$

OPEC basket five-week price trend 2017-18

see pages 6 and 7

Sinem Lamont participates in the Firefighting Skills Challenge during the 10th annual Feel the Burn challenge held recently in Dhahran. Lamont won the skills challenge and was among the 952 athletes who competed in events, with about 1,700 watching. Pictured assisting Lamont are Gavin Baxter (in yellow), Robert Waller (foreground in pink), and Andrew Bose (background in pink). Fellow competitor Rita Woycheese, in gear, watches on. Firefighters from Abqaiq, Riyadh, ‘Udhailiyah, Ras Tanura, the Northern Remote Area, and the Western Region came to Dhahran for the event. Among the departments, Hosam Awaji and the Western Region took first, with Naif Al-Adal and the Northern Remote area finishing second, and Abdulmohsin Al Mulhim and ‘Udahiliyah finishing third. (Photo: Mohammed Al Shaikh/MPD)

10 years of Feel the Burn

planning for business continuityWhat do you do when a cyberattack occurs? That was the question played out during a recent IT Cybersecurity and Computing Disaster Recovery Drill that simulated the complete loss of both primary IT data centers.

see page 5

students have completed the first year of academic training at the Saudi Arabian Drilling Academy. The academy supports the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 and Saudization across various jobs and professions in the Kingdom.

130Saudi Aramco by the numbers

see page 2

Inventions and technology were front and center at the Ras Tanura Refinery Department’s recent Innovation Day, with speakers reflecting on their experience in innovation, a recognition and awards ceremony, an exhibition that showcased inventions, and an accelerated innovation workshop.

driven to innovate in RT

SADA: excellence in action

see page 3

During the recent Saudi Arabian Drilling Academy Board of Trustees meeting in Abqaiq, board members gathered to discuss important academy business and visit students at the Abqaiq-based academy.

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promoting fitness and fire safety in Dhahran

January 17, 2018 vol. LXXIII, No. 3 a weekly Saudi Aramco publication

Your Voice reflects the thoughts and opinions of the writer, and not necessarily those of the publication.

your voice

Working at a remote location is not un-charted territory these days.

Yet, the immediate gut reaction to be-ing transferred to a remote location often comes with a bad feeling for some, while for others it is taken as news of freedom.

For some people, the automatic down-side of a transfer to a remote location in-volves a separation from family and the hustle and bustle of city life. Being lone-ly, and not having the company of good friends, also come to mind.

Others, though, see it as an opportunity. Let’s review some of the immediate bene-fits of being out there — beyond the cus-tomary additional compensation — and how to make the best of it.

boss statusThink about waking up at your new

place of assignment as the supervisor in charge of all things. New responsibilities can come with transfers to a remote area where you are put in charge. This can also be considered as an opportunity for en-hanced learning.

independent decision makingHow you perform at a remote location

depends solely on your state of unfettered thought and action. Your communication, decision making, and management skills usually increase when you are in a lead-ership position and are open to making

effective work decisions. You can create procedures you deem best for creating productivity, and through continued mon-itoring, you can learn about the impact of your decisions, which in turn, allows you to economize your ideas to bring out the best for the company.

a more refined exercise routineWhile it is true that the feeling of being

lonely is often attached to a remote work location, it can have the opposite effect. Such workplaces are quite often an oppor-tunity to ease out of a busy city life and af-ford oneself time for a daily health routine.

An early morning jog, or an evening walk — which comes with lower noise lev-els and cleaner air — can become a part of your routine. Also, having a short dis-tance, stress-free, low traffic commute to work can be an additional benefit. In some cases, the office is within walking distance — better yet.

nurturing the opportunityWhatever your initial assumptions are

about working out there on “Mars” by yourself may be, realizing the opportunity it affords requires some nurturing.

While it is true that a professional on a remote assignment has his own freedom to a certain extent, this reality comes with its own dynamics. Some of the basics that can be adhered to so as to maximize pro-

ductivity are:

staying informedCommunication lines must be kept open

at all times. Getting into the procedural habit of sending a daily update communi-qué back to your management can be very reassuring.

being your own toughest manager

Self-discipline is of vital importance on an assignment where you are the lead-er. With no one looking over your shoul-der, you always have to make sure you’re self-monitoring, intervening and develop-ing, and doing the hardest job yourself. “First things first; second things never.”

interacting with your teamIt is very important to have open com-

munication channels to connect with whatever number of personnel you might have at the site, but keep in mind that disclosures often happen best in informal settings.

concluding thoughtRemote assignments should be seen as

ready opportunities for personal and pro-fessional growth. How we adapt to such change is largely a frame of mind that must keep the company agenda and productivity goals at the forefront of all options.

things to know about remote assignments

by Mohsen H. Al-Qahtani

Jazan Refinery Complex

Mohsen.Qahtani@aramco.com

Ras Tanura — Inventions and technolo-gy were front and center at the Ras Tanura Refinery (RTR) Department’s recent Innova-tion Day. The event consisted of speakers reflecting on their experience in innova-tion, a recognition and awards ceremony, an exhibition that showcased inventions, and an accelerated innovation workshop.

innovation as a journeyKhalid A. Al Hamid, RTR Engineering De-

partment manager, opened the event by

commenting on the nature of innovation.“Innovation is not necessarily something

that happens in the spur of the moment, but it is a journey,” said Al Hamid. “That is why the company has put in place a process in the Operational Excellence pro-gram to ensure this journey is a sustain-able one that every single one of us can take part in.”

A selection of speakers followed with a range of topics such as the pillars of in-novation, how to create an innovative ecosystem, the digitalization of the re-finery process, and the technology be-hind connected plants. Saudi Aramco is looking to increase innovation awareness through the Ibtikar initiative, which is a recently updated online portal to facilitate and advance promising ideas or solutions through targeted business challenge cam-paigns.

recognizing the bestFollowing the speakers’ presentations,

recognitions were given to employees for best recent submissions, including Timo-thy C. Schroder and Seheon Choi; Adetol-la A. Olawale; Randal S. Bastiste; Mahdi A. Lagami, Zainab A. Mohsen, Rashed S. Abatahin, and Hussain M. Saileek. The winner of the Golden Prize for Patents was Olawale for his “Secure Virtualized Plant Automation Network Virtual Infra-structure.”

