A woman dressed in traditional Islamic attire holding hands with a young girl as they walk on a paved area. In the background, a girl is riding a bicycle near a fenced area with decorative posts and spherical ornaments, under a clear sky with some trees and distant structures.

Saudi 2014-2017 a selection

‍ ‍

About the Project

Stories of Expats, Cities and People, Separation and Compound life

You kinda have to go where the oil is. — Lee Raymond, CEO ExxonMobile

Three years in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: a country that keeps its contradictions close and its boundaries closer. This project documents the lives of those who came from elsewhere and stayed: Western expats in their walled compounds, Asian workers in altogether different circumstances, all of them navigating a society built on strong traditions.

I explored the separation of men from women; the relationship between insiders and outsiders; the surprisingly successful coexistence of the familiar and the utterly foreign.

The book ‘Saudi Arabia 2015-2016’ digs deeper and is available on Blurb.

2014-2017

A woman and a girl walking together on a bridge, holding hands. The girl is riding a scooter. The scene is in black and white, with a clear sky and palm trees in the background.
A street market stall with various fresh fruits and vegetables, including tomatoes, cucumbers, broccoli, oranges, and eggplants, under a blue tarp. A man in traditional white attire and a pink headscarf stands to the right of the stall, smiling, with
A detailed carved chocolate bar with intricate patterns and designs.
Scenic view of a beach with white sand, straw umbrellas, and a few people. The ocean has gradient shades of blue and turquoise. In the background, there are modern buildings and construction cranes under a clear blue sky.
Yellow school bus parked on the side of an empty road with power lines and industrial buildings in the background.
A woman dressed in black standing on outdoors illuminated steps at night, with a bright moon in the cloudy sky above. Palm trees and a green railing are visible around her.
A woman walking on the sidewalk pushing a stroller with a baby, next to a blue plumbing cart with yellow and black caution tape.
A man in a white shirt standing at a colorful outdoor market, with various toys and balloons, including green, pink, and purple balloons, around him. There is a car in the background decorated with inflatable toys like animals and balls, set in a dry
A Fujifilm X-series camera with a zoom lens resting on a beige bag, a book with a desert cover, and a patterned fabric background.
Close-up of the front grille of a green vintage Chevrolet car with a Chevrolet emblem, at night, with a person in dark clothing and a hat standing in the background.
Several men in traditional Middle Eastern attire sitting cross-legged on a carpet inside a tent, with some holding cups and a thermos placed in front of them.
A man dressed in traditional Middle Eastern attire, wearing a red and white keffiyeh and white robe, stands in a dimly lit room with wooden beams on the ceiling. He is looking down and slightly to the side, with several people and warm lighting in th
A person with a goatee and dark hair holding a 1-pound bag of Death Wish Coffee Ground Coffee with both hands.
Night view of a cityscape with a very tall dark building illuminated with lights, trees in the foreground, and an outdoor dining area with tables and chairs.
A woman with dark hair wearing a hat and dark clothing is sitting at a table, drinking from a white mug in a restaurant or cafe setting. There is a glass of water and a plate with some food in front of her. The background has decorations, including a
Black and white photo of two men and two children walking on a street at night, with cars and illuminated buildings in the background.
Man wearing traditional Middle Eastern attire, including a gold-patterned thobe and a red and white checkered keffiyeh, holding a trophy or decorative object.
A man walking in a stable with two horses, one close to him and another in the background, with a dimly lit interior and some light coming from an opening.
People walking along a beach at sunset, with one person in the foreground looking at a camera, and others in the background walking near the water. The sky has shades of pink and purple, and the beach has rocks and patches of water.
A person dressed in black clothing and head covering walking through a narrow alley with high beige stone walls.
Looking up from inside a ruined structure with rough beige walls, through an opening at the top revealing a clear blue sky, with stones and debris at the bottom.
Close-up of a rugged, layered rock formation with warm orange and yellow tones, set against a clear blue sky.
161111_IMG_9799 (Custom).jpg
161111_IMG_9810 (Custom).jpg
161111_IMG_9912 (Custom).jpg
161112_IMG_0071 (Custom).jpg
161112_IMG_0105 (Custom).jpg
161112_IMG_9924 (Custom).jpg
161112_IMG_9990 (Custom).jpg
161118_IMG_0240 (Custom).jpg
161118_IMG_0356 (Custom).jpg
161118_IMG_0357 (Custom).jpg
161118_IMG_0384 (Custom).jpg
161112_IMG_9973 (Custom).jpg
160123_DSCF2906 (Custom).jpg