of the desert.

Thu'ailib, like most Bedouins, belched freely and loudly. H. St. John B. Philby described the belch of one of his guides in The Empty Quarter as "deep drawn from the uttermost recesses of a healthful, untroubled stomach, loud, lingering, lusty and eloquent." Acquaintances of Thu'ailib's would have welcomed a chance to hear these two Bedouins in competition. Thu'ailib's belch was not only loud and lingering, it was almost volcanic. It mildly surprised even his Bedouin associates, and it startled occupants of nearby offices who were known to rush to windows and doors to seek explanations for the phenomenon.

It was Thu'ailib who wisely dismissed someone's theory that the world was round like an orange with the observation that, if that were so, the Americans would drill for the oil under Arabia from their side.

William E. "Bill" Mulligan, manager of Aramco's Government Relations Services Department, joined Aramco in 1946 after wartime service in Aden.

Saudi women

noreply@blogger.com (فالح بن صقر) — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 15:11:00 +0000

Book refutes stereotypes about Saudi women

Published: Apr 12, 2012 00:44

Updated: Apr 12, 2012 00:44

Saudi women have been playing an active role in all walks of life in society and compete with men in acts of charity, according the book “The Women in Najd: Her Status and Role.”

They also enjoy freedom in financial matters and the right to personal freedom, thus disproving the stereotyped image of her being a victim of socioeconomic injustice and cultural taboos, said the book written by Dalal bint Mukhalad Al-Harbi and published by Darat Al-Malik Abdulaziz Library.

According to the book, women of Najd actively participated in wars and in the defense of their people. They sometimes struggled for a living in the absence of male guardians and relied on their own efforts to be self-reliant without being opposed by the community.

The book points out women also participated in all walks of life. There were doctors who treated the sick, teachers educating girls in her community, especially in religious matters like the Holy Qur’an. They also taught how to read and write, in addition to mathematics and accounting.

The book also tells us Saudi women were known for their role in promoting knowledge among people. To this end, some distinguished women and princesses were keen to distribute books and finance their distribution among poor people, including students, to help them in the pursuit of knowledge.

“So we can see the women through a range of documents, which establish her clear picture in her community and also her outstanding contribution in various activities. She engaged in trade, sale and purchase as well as other transactions without any negative perception from her community,” the author points out. She added that women could even defend her financial rights with full confidence or depute somebody on her behalf.

According to the author, Najd women lived in a tolerant society that ensured their rights at all levels, including civic administration. The book said the contributions of women of society in all classes were appreciated by the communities they lived in. They were scientists, teachers and physicians.

The book also focuses on the nature of Bedouin women. The first element of her character is patience with her personal life and harsh nature of outdoor life.

Talking about the impact of the environment on the characters and lives of urban women, the author said her research found that in the transition from a nomadic to urban life women retained many of the same attitudes and personality traits. Urban and nomadic women both look at men with admiration and appreciation especially if they defend their town.

Talking about the role of women in the family, the author said the mother occupies and important place in a Najd family. She performs home duties to ensure psychological security and stability.

According to the Family Relations Act, the mother has the authority and responsibility for the upbringing of children until they become young adults. The children then become the responsibility of the father until the age of marriage.

She also plays the role of mediator in the family. The book said the father’s relationship with his children is conservative, whether they are boys or girls, so the mother defends them before the father and conveys their wishes and opinions to him. Similarly, she conveys to the children the opinions of their father, and urges them to abide by them

AlSayedah Khadijah Bint Khawilid Business Centre, KSA

Dr. Basmah

Dr. Basma Mosleh Omair. With a database almost touching eight thousand, the AlSayedah Khadijah Bint Khawilid Business Centre at Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry is committed to helping women know their legal rights, lobbying government to further the cause of gender equality and ultimately playing a role in propelling the Kingdom’s march towards progress and glo

Business Centre

As the Executive Director of AlSayedah Khadijah Bint Khuwalid Business Centre at Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Dr. Basmah Mosleh Omar has learnt the art of understanding diverse perspectives to market issues convincingly and to have the confidence to lobby for women’s empowerment.

With a PhD in Education Technology / Leadership & Management Dr. Basmah has imbibed new skills with each new area along the way. During your tenure in the center, you have famously said; “King Abdullah has tried to help women, his ministers support him. Yet so far, not much has happened. The problem is that in the ministries where the paper is handled, there is resistance to change.”

