JEDDAH: An American citizen was the focus of attention in the Bahra governorate recently, not for his work with the King Faisal Foundation but because he speaks Arabic with a Saudi Bedouin accent.
Neil Packman, from Minnesota in the United States, is the head of the Al-Baida Village Development in Bahra and surprised journalists visiting the area when he welcomed them in the local Arabic dialect, according to a report in a local publication.
Packman studied Arabic at secondary school in Egypt and later continued his studies in the language at various universities. His speciality is economics and he has a diploma in design, environmental and agricultural science.
“In the summer of 2010 a friend told me that the King Faisal Foundation was looking for a person specializing in design, environmental and agricultural science, so I traveled to Saudi Arabia for a six-month trial period,” he said.
“I applied, got the job and went to Al-Baida where I lived in a room and studied the site for a year. I became close to the locals and the people who visited the center.”
He said he was the first American Christian to meet the villagers, and interacted with them so much that they taught him their local dialect. He said he became friends with a local man, Khaled Al-Jahdali, now 24, who taught him all the local customs, including greetings and what to say before dinner.
Packman said the work began with only five people, but this has now expanded to 65. His deputy is Khamis Al-Jahdali.
American who speaks in Saudi Bedouin accent
American who speaks in Saudi Bedouin accent
King Abdulaziz Foundation reveals rare images from king’s 1916 Basra visit
- Photographs form part of a wider collection documented by British photographer Gertrude Bell
RIYADH: The King Abdulaziz Foundation has revealed archival photographs documenting King Abdulaziz’s tour of the outskirts of Basra in 1916, a visit that came at an early stage of his efforts to build regional relationships.
One of the photographs, taken by British photographer Gertrude Bell, shows King Abdulaziz standing with his men in the Basra desert, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The image reflects his early political and diplomatic engagement in the region, as he sought to strengthen ties with neighboring areas and engage with the wider Arab and international community, SPA added.
The photograph forms part of a wider collection documented by Bell, which records key developments and transformations across the Arabian Peninsula during the early 20th century.
The Basra visit holds particular significance in King Abdulaziz’s journey as a unifying leader.
Rather than crossing borders in pursuit of power, the visit reflected an approach focused on stability, cooperation and long-term regional harmony, laying the groundwork for a leadership style defined by pragmatism and openness, SPA said.
