Tag Archives: saudi

Saudi Arabia

I’ve been on three trips to Saudi Arabia this academic year: first it was Dammam in September, then two more trips at the  start of 2012 to Jeddah and Riyadh. Each time I was doing Ministry of Education training  for teachers and school supervisors for OUP.

It would take a long time to describe my thoughts and impressions of Saudi Arabia, and this probably isn’t the right place to do it. The things that I will remember fondly, however, are:

1. Working with university teachers in Jeddah from all over the world: not just from Saudi but also Pakistan, India, UK, US, Canada, Egypt, Tunisia, South Africa and Lebanon.

2. Drinking delicious (non-alcoholic, of course) Saudi champagne

3. Walking through the streets of old Jeddah, with its narrow alleys and ubiquitous sock merchants

4. Enjoying shisha in a cafe by the Red Sea

5. Working with great colleagues

Saudi Arabia

A couple of pictures taken a few weeks ago on an OUP training course in Dammam, Saudi Arabia for Saudi school  supervisors.

There were  separate groups for men and women, in accordance with local ways. It was the first  time I have ever worked with a group containing no women (though there has been more than one occasion in the past when there were no men in an audience at a conference or seminar) and it was strange.

Actually, there was plenty that was strange for me, but that’s another story. Thanks to my colleagues Verri, Merinda, Roberta, Ashraf and Tariq for their company and support.

Verri and I got hooked on the delicious Egyptian dessert Um Ali while we were there. I’m going to try and make it  later this weekend.