In the exhibition area, the Ju’aymah

Natural Gas Liquid Fraction Department (JNGLFD) showcased its best innovations, which included a tool to reduce the effort needed to overhaul Rotork Actuators, a method to improve pressure management tracking for relief valves, and a shaft axial position online calculator. Distributed Con-trol System engineer Hayazea Al Zubiadi noted that “JNGLFD is here to communi-cate its innovations with the participating parties to hopefully have them develop it in their plants and improve the company’s functionality as a whole.”

In the last segment of the day, the Hu-man Energy Management Group orga-nized an accelerated innovation certifica-tion workshop as a glimpse of its three-day Saudi Arabian Innovation Certification Pro-gram. Layth Odeh and Saud Alzamil from the Business Incubator team, and Summer Al-Shareef from the Innovation Team, led the interactive workshop.

“It is just a snippet of what is offered in the full innovation certification, and is going to give a highlight into the ideation and discovery of the innovation ecosystem through play, meaning to fidget around with things and experiment as it is a great way for a person to research and look for improvements, see faults, and create pro-totypes,” said Al-Shareef.

The success of RTR’s Innovation Day is an example of Saudi Aramco’s initiative in cul-tivating an innovative culture and celebrat-ing inventive ideas.

inventions, technology on display at Ras Tanura Refinery’s Innovation Day

Khalid A. Al Hamid and other members of management tour the exhibition area, where some of the best innovations were on display, including Honeywell shown here. For additional photo, see page 9. (Photo: Salah M. Shabeeb/MPD)

by Ibrahim AlRajhi

January 17, 2018

2 company news

Saudi Arabian Drilling Academy Board of Trustees meets in Abqaiq

Abqaiq — The Saudi Arabian Drilling Academy (SADA) Board of Trustees met recently at the academy’s premises in Abqaiq.

On the sidelines of the meeting, the trustees visited SADA units and recognized the achievements in training over the past year since the academy’s inception. The board meets twice a year to review and approve the academy’s plans and provide strategic direction. 

While touring SADA facilities, work-shops, and classrooms, the trustees were able to witness the training progress first-hand, talk to students and trainers, and hear about their needs and experiences. A total of 130 students have completed the first year of academic training since the academy opened in 2016.

SADA is a Saudi Aramco initiative envi-sioned in 2015 by Drilling and Workover, with the participation of 34 companies. Its purpose is to provide quality training to young Saudis to prepare them for em-ployment by drilling service companies and contractors. 

Realizing a national dream, these SADA pioneer graduates are considered a build-ing block in the Kingdom’s efforts to create a knowledge-based economy. 

SADA is a good example of promoting the vision of Saudization across various jobs and professions throughout the King-dom.

board sessionsOpening the meeting, Dawood M. Al-

Dawood, vice president of Northern Area Oil Operations (NAOO) and SADA chair-man, said, “What was once a dream has now become a bright reality we are proud of.”

The SADA board consists of the follow-ing members: Nabil K. Al Dabal and Na-jeeb Abdulrahman from Saudi Aramco; Fahad Al-Twaijry from the Tech and Voca-tional Training Corp; Ali Al-Ghamdi from ADC; Romano Bergonzi from SAIPEM; Yehya Al-Tameimi from SANAD; Ziad Jeha from Schlumberger; Nouf A. Al-Turki from Rawabi; Jamie Rawson from ARO; Derek Kent from Ensco; Sid Whyte from Hallibur-ton; Therald Martin from Noble; Nick Naw-fal from BHGE; and Syed Ali from Sinopec. Board advisers include Ali Al Qarni and Mohammed Hattab from Saudi Aramco.

The SADA chairman thanked the spon-sor companies for their participation in the

academy and congratulated them on the graduation of the first class of students, who completed one year in the academ-ic program and have now moved to their final year in technical and operations train-ing. 

Of special note, the board showed its ap-preciation to Al Qarni and Hattab for their wisdom, continuous support, and valuable direction to the SADA team.

Furthermore, the board noted the con-tribution of the Saudi Aramco SADA task-force, chaired by Al-Dawood, with other members, including Al Dabal, Mohammed Al Subai, Abdullah Y. Al-Ghamdi, and Ahmed Bin Hasan from Training and De-velopment; Al Qarni, Hattab, Abdulrahman and Ibrahim Al-Meshref from Drilling; Brian Dibb from Law; and Abdullah Al Shuraim from NAOO for their efforts and outstand-ing support to SADA.

The SADA Aramco execution team meets weekly to address operational issues relat-ed to the academy. 

Board members reviewed and approved the previous year plan, addressed 2017 SADA challenges, and gave strategic in-sights to SADA’s management on various issues. 

During the meeting, the SADA logo was submitted for approval by vote, and the following appointments were approved: Mutlaq Al Subai as SADA managing di-rector, Abdullah Al-Fallaj Law Firm as SA-DA’s legal adviser; and Baker Tilly, CPA, as

SADA’s external auditor. The three repre-sentatives joined the meeting following the unanimous approval of their appointments.  

‘a national project’Al-Dawood shared his views of SADA’s

mission, noting, “I don’t view SADA as only a place for training young people in the drilling field, but rather it is a center for expediting the Saudization of the drilling service industry as a whole, and a future globally best-in-class Saudi training center.

“I look forward to the day when I see drilling personnel from various companies and countries around the world competing to win seats in its classrooms for the quality drilling training it provides,” he added.

full-sized rig for trainingThe SADA board also made an inspec-

tion visit to the academy facilities, including a full-sized rig that is centrally based on the SADA grounds. Donated to the center by Saudi Aramco, the rig is designed to teach and train students how to professional-ly work on a rig by offering a controlled setting before they begin their work in the field. 

During the trustees’ visit to classrooms, the board of trustees met students from across the Kingdom who showed great en-thusiasm for the academic and field learn-ing. The trustees assured the trainees of their full support to them while in SADA and after graduation.

by Mohammad Adarbeh

SADA is a national project that will expedite the Saudization of the drilling industry through top quality training and employment.

