Anytown, U.S.A. — in Saudi Arabia – The New York Times

Anytown, U.S.A. — in Saudi Arabia

Ayesha Malik’s new book will examine her hometown, Dhahran, a 22.5-square-mile gated community for employees of Saudi Aramco.

via Lens Blog: https://archive.nytimes.com/lens.blogs.nytimes.com/2017/06/20/anytown-usa-in-saudi-arabia-ayesha-malik-aramco/

Ayesha Malik had a pretty idyllic childhood. She spent her days biking down tree-lined streets past green lawns and modest houses, going to softball practice and writing fan letters to Leonardo DiCaprio. It would have been fairly standard Norman Rockwell Americana — if it hadn’t taken place in an enclosed compound in Saudi Arabia operated by the world’s largest oil company.