Saudi Aramco Residential Camp in Dhahran - Demographics

Demographics

Aramco has several self-contained communities to house its employees in the Eastern Province of which Dhahran is the largest community. It has a total population of about 11,000, most of whom are of Asian origin; either Saudis or citizens of other Arab and Asian nations (employees, spouses and children). Due to the ongoing Saudi-ization of the workforce, along with a drive to recruit from less far afield, Western expatriates are now in the minority, both in the company as a whole and in the Dhahran residential community.

While in the past, the "senior staff" inhabitants of Dhahran were mainly US employees of Saudi Aramco, this is no longer the case. For instance, the Ar-Rabiyah Executive Management housing area is almost exclusively Saudi. The community today has shifted somewhat in line with the reduction of western residents into a multi-ethnic mosaic of Saudis, other Arab nationalities (e.g. Lebanese, Egyptian and Jordanian), Asians such as Filipinos, Indians, Pakistanis, various South American nationalities and a few US, Canadian and British expats. After several decades of "Saudi-ization" by the now 100% Saudi-controlled company, many Saudi families now live on the compound, which culturally and linguistically is becoming less and less "westernized" (although it is still true that some Saudi and Islamic laws are enforced less strictly there than outside of the compound, and that English is the common language of communication and education).

The community is also unusual demographically in that all residents of Dhahran are either employees of (Saudi) Aramco or their dependents; consequently, several age demographics are under-represented - 15-25-year olds (Saudi Aramco provides no high school or university for employees' dependent children so many leave for schools elsewhere) and persons aged 60+ (retirees leave the company).

After 75+ years of community life, Dhahran - and the other three Saudi Aramco compounds - have spawned several generations of "Aramcons", most of whom now reside in their country of origin rather than Saudi Arabia. Community ties remain strong years after employees have left, however, and "Aramco Reunions" are held by ex-Aramcons in various locations in the US every two years. In addition, the children of Saudi Aramco employees, "Aramco brats", have developed their own cultural identity and hold their own biannual reunions.