What are the steps required to speed up the endemic apathy that prevails towards gender equality in KSA?

I have been misquoted on this point, with two separate comments merged erroneously into one. King Abdullah has done much for women’s empowerment, but challenges lie in the implementation of regulations. Issues and obstacles are sometimes found in middle management or the bottom line at client interface level. The implementation of regulations should be realistic and feasible. Raising awareness about these new policy changes is also important; as is the coordinating between ministries to ensure compliance.

Islam traditionally exemplifies progressive women with pronounced leadership abilities being given the freedom to express these.

What milestones has the AlSayedah Khadijah Bint Khawilid Business Centre (AKBK) reached in women’s advancement through the use of national development plans, international conventions and reforming current legislation?

AlSayedah Khadijah Bint Khuwalid Center with the Ministry of Trade has ratified rules allowing women to become Board Members in IPO family companies and private companies, so women can now become Board Members, and therefore become a chairman.

Additionally, women were not able to get trade licenses in construction, contracting and real estate, and today this is permitted. Earlier, women’s paperwork all had to be processed in Riyadh, now it is decentralized. Women can now trade in all trades, no exception, just like men.

As for the Ministry of Labour, we have an official letter stating the abolishment of legislation 160 of the old labour laws advocating no mixing between genders in the work place. That has now been repealed and a clause mentions that men and women in the workplace must operate according to Sharia’a which means upholding greater leniency in a mixed gender work environment.

With government initiatives stressing on the need to establish a diversified SME base in order to sustain growth and absorb young people into the workforce, what specific programmes does the AKBK have for this vital group?

The Chamber of Commerce has a department dealing with SMEs for both genders, whilst we study the regulatory issues affecting ease of conducting business and working with government to enact viable reform. We don’t help them directly in training or in finding them loans, we handle the legislative side and then other departments in the Chamber of Commerce handle the more technical details of entrepreneurship. Ultimately, we are troubleshooters, concentrating on easing the obstacles for women entering business spheres by reforming legislation. We also act as facilitators on behalf of young people coming up with new concepts that may get stuck in ministry bureaucracy because their ideas are untested and licensing is challenging. Diverse age-groups have different needs that we handle.

Please list the challenges that you face in ensuring that the initiatives organised by the AKBK assist women to fulfill their entrepreneurial aspirations?

There are several, such as: Once a regulation has been changed, systems must be followed to ensure standardized implementation, raise awareness amongst women that these regulations exist, and gaining acceptance from society if some regulations are perceived as overly ‘Dramatic’ to enact. Above all, verifying that within ministries policies have permeated across the board.

AlMultaka, KSA

Madam Lama Aggad

Madam Lama Aggad

AlMultaka providing food for the body, mind and soul of the contemporary Saudi woman, bringing forth a renaissance in womanhood.

Empowering Womanhood

AlMultaka is the perfect place to step into when a whole day stretches ahead with no schedules and deadlines to meet. This multipurpose ladies only hive of activity has so much to offer - Salon, fitness centre, spa, gallery, library and of course a designer-wear showroom for Riyadh’s most stylish ladies.

With so much happening under one roof, there is never a dull moment at AlMultaka. This is an environment where beauty, design, art and aesthetics meet to conquer your senses and captivate your time with the utmost enjoyment. Besides, AlMultaka encourages reputed companies in the fields of investment, real estate, travel, law and interior design to set up their ladies’ branch under AlMultaka’s umbrella in order to facilitate networking and business growth.

Saudi national Lama O. Aggad, Founder, AlMultaka, shares the idea and purpose behind her organisation.

How did the idea of AlMultaka originate and what is the ultimate purpose?

With the strong upbringing and support of my father, I grew up to be a well rounded individual who believed in facing challenges with grit and determination. My aim was to become a Saudi woman who instils change and excellence through her work in the country.

I received an Honours graduate from the avant-garde and prestigious Chelsea School of Art and Design as well as the Ravensbourne College of Art and Design, in London.

With a solid grounding in art and design, I returned to Riyadh to set up AlMultaka (the Rendez-Vous), a meeting place for women, where culture meets luxury, in an inspiring ambiance of hope, excellence and energy. The revolutionary idea drew parallels between business and community development through change and innovation.

