Jeddah back then was a city of work hard, play hard and besides a very active social life, we went on spectacular boat trips into the middle of the red sea to go snorkeling on reefs not damaged by the masses of tourism. Diving in Al Leith to see whale sharks, hiking down Wabaah crater, a spectacular cauldron shot from the earth when a lava field hit an underwater aquifer thousands of years ago, creating a vital salt pan that was used in trade long before the birth of Saudi Arabia.

Camping in the cool mountains of Taif with their sharp craggy rock climbing faces unclimbed and undiscovered. My personal favorite was camping in the desert in Masturah which has spectacular massive high sand dunes which are perfect for dune bashing and quad biking.

One of the most remarkable aspects of Jeddah we all experienced, was the immense amount of kindness and care amongst the residents and especially the expats who continued a tradition of paying it forward. Someone helped them when they first arrived so they help someone else who had newly arrived, settle down and find their perfect social circle. 

For me the biggest social shift was that it did not matter who you were, which company you worked for, what your position or status in a company was. When it came to socializing, everyone was equal, which meant you could be hanging out with a CEO, doctor, professor, lawyer, artist, photographer, scientist, secretary, banker, it did not matter. Everyone was a foreigner in Saudi and we all helped each other. It was truly warm and fuzzy.