— Dawood M. Al Dawood

”

During a visit to a classroom at the Saudi Arabia Drilling Academy, Dawood M. Al Dawood thanks the board of trustees on what has been accomplished. For additional photo, see page 9.

The Saudi Arabian Drilling Academy Board of Trustees meets on the academy’s premises in Abqaiq. The board, which meets twice annually, tackled a number of duties — including approving the academy logo, making appointments, and addressing challenges and strategies. It also toured the facilities and talked to students at the academy. (Photo: Hasan AlMubarak/MPD)

drilling academy thrivingthe arabian sun

3company news

Project Management holds OE Open Day in Dhahranmust run our business. He also added that PM has all of the tools required to reach and maintain excellence.

Naif Al-Subaie, representing OE in PM, provided an update on the overall PM OE implementation status, addressing the ad-min area’s OE assessment results and the level of improvements achieved since the establishment of the OE program in 2014.

Each PM department head presented a summary on the latest OE implementation status in their respective departments, dis-cussing the OE assessment results, chal-lenges encountered, and the path forward for sustaining the OE Program in their de-partments.

Before the end of the event, 47 OE team members were recognized by the vice president for their dedication, efforts, and contributions toward structuring, promot-ing, and successfully implementing the OE program in their departments.

Al-Helal concluded the event by empha-sizing the strong commitment by man-agement to fully support and drive OE implementation in all departments, and to support all efforts exerted to maintain and sustain projects toward achieving ex-cellence.

OE Open Day takeawaysThose who attended the event found

value in the opportunity to meet and learn from each other and those involved at the ground level of OE.

Mohammad Alqahtani, PM OE represen-tative, indicated that “PM cumulative ef-forts resulted in a significant improvement in the past year reaching 30% above that of 2016.” He also said that “such gath-erings demonstrate commitment by PM management toward OE.”

“It was a great idea to see other PM de-partment’s OE status and capture some of their lessons learned,” said Mohammad A.

Al-Shuqaiq of the Jazan Refinery Projects Department. Al-Shuqaiq added that he ap-preciated the vice president’s recognition of OE team members as a way to empow-er employees and show commitment to-ward OE.

Shaji M. Hyder of the Oil Facilities Proj-ects Department also saw value in man-agement’s display of commitment toward sustaining a thriving OE culture in the company.

“Events like these that show top man-agement support are usually the factors that determine the tipping point between success and failures,” said Hyder.

Fahad M. Rana of the Jazan Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle Projects De-partment said he thought the forum pro-moted a healthy competition as well as a platform to bounce ideas off others to im-prove and sustain OE scores.

“The highlight of the day was the pre-sentation from Hasan Alzahrani, who em-phasized things that remain obvious but often left unsaid, like the competencies of the OE process owners, and the existence of pockets of excellence in departments as opposed to practicing excellence in all walks of business across all practices,” said Rana. “It certainly drove home the point that there is still a lot of work to be done, but there is plenty of support to help move the company forward.”

Mohammad Siddiqui of the East-West Pipeline Projects Department, who was grateful for having been recognized with an OE award, noted that the presentations by process holders were very useful and that the strong commitment by manage-ment was reinforced during the event.

“As one team, we need to ensure that OE becomes part of our day-to-day work practices and we reduce and/or eliminate rework and delays in the project execu-tion,” he said.

Naif Al-Subaie presents an update on the overall Operational Excellence (OE) implementation status throughout the Project Management admin area during the annual OE Open Day event in Dhahran. The event provides an opportunity for knowledge sharing and an exchange of good practices to promote implementation of OE practices. Below, Hatem Darwish presents to some of the 140 employees from all PM departments who participated in the event.

Dhahran — Project Management (PM) recently organized its annual Operation-al Excellence (OE) Open Day Event, with 140 employees from all PM departments attending the event at the Technical Ex-change Center in Dhahran.

The event provides an opportunity for knowledge sharing and an exchange of good practices among the PM depart-ments to promote implementation of OE practices to achieve business excellence within PM in alignment with Saudi Aram-co’s Accelerated Transformation Program.

The event was chaired by PM vice pres-ident Fahad E. Al-Helal and was attend-ed by PM general managers, department managers, corporate OE Department rep-resentatives, as well as PM employees as-sociated with OE.

OE updateHasan J. Alzahrani, general manager of

Downstream PM, opened the event by welcoming attendees and emphasizing that OE is not a choice but the way we

CEO updated on sulfur operationsSaudi Aramco president and CEO Amin Nasser last week toured areas of Wasit and Berri gas plants to receive the latest updates on sulfur operations and was briefed on major ongoing sulfur projects, including the sulfur railroad to Ma’aden. The CEO was accompanied by Mohammed Y. Al Qahtani, senior vice president of Upstream; Abdullah M. Al-Ghamdi, vice president of Gas Operations; and Fahad E. Al-Helal, vice president of Project Management. Here they are pictured speaking to employees at Wasit Gas Plant, where they were given a tour of the newly constructed rail car facility. (Photo: Musleh Al Khathami/MPD)

by Naif Alsubaie

January 17, 2018

4 company news

Safaniyah area employees talking traffic safety in TanajibTanajib — Safaniyah Area Producing

(SAP) held a Traffic Safety Café recently in the Tanajib area, which was attended by 185 participants.

The Safaniyah Producing Planning Staff, in collaboration with the Traffic Safety Sig-nature Program (TSSP) and Tanajib Indus-trial Security Operations (ISO), conducted the full-day traffic safety awareness cam-paign for SAP employees and support organizations focusing on road safety awareness and traffic violations.

Workshops were inaugurated in Tanajib by Mansour F. Al Dossary, manager of the Safaniyah Onshore Producing Department (SONPD), and Jamal I. Bubshait, head of ISO.

In his opening remarks, Al Dossary high-lighted the importance of following traffic safety rules, sharing informative data and recent statistics on motor vehicle accidents (MVAs) and the lives that were lost.

