Mr. Asis AlKasem is now the oldest steam
driver in the Middle East. As of 2007 he is 78 years old. He
was born in 1929 in Damascus Syria and can speak English, French,
German, several old Turkish languages, and also his native Arabic.
The phto below was taken in 1921. The
man under number 23 is Foaad AlKasem, Mr Aziz's father. He was
also an employee of the Hejaz Railway. The man with the large
black beard was the French Commander in the Hejaz.
Mr. Aziz with Mr. Emad, a
current steam locomotive driver on the Hejaz Railway
