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that Arabs recognize or appreciate. I was successful in convincing our
management that a service pin award should include only reference to
the job level that the individual attained and any appropriate comments
about the value of his services. Thereafter our service awards to Saudi
Arabs became much more popular with them.

In about 1956, the company created “Communication Commit-
tees.” The purpose of such committees was to improve two-way com-
munications between employees and management. We established one
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those from a laborer level up through semi-skilled craftsmen. A separate
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the sole management representative and I had a skilled interpreter from
the corporate headquarters in Dhahran to assist me. These committees
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mation as to problems that were confronting employees. The Saudi
government was extremely anxious to avoid the creation of employee
unions, so we attempted to locate leaders in the various operations and
invite them to serve on the committee. I tried to listen carefully to the
employees’ comments, criticisms and suggestions, which usually re-
lated to employee transportation, feeding and housing facilities. I had
a secretary take notes and I followed up with the superintendents of
the facilities to secure correction or improvement. My District Manager
was rather neutral in his support, but I pressed ahead because of the ob-
vious importance of correcting problems to employees. (I later learned
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programs in the other two geographical districts). I reported back to the
committee each month on matters that had been raised in the previous
month, lest our meeting simply become a “gripe session.” I was terribly
disappointed when the Saudi government, a couple of years later, grew
so worried about political unrest that the government ordered the com-
pany to disband such committees.

Incidentally, Hassan Mishari, who had been my interpreter, was
a bright and capable fellow. He was later sent to UCLA, at company

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