He also stressed Saudi Aramco’s ethical imperative to improve traffic safety and reduce the number of MVAs. Al Dossary encouraged SAP employees — especially those who work on shifts — to avoid driv-ing long distances by using mass transpor-tation.

Bubshait interacted with the employees by providing real-life examples to further illustrate the importance of traffic safety.

Hamad Al Ghanem from Tanajib ISO shared a presentation on updated traffic rules and regulations, including recent changes on traffic violation penalty points, types of violations, disciplinary actions, and emergency numbers.

Khamis M. Al-Zahrani and Mohammed A. Al-Naimi from TSSP gave a lecture and workshop in a heart-to-heart session dis-cussing concerns and methods to influ-ence violators to change their behaviors by providing a real-life examples employ-ees have faced to illustrate the true impact on the Aramcon community.

Event coordinator Abdullah Al Mulhim and Majed A. Al Mubarak indicated that based on the information presented in

Tanajib, it is expected that the audience — especially the young trainees attending the workshop — benefited greatly and hopefully left the campaign with a better sense of awareness about traffic safety and the importance of following safe driv-ing practices.

in their wordsMutaz Al Zahrani from the Industrial

Training Center (ITC) said he was struck by the message that driving carefully may save not only your life, but the lives of others on the road as well. He also added that the advice to avoid angry drivers is one of the most valu-able pieces of advice the sessions provided.

Abdullah Alajmi, also from ITC, said many know someone who has been affected by the tragedy of MVAs. “It’s a global epidemic that reaches far

and wide — from the busy roads to the dimly lit alleys,” he said, not-ing that the “Decade of Action for Road Safety” initiative is a good step forward in addressing the problem. “It hopes to reverse the trend in global road traffic

crashes by making road safety a public health pri-

ority,” Alajmi said, add-ing that it could save up to 5 million lives by 2020.

Farhan Al Shameri from SONPD said he felt fortunate to attend the traffic safety orien-tation. “The speakers were very smart in de-fining the issues and solutions either implicitly

by mentioning stories, or explicitly by giv-ing direct issues and solutions.

“On one hand, the talk encapsulated the benefits of obeying the law and how it can enhance our lives. On the other hand,

the talk showed that the youth and young enthu-siastic people should be in continuing sessions to be fully aware of this deadly issue,” he add-ed.

Nasir Al Khaldi from Loss Prevention praised the workshop for how it showed and demon-

strated the penalty points traffic violators can ac-

crue when they violate safety rules and how it can affect them behaviorally and their performance rating. He also found the presentation on the primary causes of MVAs — and ways in which to prevent them — very useful.

Ali M. Blhareth of ITC said the safety café was not only interesting but helpful “for me and other people in Saudi Aram-

Nearly 200 participants in the recent Safaniyah Area Producing Traffic Safety Café engage in an activity during the daylong event held in Tanajib. The importance of following traffic safety rules was emphasized during the event, which focused on shift employees who travel long distances to work.

Abdullah Alajmi

by Majed A. Al Mubarak

Mutaz Al Zahrani

co. It gave me more in-formation and challeng-es on how to be safe at home, in a car, and at work.

“It helped me to re-member to be a defen-sive driver inside and outside of Saudi Aram-co,” he added.

Abdulrahman Mutair from SofPD said the cam-

paign was much needed to remind him and his colleagues about how important it is to drive safely and defen-sively. “In Safaniyah Area Producing we have lost many brothers in motor vehicle acci-dents and if we don’t keep the momentum to educate and spread awareness, these acci-dents will continue to happen, day after day after day.”

Farhan Al Shameri

Ali M. Blhareth

Abdulrahman Mutair

Nasir Al Khaldi

IT supports business resilience through major drillsDhahran — As personal and business re-

liance on technology and data continues to grow daily, it becomes increasingly difficult to escape the risks and realities of today’s cy-ber world.

News of the latest data breach, virus, vul-nerability, and natural or man-made disasters clog our newsfeeds and fill our TV screens.

To mitigate potential business losses due to such events, Saudi Aramco Information Technology (IT) has created a comprehensive IT Service Continuity and Disaster Recovery Program. This includes response and recov-ery plans and technology solutions that sup-port the continuity of critical IT services and business processes during interruptions, as well as the resumption of normal operations after recovery.

creating a business continuity culture

“Business continuity management is not only an activity, it is a culture that the organi-zation should build, spread and champion,” says Yousef A. Al Ulyan, vice president of IT with Saudi Aramco. “IT understands the need to be agile and capable to ensure busi-ness continuity and employ disaster recovery solutions under changing and often difficult conditions.”

As scheduled in its annual drill calendar,

IT recently conducted two major drills to validate its computing and communication response and recovery plans and business continuity solutions. The main objectives of these drills are to simulate real scenarios, risk, and threats; and to measure the actual resil-ience of the organization by identifying gaps, opportunities for improvement, and optimi-zation.

readiness to respond and recover The IT Cybersecurity and Computing Di-

saster Recovery Drill simulated the complete loss of both primary IT data centers due to a cyberattack. During the drill, which involved participation from all IT departments and was observed by stakeholders from Corpo-rate Emergency Management and Continu-ity, IT successfully recovered critical IT com-puting services in Saudi Aramco’s Disaster Recovery data center.

In a separate major communications disas-ter recovery drill, IT simulated a localized loss of communication services supporting critical Drilling and Workover operations due to a fire at an IT communications site. The IT Commu-nications Disaster Recovery Truck was suc-cessfully deployed and used to restore critical IT services such as data network, telephony, hand-held radios, and very small aperture ter-minals to critical business users.

Drills such as these not only validate the readiness and effectiveness of IT’s recovery capabilities, and provide assurance to the business and our potential shareholders, but they also work toward the embedding of business continuity into Saudi Aramco’s culture.

Participants in a recent IT Service Continuity and Disaster Recovery Drill work to ensure IT services remain available during a mock disaster drill. At right, the IT Communications Disaster Recovery Truck is deployed. See additional photo on page 9.

the arabian sun

5company news

Dhahran — Saudi Aramco firefighters from across the Kingdom recently gathered to pit their fittest and best skilled athletes against each other in the 10th annual Feel the Burn challenge in Dhahran.

