Covering 75 Years of Nature
- Science & Nature
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AramcoWorld has connected readers to the natural world since the 1950s, introducing them to species and habitats in lands far from their own to establish a tie between nature and cultures.
Through captivating photography, we have produced compelling stories about animals, landscapes, the environment and conservation on the Arabian Peninsula and the rest of the world.
Animals that are particularly symbolic to the Middle East have played a central role in our texts. “Camels: the Magnificent Migration” (2018) focused on their predecessors’ origins millions of years ago and migration from the Americas. Like camels, gazelles can go long stretches without water, instead taking moisture from desert plants, as featured in “Arabia, Sand, Sea & Sky” (1990). The article, focused on a documentary series, explored the wildlife of the peninsula, with an osprey, a gazelle and a manta ray displayed on the cover.
AramcoWorld has also dedicated a variety of stories to horses, which have played a key role in our history, traditions and migration. Spanning countries and cultures, the stories have paid homage to the majestic animals’ place in time, from “Arabian Stallions” (1956) to “History’s Hooves” (1998).
Other species are deeply intertwined with the culture and heritage of nations. Falcons, for instance, still play a huge role in the Arabian Gulf, as featured in “A Heritage Takes Wing” (2012). But falconry traditions stretch a long way. For over 1,000 years, the bird has symbolized power for the emperor, and later the samurai, as featured in “Rites of Flight: Falconry in Japan” (2016).
Beyond tradition and culture, the magazine has focused on preservation of natural environments. From examining recovery efforts in Central Asia, as featured in “Reviving the North Aral Sea” (2015), to protection efforts in Brunei as highlighted in “The Academy of the Rain Forest” (1992), AramcoWorld has devoted a variety of articles to conservation across the world.
Flora has also gotten its due. After AramcoWorld’s move to the Netherlands in the mid-1970s, “A Dutch Treat” (1977) looked at country’s obsession with its yearly bounty of tulips, whose origins stem from the Ottoman Empire. And “A Harvest of Scents” (1980), about Egypt’s sowing of plants and flowers like jasmine, declared that the nation known for its rich history “still perfumes the world.”
Our shared experience with nature knows no borders, and we remain committed to sharing enlightening stories about complex ecosystems and wildlife.
Left to right: The photograph of the Lakes of Ounianga gives a breathtaking look at northeastern Chad where some of the only permanent freshwater desert lakes exist in the world. May/June 2014, “Last Lakes of the Green Sahara” (Photo by George Steinmetz) • Colorful painting of a bouquet of tulips from Türkiye May/June 1985, “Garlands from the East” (Illustration by Kathleen Crawford)
Sharing the beauty of the desert is a repeated theme of AramcoWorld over the decades.
Left to right: “The Celestial Stone” (March/April 2013) showcases the cerulean blues of lapis lazuli and how the stone has enchanted and inspired for thousands of years, from Sumerian kings to Renaissance painters and 18th-century cabinet makers to jewelry makers today. (Photo by Peter Sanders) • “Saudi Arabia’s Desert Caves” (March/April 2000) took readers deep below the desert surface into a world of carved labyrinthine marvels some 20,000 years ago. (Photo by John Pint)
Left to right: July/August 2012: Mauritania’s Conservation Coast” (Photo by Kevin Bubriski) September/October 2016, “Forest of Tides: The Sundarbans” (Composite of Landsat 7 images by Jesse Allen/NASA Earth Observatory/USGS) September/October 2015, “Reviving the North Aral Sea” (Photo by Carolyn Drake) November/December 1992, “The Academy of the Rain Forest” (Photo by Tor Eigeland)
Left to right: AramcoWorld shares innovations and the amazing properties of mangrove forests. September/October 2023, “Drones, Mangroves and Carbon Superpowers” (Photo courtesy of Aramco) Roses are one of many blossoms from which ancient Egyptians extracted essential oils and waxes to provide the most fragrant and alluring perfumes, as described in this cover story. July/August 1980, “A Harvest of Scents” (Photo by John Feeney)
Left to right: April 1959’s “At War with the Weeds” cover shows a young girl spreading the seeds of a dandelion. The story informed readers about the usefulness of weeds. (Photo by Culver Service) May/June 1977, “A Dutch Treat” (Photo by Tor Eigeland) September/October 1974, “Arabia in Bloom” (Photo by Khalil Abou El-Nasr)
Left to right: May/June 1990, “Sand Sea & Sky” (Photos courtesy of Stephen Dalton/NHPA, Michael McKinnon and Peter Vine) Clear, warm water and colorful reefs, makes the water of the Red Sea one of the finest scuba-diving areas in the world. Readers were able to learn about its diverse and fragile ecosystem through this issue. May/June 1989, “Egypt’s Underwater World” (Photo by Eric Hanauer) January/February 2018, “Asian Nations Unite To Protect Snow Leopards” (Photo by Sebastian Kennerknecht/Panthera)
Left to right: March/April 2012, “A Heritage Takes Wing” (Photo by Rob Palmer) March/April 2009, “The Last Lair of The Leopard” (Photo by David Willis) September/October 1991, “Safe Haven for Birds” (Photo by Dan Guravich)
Left to right: September/October 1967, “Under The Sea” (Photo by Ludwig Sillner) November/December 2016, “Rites of Flight: Falconry in Japan” (Photo by Steve Shelton) November/December 2018, “Camels and Culture—A Celebration”—an entire issue dedicated to the camel. (Photo by Jason Plews)
The allure, beauty, history and utility of the horse has intrigued people across time and geographies, including AramcoWorld readers.
Left to right: As expats moved to Saudi Arabia for work, discovering the Arabian stallion led to a love affair that is now shared across the globe. March 1956, “Arabian Stallions” (Illustration by Robert Chapman) March/April 2023, “The Return of The Karabakh Horse” (Photo by Rebecca Marshall) March/April 1998, “History’s Hooves” (Photo by Mustafa Sabankaya) September/October 1972, “The Arabian In America” (Photo by Katrina Thomas)
Left to right: November/December 1967, “Camping In The Empty Quarter” (Photo by Sa’id al-Ghamdi) This special issue explores the valley called Mada’in Salih or “Cities of Salih,” which lies on an ancient caravan route 500 miles north of Jiddah—providing readers with the natural beauty and a history that goes back to the Nabateans. September/October 1965, “Arabia The Beautiful” (Photo by B. H. Moody) September 1959, “Sands, Sun and Silence” (Photo by Russell Lee)
Left to right: July/August 1984, “Dunescapes” (Photo by Pamela Robertson) January/February 1975, “Scenic Arabia: A Personal View” (Photo by Tor Eigeland)
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