Today, AlMultaka caters its services to 250-300 ladies a day and has become one of the leading centres in Riyadh offering only the latest in high-end services and products.

What are the challenges of running an organisation such as AlMultaka?

Initially there were many uncertainties and hurdles. The concept itself was quite new therefore the legalities concerned or needed were unclear. With the support and assistance of the ladies branch of the governmental authority, licenses started to appear giving women the legality and strength to continue successfully in their varied chosen fields.

Another challenge was staffing. We are great supporters of Saudisation but also needed superb, highly qualified personnel to portray AlMultaka in the best light. This took a great deal of training and perseverance. Initially we started with 8 employees, now after 18 years, we are a team of 168 with a majority being local Saudis.

In the history of AlMultaka, at which point did you feel that all the effort was absolutely worth it?

It is always wonderful to see AlMultaka in action especially when we have 600 or more ladies a night during our fitness sessions. I feel like AlMultaka is doing everything right.

There are many such instances but on a personal level, I rejoiced when my father, my wonderful mentor, Omar A. Aggad, decided to visit AlMultaka not having been there for some time. This significant tour, some years back started an endless barrage of astonishment, compliments, amazement and deep appreciation for the effort we had put in all those years that turned AlMultaka into this success story.

He concluded we are a beacon of hope for several such new endeavours and he takes pride in the brand we have become. As we move to greener pastures, his appreciation and blessings remain our driving force.

From the perspective of a business woman, why is AlMultaka the place to be?

When you see three generations of our clients coming through the door hand in hand to participate with us the feeling is wonderful. There must be something about us which brings us such admiration and loyalty from the people.

AlMultaka represents the success story of every Saudi woman whether she is a business woman, a housewife, a University Dean, a doctor or a student.

We contribute to society, respect the environment and fully support local communities. The company’s success has been recognized through winning a number of awards and there’s scope for further and faster growth.

How deeply is the idea “from women to women” incorporated in the daily operations at AlMultaka?

We are becoming a global community and the only way forward is hand in hand. Our philosophy of “drops that gather one by one finally become a sea” is the root of our efforts in expanding the AlMultaka community. With a team that is aware, dedicated and vivacious; we are sensitive to our clients’ and community’s needs and have thus achieved the amazing results.

This is an exciting time for the country with many positive exchanges with other cultures. We are now in tune with worldwide events and have a better understanding of businesses and economies in general.

We have to empower women with skill, proper managerial background, and the right education to implement business tools. We must also encourage all to participate in ladies oriented sectors which will translate into important roles women play in the national economy.

Designer-wear Showroom

Elevating fashion to an art, AlMultaka houses a collection of designer wear from globallyrenowned haute couture designers such as Jean Paul Gaultier, Jean Louis Scherrer, Ashley Isham, Maria Grachvogel, Cliements Ribeiro and Carlos Miele. Presentations and showings of Lama O. Aggad’s designs and collections take place when time permits.

Beauty and Hair Salon

Housing a team of highly qualified professional hairstylists and beauticians, with the objective of delivering innovative treatments and services, here is a haven where beauty and relaxation go hand in hand.

Beauty is something all strive for, and it’s waiting for you at AlMultaka’s Beauty Salon. Whether you’re yearning to find the life-long beauty within or simply need to look drop-dead gorgeous for one special night. AlMultaka Salon is here for you. Change your look, rejuvenate your skin. And bring a glimmer to your toes. Spend an hour, spend the day.

The Hairstylists-Artists, use the finest products, to create “portraits” that fit the client, the occasion and the attitude. State of the art styles, wavy or straight, classic or chic, whatever mood, style or stage you’re in, the Hairstylists will create the look the clients always dreamed of.

The colorists use the finest products and the latest techniques to create a color and texture that enhances the shape of the haircut and the quality of the hair.

From IPL hair removal, to Crystal Peel, to firming the skin, AlMultaka’s Estheticians use only the finest ingredients to gently, effectively restore and protect your skin tone, texture and appearance. These techniques will help promote the general health of the skin, moisturize fine lines, reduce irregular pigmentation, smoothes, refines and firms the skin.

