DAHARAN: Saudi Aramco's 2006 summer program in Abqaiq has already drawn huge crowds of parents and children who are looking for something to do during their summer holiday and seeking to learn a little about the Kingdom's major industry.
Aramco began the program in the early 1950s, when its oil and gas production in the Eastern Province began in earnest. Since then, the company has improved the facilities at its Abqaiq camp and has constantly added new attractions to the program.According to Mohammad Al-Khamssan, the director of entertainment and recreation for Aramco, many young people who might have otherwise gone abroad with their families this year have instead come through the company's "Abqaiq Ahlan Summer 2006 Program" - including a number of expatriates from Europe, North America and Asia, as well as Saudis and other Arabs.
The program started with visit to Aramco's famous exhibit at the Daharan Heritage Gallery, and then went on to the Sultan bin Abdul Aziz Science & Technology Center in Al-Khobar, Al-Ahsa zoo, saw matches involving several popular football teams in the Eastern Province, and finally Qurayyah Beach and some of the region's shopping malls. The program also sponsored a children's art festival at the East West Lounge.
Nearly 100 people took part, Aramco officials said.
"The trip to the Sultan bin Abdul Aziz Science & Technology Center was marvelous," said Darren Saunders, a technical advisor to the program. "The children really enjoyed the film about sharks in the center's domed theater."
By Ibrahim AL Shiddi
The Saudi Gazette 2006
