Saudi Arabia

We got to the Dubai airport about an hour and a half before the flight. That is tighter than I usually cut it, but what the heck. I am trying to relax about these things.

We got in line to check in for the flight, and got to the counter. The agent told us that we could not check in there, since we had business class tickets. We had to move to a different row. “The one with the Red Carpet”. So we checked in and walked through security. Not a big deal, less security than I am use to in the US (No need to take off your shoes. No need to remove your laptop from the bag.) Everyone was very gracious.

We stopped for a while in the lounge (there was a soccer game on) and waited for the flight.

The very first thing I saw when getting off the airplane was several men at their prayers. That sort of set the tone. Saudi Arabia is very devout. Saudi Aramco had a driver meet us at the airport, and the hotel was all ready for us. The town (Dammam) was the location of the first field discovered in Saudi Arabia. It seems like an unlikely place for a headquarters, but that is why.

The work meetings went well, and as we were coming back from lunch I asked if the Saudis felt lucky that Mecca was in their country, and if they had been on The Haj. They laughed and said yes to both. One of the guys that I was meeting with had been on The Haj five times!

As we were driving back to the airport, we saw camels walking in the desert. Camels! I guess it really is like Lawrence of Arabia.

Dubai

After a while every flight feels close to every other flight. You wait to get on the plane, you wait while the plane loads, you wait to take off, and you wait to land. You watch a movie, you eat something. Eight hours or so later, you land.

Most flights I take these days has a map that shows the progress of the plane. It shows current position, and then the cities you are flying over.

Today, I glanced over to the map, and was startled – The first city name I saw was Kirkuk. We were flying over Iraq! Then I looked more closely. No – that is Tabriz! Tehran! We were flying over Iran! Now I knew I was going somewhere I had never been before.

Airports, too, tend to be rather generic. Except here you have about half the men in gutra and thobe. There women were in hijabs, or bare headed. I think that will be different when I get to Saudi Arabia tomorrow

Around the World in the interest of Commerce

I am heading around the world in a couple of hours, trying to do my best to reduct the US Trade Deficit.

I start in Dubai for an evening. I get there via London.

Then I go to Saudi Arabia Friday evening, back to Dubai on Saturday evening. I am hopeful that we will sell some software to Saudi Aramco sometime this year.

On Tuesday I head to Singapore (non-stop). This will be my first visit to Singapore since I moved away in October 1996.

On Friday, I leave Singapore to Houston, via Tokyo. I get here four hours after I leave (calendar time)

I gain a day by going around the world eastward. Though my sweet ever lovin' pointed out that the day I saved will be spent on an airplane. Oh well.

I have my camera, and hope to post some interesting photos.