Life in an Oil Company Town in Saudi Arabia

Firas Hashmi interviews Ehab Jaber about his experiences growing up in Saudi Arabia in the 1970s, living on an Aramco compound, and moving to the United States for education. Jaber discusses the differences between the company town, modeled after American neighborhoods, and the rest of Saudi Arabia. He recalls the school system, recreation on the compound, eating mostly imported, pre-packaged foods, and seeing a wide variety of household appliances. Jaber describes the relative autonomy afforded to Aramco employees in the compound, compared to other areas of the country, and describes the oil company's shift from foreign to state ownership. Jaber also discusses the energy demands of water desalination and car ownership.