The weeklong celebration of athleticism and fire protection services awareness kicked off with a parade of all the firefight-ers from the Dhahran Fire Station to the King’s Road Park.

community and competitionThe kickoff event featured Saudi Aram-

co community members vying for brag-ging rights during the Community Fitness Challenge — an event that mixes physical endurance with the finesse of firefighting skills, such as strapping on an air tank. The timed event pits two athletes against each other, with the fastest overall time winning.

“I recommend this challenge to all the healthy men and women of our communi-ty, so that they may have a better under-standing and appreciation of what our fire-fighters go through,” said Sinem Lamont, winner in the female division of the com-munity Firefighting Skills Challenge.

“I would definitely do this again,” she says with a smile.

What exactly would she do again?Lamont geared up in 20 kilograms (kg) of

firefighting gear, picked up a heavy bundle of fire hose, and ran about 20 meters down a course and back. She ran over and picked up two heavy metal monitors and carried them 20 meters around a cone and back. After that, she took a heavy sledgehammer and whacked a weighted object with it. Then she grabbed a 15-kg weighted sack and crawled with it through a long glass tunnel, around another cone, and returned with the weighted bag back through the tunnel without ever letting go of the bag. And after that, when her body was scream-ing to stop, Lamont strapped on a heavy air tank, grabbed a 50-kg dummy, and dragged it down to the finish line.

‘physically draining’Jacob Bury of the Dhahran Student Pro-

gram says he also would do the event again.

“It is amazing how physically draining such a short obstacle course can be,” he says. “The 50-meter dummy drag, pulling a 70-kg dummy, is absolutely exhausting. It is hard to imagine going into a fire to rescue an even heavier victim whose life depends on your physical ability.”

In total, 10 women and 16 men compet-ed alongside Lamont and Bury during the Community Fitness Challenge.

The King’s Road kickoff featured rides for

The Stair Climbing Challenge at Al-Midra Tower is a challenge for experts and novices, alike. Dressed in full firefighter gear, individuals and teams tackled the challenge with aplomb. The 338-step challenge invited employees in teams of four to run the stairs, and each firefighting division selected one member of its team to run the stairs.

children in Dhahran firetrucks, trips up into the air in the basket of a Bronto aerial lad-der, and a Boy Scouts firefighting challenge.

sweating side by sideWhat made the 2017 event special, said

Fire Protection Department (FrPD) manag-er Ghassan G. Abulfaraj, was that it was a chance for employees and their dependents to sweat alongside the firefighters by using the power of sport to unite them with com-munity members through a collaboration with various self-directed groups.

“The event gives firefighters an oppor-tunity to demonstrate how important it is to be physically fit to carry out the role of a firefighter and provide effective protec-tion to communities,” explained Abulfaraj. “It provides a platform for firefighters to not only network among their colleagues from all corners of the Kingdom, but also lets them improve, compete, and showcase their skills to the community.”

The event was attended by approximately

1,000 people, said organizer Andrew Birch, who noted the introduction of an addition-al feature carried out over a six-day period.

“As a pilot project, the fire department collaborated with five self-directed groups that conducted basketball, volleyball, soc-cer, golf, and touch rugby tournaments,” said Birch.

In addition, a Stair Climbing Challenge was held at Al-Midra Tower, featuring 61 athletes racing up 13 floors in full bunker gear — all vying for the fastest time.

Each firefighting division sent its best stair climber to Al-Midra, and each one raced up the stairs, fully suited up in firefighting gear. Their times served as baseline targets for the non-firefighter employees to try and beat.

In total, more than 400 members of the Saudi Aramco community came together throughout the week to compete in the various tournaments, said Birch.

the main eventThe weeklong Feel the Burn event culmi-

Fire Protection Department, community members come together to celebrate 10th annual Feel the Burn fitness challengeby Jessica Weirmier

Participants of all ages were welcomed to the annual Feel the Burn event, with the weeklong celebration being a key public relations event for the Fire Protection Department.

Feel the Burn events included a number of challenging climbing, running, and even crawling through tight space activities that relate back to the physical demands employees in the Fire Protec-tion Department face. (Photo: Mohammed Al Shaikh/MPD)

6 cover story January 17, 2018

Community members and firefighters alike had an opportunity to try their hand at fitness activi-ties and key skills, including using an ax, running in a relay race, and pulling a 70-kg dummy to safety.

The Stair Climbing Challenge at Al-Midra Tower is a challenge for experts and novices, alike. Dressed in full firefighter gear, individuals and teams tackled the challenge with aplomb. The 338-step challenge invited employees in teams of four to run the stairs, and each firefighting division selected one member of its team to run the stairs.

FrPD, self-directed groups team up for fitness and fun

Dhahran — Saudi Aramco’s Fire Protection Department (FrPD) reached out to a variety of company organizations and community self-directed groups to help host a bevy of compe-titions over the recent weeklong Feel the Burn event.

A total of 952 athletes competed in a variety of competitions, which ranged from the rigorous to the purely recreational. The following is a brief breakdown of activities.

Stair Climbing ChallengeThe Human Energy Management team, based at the IT Future Center, North Park 3,

helped organize the 338-step Stair Climbing Challenge at Al-Midra Tower.Employees registered in teams of four and ran the stairs in full firefighter bunker gear.

The race was conducted as a relay race with team members positioned on the third, sixth, and ninth floor stairwell.

Each firefighting division selected one member of its team to run the stairs in full bunker gear to set the fastest time. This time was the target for employees to try to beat.

The fastest firefighter was Abdulrahman Khurayji from the Tanajib Fire Station with a time of 1:50:19.

Teams Security and No Excuses claimed top honors with each recording a time of 1:12, with Wildebeest and Dark Horses teams tying for third place, each recording a time of 1:26.

