From Dhahran Camp to Los Angeles Boulevard
The mention of California always brings fond memories to Saudis and many Americans. It was a company from California (SOCAL), which laid the foundations of the most unique relations between the two countries and their people.
In 1938, California Arabian Standard Oil Company didn’t only find oil in Saudi Arabia, but, they also built what is now the world capital of oil and energy. This place is about 8,000 miles from California. At that time the place was called Dhahran Camp.
In the years to come, the Saudi-US ties did not remain linked with oil and energy; they grew at each and every level possible. From social, political, military, economic, education to people to people contact, the world saw emergence of an important global partnership.
The Saudi-American Business Forums are always a reflection of an old and strategic relation, which was laid by two great world leaders. One is the founder of the modern day Saudi Arabia, King Abdulaziz Bin Abdulrahman Al-Saud and the other is the US President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Their historical meeting took place onboard the US Navy cruiser, Quincy, in the Great Bitter Lake segment of the Suez Canal on Feb. 14, 1945. From that day onwards, the Saudi-American relations have grown with every passing day and continue to gain strength.
Last July, the US Ambassador to Riyadh, James Smith, invited this writer to the annual Suhoor at the US Consulate in Dhahran. Just before the Suhoor, a presentation was made highlighting the illustrious life events of the envoy and later on I had a brief chat with him.
The conversation that took place between the two of us was very interesting as we both had so much common. Both hail from military backgrounds having participated in the operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm.
He was commanding the mighty F-15 Eagle, and I was a commanding officer of a Saudi navy vessel. Both of us retired from the services at the same ranks. He retired as one star Air Force Brigadier General and I retired as a one star navy Commodore. And finally, we both had 28 years of military service.
Our favorite topic is Saudi-US ties. During the chat, we both agreed on almost everything we talked about except one thing.
We both still have different views about the colors of our respective uniforms. He thinks the air force uniform is more stylish and I strongly feel the navy uniform looks more elegant.
Two weeks later, on July 29, a friend of mine forwarded a beautiful and touching article written by Tim Barger titled “Happy Birthday Dhahran”. It was so beautiful I read it more than once. It talked about two American geologists named Bert Miller and Krug Henry who sat down in the middle of nowhere on top of a hill in a very small camp. That was on Sept. 28, 1933. On that day, another American, Ted Lenzen, made a short film of the little camp. The little hill, in later years, became the most prestigious place to live in — a subdivision called Alrabiah. Close to where the two Americans were sitting at Dhahran Camp, the California Oil Company discovered the biggest oil reserve the world has ever heard of.
Next week, from Sept.16-18, there will be an annual forum titled “US-Saudi Business Opportunities Forum”. It will be held in Los Angeles. I will be attending the forum and the Dammam-based Al-Yaum newspaper will sponsor my trip and I will be honored to meet all the Saudi and American participants who will work side by side to ensure the continuity of this very important relation.
The Saudi-American relations have grown stronger over the years. Saudi Arabia is America’s number one trade partner in the Middle East. There are thousands of Americans who live and work in Saudi Arabia. Many of them had been in the Kingdom for a long time especially the ones who work for the Saudi Aramco. Sometimes you would meet Americans who knows about the Saudi desert as if they were born in Hafar Al-Batin and they know about the Saudi culture as if they were born in Riyadh. And there are tens of thousands of young Saudi men and women studying in America’s top universities and institutions. Few years ago, Custodian of The Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah launched an ambitious scholarship program for Saudi students offering them opportunities to study in the US. These young Saudi men and women will return to Saudi Arabia to participate in the development of the country. And many of them didn’t only gain knowledge but they also took many of the American ways of life. I have seen young Saudis who skiing as if they were born in Jackson Hole, Wyoming and I have heard some Saudis who speak English with a southern accent as if they were born in Brooks, Georgia. The Saudi-American relations are reflected in everyday life in both countries. And such business forums will enhance the historical relations. I live about two miles from Dhahran Camp and from well number 7 where oil was discovered. And every time I pass by the site, years of history go through my mind. Now, the camp is not a place of no man’s land like in Sept. 28, 1939. It simply looks like a small US town with a Saudi flavor.
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