---
product_id: 37175437
title: "Out of the Desert: My Journey From Nomadic Bedouin to the Heart of Global Oil"
price: "€ 302.16"
currency: EUR
in_stock: true
reviews_count: 13
url: https://www.desertcart.sk/products/37175437-out-of-the-desert-my-journey-from-nomadic-bedouin-to
store_origin: SK
region: Slovakia
---

# Out of the Desert: My Journey From Nomadic Bedouin to the Heart of Global Oil

**Price:** € 302.16
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## Description

Out of the Desert: My Journey From Nomadic Bedouin to the Heart of Global Oil [Al-Naimi, Ali] on desertcart.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Out of the Desert: My Journey From Nomadic Bedouin to the Heart of Global Oil

Review: A great read from a man of unquestioned integrity - A great read from a man of unquestioned integrity. I worked for him for three years in Saudi but only met him once when I was in need of a medical emrgency leave. This is a story that resonates with me as someone who worked not only in Saudi but in the energy business for over 40 years. It is a great historical perspective of world events through the viewpoint an OIl expert and Saudi national. His explaining of the culture of the Saudi people also resonates with me. I worked with a Saudi foreman Bader Al Otaibi, also a Bedu who grew up in the desert and learned to be a remarkable pipeline maintence hand and life long friend. I learned a lot about the culture and people from him. A great read!
Review: This memoir will stay with you! - I read this book over two days, laughed and got choked with tears a number of times. I am an Aramco Brat, having grown up in Dhahran. Being a third-culture kid has always been a mixed blessing, which I wouldn't trade for anything, despite the heartache of losing HOME. I grew up hearing Mr. Al-Naimi's name, as well as others mentioned, Kings Khaled and Fahd, and John Kelberer. I walked by Steineke Hall many times, curious about the fancy guest quarters for Aramco execs, and knew about places like Khafji (pivotal location in Desert Shield/Storm), Yanbu (mythical Red Sea locale where some employees got transferred to), Ras Tanura (home of the dark blue pool, sea-life paintings at the snack bar, and lovely rental homes for employees from other compounds), al-Hasa (some of my dad's ophthalmology patients lived there), and Hofuf (camel market) many times. While reading, I grew to love and admire this man through the pages (although I have yet to read a memoir where this wasn't the case). Granted, I'm coming from a naive perspective, not having worked at Aramco, but Mr. Al-Naimi is thoughtful, self-aware, shrewd, conscientious, tenacious, astute, and absolutely extraordinary. Although it got a little dry at the end, I love that he included aspects of geology, engineering, and economics. There was even humor - Dick Cheney didn't shoot him while hunting together! and he sang Frank Sinatra in karaoke! I love that he loves hiking, and in his 70s, used it as a diplomatic tool in global relations. I love that he included some heart, talking about his wife, children, his best friend Sam, and his many work connections. There are also lovely photos. Al-Naimi is a true patriot, devoted to his country, and had such a vision of the big picture. I wish he had included more about the role of religion in his life, tribal cultural influences in Saudi, and health conditions and other changes that came with westernization, as well as any influences of the Arab Spring in the Kingdom. But thankfully he did touch on environmental concerns, the process of Saudization, and the role of women in Aramco. I hope this book was also published in Arabic. I highly recommend it!

## Technical Specifications

| Specification | Value |
|---------------|-------|
| Best Sellers Rank | #1,630,751 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #2,822 in Biographies of Business & Industrial Professionals |
| Customer Reviews | 4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars (198) |
| Dimensions  | 1.5 x 6 x 9.25 inches |
| Edition  | UK ed. |
| ISBN-10  | 0241279259 |
| ISBN-13  | 978-0241279250 |
| Item Weight  | 1.3 pounds |
| Language  | English |
| Print length  | 317 pages |
| Publication date  | November 3, 2016 |
| Publisher  | Portfolio Penguin |

## Images

![Out of the Desert: My Journey From Nomadic Bedouin to the Heart of Global Oil - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61p181b9PZL.jpg)

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A great read from a man of unquestioned integrity
*by A***R on October 24, 2025*

A great read from a man of unquestioned integrity. I worked for him for three years in Saudi but only met him once when I was in need of a medical emrgency leave. This is a story that resonates with me as someone who worked not only in Saudi but in the energy business for over 40 years. It is a great historical perspective of world events through the viewpoint an OIl expert and Saudi national. His explaining of the culture of the Saudi people also resonates with me. I worked with a Saudi foreman Bader Al Otaibi, also a Bedu who grew up in the desert and learned to be a remarkable pipeline maintence hand and life long friend. I learned a lot about the culture and people from him. A great read!

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ This memoir will stay with you!
*by S***H on July 4, 2017*

I read this book over two days, laughed and got choked with tears a number of times. I am an Aramco Brat, having grown up in Dhahran. Being a third-culture kid has always been a mixed blessing, which I wouldn't trade for anything, despite the heartache of losing HOME. I grew up hearing Mr. Al-Naimi's name, as well as others mentioned, Kings Khaled and Fahd, and John Kelberer. I walked by Steineke Hall many times, curious about the fancy guest quarters for Aramco execs, and knew about places like Khafji (pivotal location in Desert Shield/Storm), Yanbu (mythical Red Sea locale where some employees got transferred to), Ras Tanura (home of the dark blue pool, sea-life paintings at the snack bar, and lovely rental homes for employees from other compounds), al-Hasa (some of my dad's ophthalmology patients lived there), and Hofuf (camel market) many times. While reading, I grew to love and admire this man through the pages (although I have yet to read a memoir where this wasn't the case). Granted, I'm coming from a naive perspective, not having worked at Aramco, but Mr. Al-Naimi is thoughtful, self-aware, shrewd, conscientious, tenacious, astute, and absolutely extraordinary. Although it got a little dry at the end, I love that he included aspects of geology, engineering, and economics. There was even humor - Dick Cheney didn't shoot him while hunting together! and he sang Frank Sinatra in karaoke! I love that he loves hiking, and in his 70s, used it as a diplomatic tool in global relations. I love that he included some heart, talking about his wife, children, his best friend Sam, and his many work connections. There are also lovely photos. Al-Naimi is a true patriot, devoted to his country, and had such a vision of the big picture. I wish he had included more about the role of religion in his life, tribal cultural influences in Saudi, and health conditions and other changes that came with westernization, as well as any influences of the Arab Spring in the Kingdom. But thankfully he did touch on environmental concerns, the process of Saudization, and the role of women in Aramco. I hope this book was also published in Arabic. I highly recommend it!

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Enjoyable and educational
*by S***N on July 27, 2021*

I really enjoyed this book.

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*Product available on Desertcart Slovakia*
*Store origin: SK*
*Last updated: 2026-03-04*