In the individual results, Megat Almin-urrashid topped all climbers with a time of 1:27, followed by Adil Bajeel and Ibrahim Al-haddad with each recording a time of 1:32.

relay raceIn the 6x1 relay race, Joud Men’s A, B, and

C teams took first, second, and third place, respectively.

touch rugbyThe Dhahran Scorpions Touch Rugby Club

helped organize a touch rugby tournament with four adult teams and six children’s tag rugby teams from around the community competing. About 100 people participated in the daylong event, with Team White claiming top honors in the adult division.

soccerThe “Feel the Burn” Community Soccer Tournament was organized by the Saudi Aramco

Soccer Association (SASA). The nine-a-side tournament saw the participation of 10 teams — two from the FrPD and eight from SASA registered teams. The 98ers emerged as cham-pions with a 1-0 victory over Fire 1, and Galaxy outdistanced Safeer 4-0 for second place.

basketballThe Dhahran Basketball Association (DBA) concluded the Feel the Burn 3-on-3 Basketball

Tournament at the 3rd Street Gym with 12 teams playing 23 games over two nights.In the end, the X-Time All Stars defeated the Teachers 18-16 in the second of two tries to

take the title, and Goldmine earned third-place honors.The highlight of the tournament, however, proved to be a game between DBA players

and FrPD players decked out in full firefighting gear.

volleyballThe Dhahran Volleyball self-directed group conducted a six-team tournament, with two

teams from FrPD, two from the Dhahran Volleyball group, the rugby team, and Miranda’s Team — a team comprising Filipino nationals.

After an opening day round-robin schedule, the top-ranked Bushnag’s Team went on to win the tournament, defeating Miranda’s Team, with Zuhair’s team earning third place and FrPD Team 1 placing fourth.

Similar to the basketball tournament, the first two teams that played had the experience of competing in full firefighting gear.

nated with hundreds of spectators attend-ing the main event held at the Dhahran Hills track. A total of 420 firefighters from the various company regions gathered to com-pete in a 6x1-mile relay race; a 3-km man-ager’s road race; skills-based challenges; a 4x400 meter relay race; and a 350-meter gear-donning challenge, i.e., the PPE Chal-lenge.

Altogether, Birch said 952 athletes com-peted in various sporting activities, and about 1,700 people gathered to watch the events.

Firefighter teams from six other regions, including Abqaiq, Riyadh, ‘Udhailiyah, Ras Tanura, Northern Remote Area, and the Western Region came to Dhahran for the event.

First place was awarded to the Western Region, captained by Hosam Awaji, with second place going to the Northern Remote Area, captained by Naif Al-Adal. Abdulmohsin Al Mulhim captained the ‘Udhailiyah team to a third-place finish.

Al-Adal of the Wasit Fire Station has been with FrPD for five years and has competed each year in the Feel the Burn challenges in Dhahran.

“The hardest thing is the long duration of pushing. You hit 90% of your heart rate,” said Al-Adal, adding that the toughest part of the skills challenge is the dummy drag.

The 24-year-old said he will continue to compete in Feel the Burn “for as long as I am in one piece.”

Al-Adal chose firefighting over security services when choosing his career path at Saudi Aramco. While his childhood dream was to become a teacher, he said he is now living that dream since becoming a certified instructor who trains Saudi Aramco’s future firemen.

Fire Protection Department, community members come together to celebrate 10th annual Feel the Burn fitness challenge

Dhahran Basketball Association players and Fire Protection Department (FrPD) employees suited up in full gear on the basketball court as one of the featured events of this year’s Feel the Burn compe-tition. Working hand-in-hand, self-directed groups and FrPD saw 952 athletes compete in a variety of competitions.

The full bunker gear also made an appearance on the Dhahran golf course, as Rolling Hills Country Club regular John Woycheese suited up and took his swings as part of the Feel the Burn fitness challenge.

7cover storythe arabian sun

by Mohammad Alhashim

Manifa receives delegates from Center for Environment and Water and King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals

Ras Tanura Refinery promotes environmental and energy awareness

Manifa — As part of an awareness pro-gram to protect and preserve the environ-ment, the Manifa Producing Department (MPD) recently received the director of the Center for Environment and Water and a number of postgraduate students from King Fahd University of Petroleum and Min-erals (KFUPM).

They were escorted by employees from the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) as part of its marine environment pro-tection educational program.

The visit included a meeting with MPD manager and employees in the Adminis-tration Building. Talal Al-Mansour, Main-tenance Division administrator, opened the meeting by expressing his pride in the ongoing partnership between MPD and KFUPM while highlighting KFUPM’s role in completing the Manifa program with a level of excellence and quality.

Shahid Alhindi, a Producing Division en-gineer, gave a video presentation on the Manifa project, including its plants, trestles, and sea islands linked by a causeway. Alhin-di also highlighted the design of the cause-way, which was built according to the best environmental regulations to ensure Manifa remained a safe habitat for marine life in the Arabian Gulf.

Students from King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals were provided with a detailed explanation of the Manifa project, including its facilities and marine environment protection efforts, during their visit to the Manifa Producing Department. The students were escorted by employees from the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) as part of its marine environment protection educational program. (Photos: Mohammed Al Shaikh/MPD)

Yahya A. Abu Shal and students plant trees as an effort to instill the importance of protecting the environment and preserving natural resources during the recent event in Ras Tanura. (Photo by Salah M. Shabeeb)

expressed their admiration of the design, quality of work, and the diligent attention to details to protect the local marine eco-system — considered the most biological-ly diverse area in the Kingdom because it contains numerous environment friendly sand flats and green landscapes. It is also considered a good habitat for a number of land and marine fauna and flora. Manifa’s nature is highly affected by climate varia-tions, which makes it a suitable haven for many migratory birds.

thanks and gratitudeThe students thanked MPD for giving

them the opportunity to explore this land-mark, which is considered a source of pride and an inspiring example worthy of being taught to students to follow Saudi Aram-co’s lead in preserving the environment when they join the workforce.

At the end of this visit, Mohammed H. Al-Ghamdi, manager of MPD, thanked KFUPM for its efforts in making the Man-ifa project an ecological success. Al-Gham-di noted that Manifa is proud of the de-cade-long relationship between KFUPM and MPD.