Fitness Centre

Be it staying fit or losing weight, the fabulously appointed fitness centre offers diversified classes in aerobics, Pilates, body combat, body shaping, spinning, yoga, and our most popular Fight do, X55 and Mega Dance Classes. These

are all handled by certified and highly qualified instructors. Besides, the gym has the highest quality equipment to enjoy an invigorating work-out. Memberships that allow unlimited access to the gym, steam room and aerobics classes are also available. This includes a comprehensive fitness evaluation and a personalised workout programme for diverse categories of fitness levels. AlMultaka Fitness Centre is a Radical Fitness Certified training centre and a certified Stott Pilates Centre.

Children also learn the importance of exercise and good health habits that will be used throughout their lives through workouts in Hip hop, Kid fit, etc. Classes that are fun and offer a unique child care experience not to mention the annual Ballet event.

Offering a refreshing, whole body and mind experience.

AlMultaka Spa boasts a range of programmes that combine rejuvenating treatments with sustainable weight reduction. It also includes a well-balanced eating plan that awakens dormant energies and harmonises weight to healthy levels.

This luxurious, refined treatment not only offers an upscale setting for its clientele but an amazing spectrum of experiences by professional certified staff who are unified in their dedication to superior service and client comfort.

Young mothers who seek a day off to relax by themselves can head to AlMultaka without hassles. Their kids will be well-taken care of at the colorful playroom with fun activities that are designed to develop selfesteem, coordination and social skills.

Little Fingers provides the children with a safe caring environment.

Kids aged between 0-month and 10 years are entertained under expert supervision with a range of activities like painting, drawing, sculpting, dancing, storytelling and making their own dolls, T-shirts, gift boxes, cards. The sky is the limit….In addition, classes offered for kids range from ballet and computer lessons to fitness exercises.

Fontainbleue

Renowned as one of the most fashionable and favourite meeting places in Riyadh, the restaurant offers a bubbling atmosphere where you can enjoy delicious food and beverages, delivering an exceptional dining experience to every customer every time. Homemade salads, sandwiches, soups, wraps, fondue, crepe, croissants, saj, pizza, pastries and a lot more are available to soothe your palate. Besides, freshly squeezed juices and an extensive range of teas and coffees are offered on the menu. The

restaurant organises international and traditional dinners featuring Italian, Chinese and Mexican cuisines, Swiss Fondue, Mediterranean and the renowned and much sought after Ramadan Sohour evenings. High expectations for the perfect experience are met at our Classical English Afternoon Tea apres midi’s reminiscent of times past.

An ideal setting for any celebration. Engagement, graduation, or retirement parties. Time to catch up with friends. All you have to do is relax and enjoy your dining experience and the legendary customer service.

Explore a new way to vitality

An alternative way to a much healthier and cleaner body, allowing detoxification and relaxation, are the unique massage and therapy services at AlMultaka to give you renewed vitality. Ayurveda is a safe and relaxing centuries-old natural method. Holotherapy Treatment uses Chinese acupressure, shaping treatments by Mars, Aromatherapy relaxing massage, La Stone Therapy, Reflexology massages, back and neck massages and body wraps, be it cholcolate or specially made muds help to untie stress knots and improve blood circulation giving you that glowing skin you’ve always desired.

Try the Moroccan Bath ultimate experience with deep cleansing and hydrating creams, have the soft baby skin you dream of.

End your day at the spa, by stretching out and enjoying the Alpha Sphere, a Space Ship for the Inner Journey, consciousness levels get activated and conventional experiences of space, time and “me myself” get transcended, or simply enjoy the lazy breeze as you lounge on our intimate terrace high above – where the sky and spa meet as one. Have lunch brought in, browse through mail or just dream on…………

Kingdom of Humanity

noreply@blogger.com (فالح بن صقر) — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 04:44:00 +0000

Welcome to The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

With the opening up of the Kingdom, gentle winds of change are ushering in a wave of progress and transparency, making it more business friendly in all spheres.

With greater socio-economic diversification, Saudi Arabia is becoming increasingly accessible, attracting more global attention and developing a wider understanding about this country which has so much to offer. In reality, many commonly held ideas about this Middle Eastern homeland are misconceptions. For instance, geographically, the nation’s diversity surprises travellers with its mountain peaks, lush oases, pristine deserts, natural coral reefs and beaches. Whilst socio-economically, this regional powerhouse is an intricate mix of the old and the new, it is rapidly evolving as a viable template for the modern Islamic state of today.

