Today is the last day of our amazing trip here in Saudi Arabia. It will also be the longest day that I can imagine. We began today with a visit into the Saudi governance compound here in Riyadh. We visited the Ash-Shurah Council (the Saudi Consultative Council). This is a group of 150 men who advise and review laws that are proposed in Saudi Arabia. You can see below my place at the table, and also our hosts answering our questions.
After a question and answer session with three of these members focusing on education in Saudi Arabia, we toured two very important rooms. The first is where the King addresses his legislative body once per year.
I was also chosen to give a speech to the entire Saudi Nation, and you can see me speaking below.
(I’m just kidding about that—this is just a photo op!)
Then, we were ushered into a room where the King receives official guests. You can see James and I discussing important national and international issues below.
After this we visited the diplomatic quarter (compound—very heavily guarded!) and drove the streets looking at all of the embassies. We had lunch at an Italian restaurant, and then we visited the American Embassy compound. This embassy was very heavily guarded as well. We heard from some foreign service officers about American outreach in Saudi Arabia. I don’t have any pictures to post of this visit because cameras were strictly prohibited. Next we took a bus to the Riyadh airport to fly to Dammam, and then on back to the Saudi Aramco compound in Dhahran for about 45 minutes before we set out for Bahrain.
We are getting ready to head out from Dhahran to the country of Bahrain. Bahrain is a small country in the Persian Gulf that is connected to Saudi Arabia by a long bridge. We fly from Bahrain on Lufthansa flight 627 to Frankfurt, Germany. We take off at 2:30 AM (6:30 PM EST) to arrive in Germany at 6:50 AM (12:50 AM on Dec. 22nd). Then, I have a quick turn around to fly on United flight 945 into Chicago O’Hare leaving at 8:10 AM (2:10 AM EST), to arrive in Chicago at 10:35 AM CST. I should then fly to Indy on United 304 to arrive finally in Indianapolis at 3:16 PM. I hear there is a lot of bad weather all over the US, so we’ll see if I actually make it in anytime soon. We’ll see….
After a question and answer session with three of these members focusing on education in Saudi Arabia, we toured two very important rooms. The first is where the King addresses his legislative body once per year.
I was also chosen to give a speech to the entire Saudi Nation, and you can see me speaking below.
(I’m just kidding about that—this is just a photo op!)
Then, we were ushered into a room where the King receives official guests. You can see James and I discussing important national and international issues below.
After this we visited the diplomatic quarter (compound—very heavily guarded!) and drove the streets looking at all of the embassies. We had lunch at an Italian restaurant, and then we visited the American Embassy compound. This embassy was very heavily guarded as well. We heard from some foreign service officers about American outreach in Saudi Arabia. I don’t have any pictures to post of this visit because cameras were strictly prohibited. Next we took a bus to the Riyadh airport to fly to Dammam, and then on back to the Saudi Aramco compound in Dhahran for about 45 minutes before we set out for Bahrain.
We are getting ready to head out from Dhahran to the country of Bahrain. Bahrain is a small country in the Persian Gulf that is connected to Saudi Arabia by a long bridge. We fly from Bahrain on Lufthansa flight 627 to Frankfurt, Germany. We take off at 2:30 AM (6:30 PM EST) to arrive in Germany at 6:50 AM (12:50 AM on Dec. 22nd). Then, I have a quick turn around to fly on United flight 945 into Chicago O’Hare leaving at 8:10 AM (2:10 AM EST), to arrive in Chicago at 10:35 AM CST. I should then fly to Indy on United 304 to arrive finally in Indianapolis at 3:16 PM. I hear there is a lot of bad weather all over the US, so we’ll see if I actually make it in anytime soon. We’ll see….
2 comments:
Dear Mr.Heiden
That is a very funny photo op of you doing a speech. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! It sounds like you had a great time in Saudi Arabia,and I hope you have a safe fly home,and also I hope that you have a very,very,very,very,very,very merry Christmas and a happy New Year.
Sincerly,
Jacob
PS Do you have any gifts for us from Saudi Arabia?
PSS If you do have gifts would we like them?
PSSS Do you have any pictures like the ones in the classroom that have a couple of sentences about?
PSSSS If you do have pictures where would you put them because you would have to move your tennis poster or put it in the math word wall?
Dear Mr.Heiden
finally! You're last day. I missed u the past 2 weeks. It was a very funny photo of the speech. Wow. ihope u had a very very good trip. I hope u come home safely.
Christian
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