He stressed that MPD will continue its commitment to protecting and preserving the environment through the implementa-tion of many initiatives, including raising the awareness of employees on environmental issues.

EPD engineer Alaa Abu Arafa gave a presentation on the technologies used in Manifa’s facilities and their role in protect-ing land and marine species. In addition, MPD dedicated an onshore reservation to preserve the environmental diversity in the area and the endangered wildlife. Through its environmental initiatives, he said, Manifa has effectively contributed to protecting the environment for future generations.

The meeting included discussion sessions between students and MPD employees. Mohammad Qurban, manager of the Cen-ter for Environment and Water at KFUPM, conveyed that all of the university employ-ees are proud of their contribution to the environmentally unique Manifa project. He also expressed his appreciation to MPD and EPD for their efforts in making the partner-ship with the university a success.

a visit to Manifa facilitiesAfter the meeting, the visitors went on

a bus to the causeway, which connects 25 sea islands of identical size and design con-taining wells for recovering and shipping crude oil through a pipeline to MPD plants.

The KFUPM students then headed to a reception in the recreation tent in Mani-fa, where they offered their impressions about what they saw during the field trip,

conservation, in alignment with the King-dom of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030.

To promote environmental awareness among Saudi Aramco employees and com-munity members through environmental protection initiatives and best practices, participant booths presented new technol-ogies, environmental and energy conserva-tion products, and awareness programs for the day.

Participants in the technical awareness exhibition included the Environmental Pro-tection Department, Loss Prevention, Fire Protection, NA/WR Community Services, Johns Hopkins Aramco Healthcare, Trans-portation, Research and Development, and contractors.

This campaign was part of RTR’s com-prehensive conservation program for envi-ronment and energy, which encompasses flaring reduction, water conservation, ma-rine protection, and energy optimization. Abu Shal said RTR will continue its social responsibility and commitment to environ-mental protection and energy conserva-tion.

Ju’aymah — In line with Ras Tanura Re-finery’s (RTR) Operational Excellence (OE) journey, an “Environmental and Energy Awareness Campaign” was recently con-ducted at the Najmah Surf House.

The campaign was inaugurated by acting RTR general manager Yahya A. Abu Shal and was attended by approximately 2,000 visitors, including Saudi Aramco employ-ees, contractors, consultants, families, and students.

Abu Shal highlighted the importance of the mutual efforts from each organization and individuals to embrace the mindset of protecting the environment through con-tinuous partnership toward safeguarding the world’s resources and ecosystems — both now and in the future.

conservation for the new generation

The slogan for the campaign was “Prac-tice Conservation for the New Gener-ation!” with a strong emphasis on en-vironmental sustainability and energy

by Khalid A. Sanie

Talal Al-Mansour opens the meeting by expressing his pride in the ongoing partnership between the Manifa Producing Department and King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, while highlighting the university’s role in completing the Manifa program with a high level of excellence and quality.

Alaa Abu Arafa presents on technologies used at Manifa facilities and their role in protecting land and marine species.

January 17, 2018

8 company news

spotlightMembers of the Saudi Arabian Drilling Academy Board of Trustees pose for a photo with students and instructors at a rig on the academy grounds designed to teach and train students how to professionally work on a rig in a controlled set-ting. (Photo: Hasan AlMubarak/MPD)

pg 3

Dhahran — Haja Najumudeen Azeez has retired as a human resources adviser with Saudi Aramco’s Personnel Department af-ter 26 years of service.

Born in Tamil Nadu, India, Azeez is mar-ried to H. Jamruth Gani, and they have two children — son Shahul Hamed and daughter Taslima Farveen. They have one grandchild, 1-year-old grandson Ahmed Ayaan, Shahul’s son with his wife, Sheikha Fahmidha.

Azeez holds a bachelor’s of arts degree in economics from the University of Madras and is currently studying for an MBA from Annamalai University in his home country.

Since his arrival at Saudi Aramco in 1991, he has held various positions in the Em-ployment Unit of the Personnel Depart-ment, ascending to the position of staff analyst in the Saudi Riyal Unit.

He previously worked as a merchandise supervisor in a hypermarket in Singapore and as an accountant with an auditing of-fice in India.

Haja Najumudeen Azeez retires after more than 26 years of serviceAccording to Azeez, the most reward-

ing aspect of his career with the compa-ny came when he was promoted after 19 years of service.

“That day was July 1, 2011, and was most rewarding because my management and company recognized my outstanding performance,” he fondly recalls.

Azeez has a range of hobbies, including working out at the gym, watching movies, reading, and taking e-courses. His wife en-joys cooking at their al-Khobar home.

Azeez is a member of the Dhahran Geo-logical Society and the Society of Petro-leum Engineers in Saudi Arabia.

“As I prepare for my retirement after serving Saudi Aramco for more than 26 years, I’d just like to say I have been priv-ileged and honored to have worked with such nice, compassionate, and supportive management and colleagues.

“I sincerely appreciate the trust each one of you has put in me, and I am grateful for the opportunities that came my way. The

valuable experience I have gained while working for Saudi Aramco will certainly help me in managing my future business in manpower and recruitment,” Azeez said.

“While I hope that I have made a mean-ingful contribution to my department’s

success, I believe this great company will continue to prosper and excel,” he added. “May God bless you all and grant you con-tinuous success, growth, and happiness.”

Haja can be contacted at 00-91-994-093-7706 or email hajana@gmail.com.

Organizers of Ras Tanura Refinery’s recent Innovation Day pose with members of management following the event, which consisted of speakers reflecting on their experience in innovation, a recognition and awards ceremony, an exhibition showcasing inventions, and an accelerated innovation workshop. (Photo: Salah M. Shabeeb/MPD)

pg 2

Participants in the recent IT Cybersecurity and Computing Disaster Recovery Drill pose for a photo following the event, which was one of two conducted by IT to simulate real scenarios, risk, and threats, as well as measure the resilience of the organization.

pg 5

Haja Najumudeen Azeez, left, is retiring after 26 years with Saudi Aramco. Also pictured is his wife, H. Jamruth Gani; daughter, Taslima Farveen; grandson Ahmed Ayaan; son, Shahul Hamed; and his wife, Sheikha Fahmidha.

