The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was the spotlight at the general meeting just prior to the Anniversary luncheon, June 12th.

Judy and Tony Eastham lived and worked in The Kingdom before returning to Canada after a 16 year hiatus (the previous 13 in Hong Kong).

Ibn Saud 1945

The second largest industry in Saudi Arabia is tourism and you could say that mass tourism was invented there – given the 1,400 year history of the pilgrimage to Mecca.  And yet, until recently, only Muslims could obtain a tourist visa.  This has lent the country an air of mystery and intrigue and resulted in some slightly biased accounts of life in The Kingdom.

Mada ‘in Saleh, northern Saudi Arabia

Through slides and video, Tony & Judy tried to dispel a few of the myths, affirm some well-known facts and provide some insight into the history and rugged beauty of the land they called home for three years.