Welcome to the largest Arab country of the Middle East, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Bordered by Jordan and Iraq on the north/northeast and Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain as well as the United Arab Emirates on the east, it neighbours Oman on the southeast and Yemen on the south. With the Arabian Gulf to the northeast and the Red Sea to the west, it has an estimated population of 28 million, with a size of roughly 2,149,690 square kilometres.

Saudi Arabia, is also known as ‘The Land of the Two Holy Mosques’ thanks to Mecca and Medina, the two holiest places in Islam to be found there, the two mosques are: Masjid al-Haram (in Mecca) and Masjid Al-Nabawi (in Medina). Even though its national origins date back to 1744 with the establishment of the First Saudi State, this current Islamic monarchy was founded by Abdul-Aziz bin Saud in 1902 after capturing the Al-Saud’s ancestral home of Riyadh, and culminated in 1932 with the proclamation and recognition of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Geography

Saudi Arabia’s geography is varied. From the sultry western coastal Tihamah region on the Red Sea, the land ascends towards a peninsula-long mountain range Jabal al- Hejaz that leads to the Nejd plateau in the middle. The southwestern ‘Asir area boast peaks as high as 3,000 m (9,843 ft) and is famous for its green environment and fresh climate, attracting Saudis to resorts such as Abha during the summer. The rocky lowland to the east leads to the shores of the Arabian Gulf. Whilst the famous Rub’ al Khali, ‘Empty Quarter’, desert along the country’s porous southern borders contains sparse life. Less than two percent of the kingdom’s total area is arable land and the populated areas are to be found along the eastern and western coasts and densely populated interior oases such as Buraydah and Hofuf. Vast tracts of land, mainly the Rub’ al-Khali and Arabian Desert, are empty with no population whatsoever. Nevertheless, the petroleum industry has built integrated communities to support the oil and gas industry. Saudi Arabia has no year-round rivers or lakes; however, its coastline stretches for 2,640 km (1,640 miles) and along the Red Sea, harbours splendid coral reefs, including the Gulf of Aqaba.

History

Named after the ruling Al Saud family that came to power in the 18th century, the country includes the Hijaz region - the birthplace of the Prophet Muhammad and the fulcrum of Islam.

The country was established in 1932 by King Abd-al-Aziz - known as the Lion of Najd, and united the country under his family’s rule. Since his death in 1953, he has been succeeded by various sons. The Al Saud dynasty’s succession of kings have all concentrated on modernisation and strengthening the country’s role as a regional power. Its international role has been most prominent as a founder member the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) a permanent, intergovernmental Organization, created at the Baghdad Conference on September 10–14, 1960, by Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Venezuela. The five Founding Members were later joined by nine other members.

Demographics

Saudi Arabia’s population as provided by the OPEC Annual Statistical Bulletin in 2009 was 25.4 million people including an estimated 5.5 million resident foreigners. Until the Sixties, a nomadic population prevailed; however nowadays over 95 percent is settled, thanks to the nation’s swift economic growth and urbanisation. While the birth rate of 29.56 births per 1,000 people is high relative to many other countries this brings advantages in having a youthful workforce and potential for sustainable economic growth going forward.

Leadership

King Abdullah Bin-Abd-al-Aziz Al Saud is the most senior member of the Al Saud dynasty that has ruled the nation since its foundation. King Abdullah succeeded the late King Fahd, his brother, in August 2005.

A statesman of global stature, who is nevertheless still attuned to the traditional tribal way of life, he favours reforms which are balanced with a respect for Saudi traditions. The kingdom has embarked on an $800 billion investment program running from 2008 to 2014 that could help create jobs and provide opportunities here which will give young Saudis a prosperous future.

Foreign Relations

Saudi Arabia is a peace loving country and one of the largest contributors of development aid globally, both with regards to volume of aid and in terms of the ratio of aid volume to GDP. Much of financial assistance goes to poorer Islamic countries or Islamic communities in non-Islamic nations. This sense of fairness extends to its philosophy regarding oil production and pricing and Saudi Arabia plays a moderating force balancing pricing that will allow for continued investment in the oil industry and continued global growth.

Photos Courtesy of Fahad Bahada and Husain Al Ahdal

Location of Saudi Arabia

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Kingdom of Humanity

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