The beauty of Bangkok was on display last September when Pia Kokkarinen was visit-ing Thailand on vacation and captured this image of the Grand Palace with her iPhone 6S. Kokkarinen lives and works in Dhahran, where she is a Government Affairs staff adviser. She has been with the company 11 years.

the Grand Palace in Bangkok

the arabian sun

9company news

Jiddah ITC 2017 health campaigns come to a close with plates full of fruits and veggies

the submissions and picked three winners who consumed the highest number of healthy meals during the campaign. The contest ran from Dec. 5-21. APNE Moham-med Bawazir won first place for eating 25 healthy meals during the campaign.

The healthy eating awareness campaign was the fourth in a series of health aware-ness events in 2017. “We know that proper nutrition has an impact on energy, academ-ic and work performance, weight manage-ment, and the prevention of chronic condi-tions such as cancer,” said Khaalid Dunston, JITC Health Team Program coordinator.

“And it’s campaigns such as these that challenge apprentices to think critically, work together as a team, and develop skills that translate to success in their future ca-reer,” he added. During the campaign, teachers and apprentices dedicated one class period to a roundtable discussion on healthy eating.

‘Tips to a Great Plate’ and moreThe campaign ended with a presenta-

tion delivered by APNEs Moataz Etawi and Ahmed Al-Shamrani titled “10 Tips to a Great Plate,” which focused on foods to eat more of and foods to avoid to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

“Our presentation looked to encourage

apprentices to fill half of their daily meals with fruits and vegetables,” said Al-Sham-rani. “Many apprentices aren’t even eating one serving of fruits or vegetables in a day, so we wanted to change that.”

APNE Ahmed Hassan gave an overview of the health team’s accomplishments for 2017.

The floor was then turned over to a local restaurant manager who gave apprentices the basics for handling food safely at home. He noted that lapses in food safety in recent years that have led to outbreaks of food-borne diseases provide vivid reminders that if handled unsafely, food can be a major threat to our well-being. It was further em-phasized that foodborne outbreaks usually occur from kitchens, but people rarely see it as a risky place.

The event ended with a 20-minute inter-active salad preparation session that includ-ed demonstration of safe knife skills.

“Our goal is to raise awareness of the im-portance of eating healthy. Eating healthy food, coupled with regular physical ac-tivity, is known to better health, reduce stress, and combat a host of diseases,” said Muaath Badwais, health team coordina-tor. “Such initiatives help address this chal-lenge by empowering apprentices to make the right healthy choices.”

Culinary experts chef Arslan Demir and chef Hassan Haddara deliver a 20-minute interactive session on how to prepare various healthy salads with trainee Fadi A. Al-Ghamdi as part of the Jiddah Industrial Training Center’s Health Team Program finale in Jiddah.

Jiddah — The Jiddah Industrial Train-ing Center (JITC) Health Team Program recently completed its quarterly activities with a campaign encouraging apprentices to eat healthier. Established in early 2017, the program involved apprentices and was supported by JITC management, teachers, and well-known health experts who shared their knowledge and expertise with the team.

The continuing goal of the Health Team Program is to improve students’ lifestyles by exploring health-related issues relevant to them. First-, second-, and third-quarter campaigns covered obesity awareness and prevention, exercise awareness, and diabe-tes screening, awareness, and prevention, respectively.

“Healthy eating and physical activity indi-rectly impacts academic performance. Liv-ing a healthy lifestyle balances apprentices’ energy levels for optimum attentiveness, increases focus, and improves their overall academic performance,” said Peter Jones, JITC assistant principal. “Poor nutrition can leave apprentices susceptible to illness, so this was a very important campaign.”

healthy, lifelong skillsActivities in the program included pre-

sentations, roundtable discussions, compe-titions, off-site health and wellness-related field trips, and LCD displays of health tips.

“Investing in apprentices’ well-being is an act of citizenship. If they learn to eat well this early on in their careers, the socio-eco-nomic impact in the long-term both on their lives and the company is significant,” said Yacine Rachi, JITC principal. “More-over, the 2017 Health Program has proven to be very successful with apprentices as they were able to develop crucial life skills through project /problem-based learn-ing. They tackled different health topics throughout the year in alignment with the new Performance-based English Curriculum Program that strongly supports this type of learner engagement.”

plates full of fruits and vegetablesAs part of the campaign, apprentices

were encouraged to fill half their plates with fruits and vegetables to meet the daily recommended intake. To participate in the campaign, apprentices were asked to snap a photo of their meal that’s half fruits and vegetables, and upload it to Instagram with the hashtag #JITCplate.

Apprenticeship Program Non-Employees (APNE) Health Team members monitored

JITC APNEs Saeed bin Zagr and Anas Khayat speak to Matthias Bluhe, professor of Molecular Endocronology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Leipzig, Germany, on the sidelines of the International Obesity Conference. The team made their obesity prevention efforts an integral part of their “2017 — Year of Health” activities.

An apprentice at JITC is shown how to properly wear cycling protective gear by Jiddah Cyclists captain Hassan Gandourah during the second quarter health campaign devoted to exercise awareness.

ITC Summer Program students receive blood pressure and blood glucose screening during the JITC Diabetes Awareness campaign.

see pages 6 and 7

Feel the Burn challengeHundreds of competitors from a variety

of self-directed groups take on mem-

bers of the Fire Protection Department

and each other as part of this year’s

Feel the Burn event. Results inside.

arabian 10the arabian sun

The Arabian Sun is a weekly pub-lication issued free of charge by the Public Relations Department for Saudi Aramco employees.

Publishing director:Haitham K. Al-JehairanEditors: Jamsheed Din, Todd WilliamsEditorial staff: Musherf Alamri, Eamonn Houston, Scott Baldauf, Jeff McCoshen, Ibrahim AlRajhi, and Shaistha Khan.

Articles and coverage can be requested through the company’s CRM system.Correspondence may be addressed to the editor, North Admin Building, Room AN-1080, C-05A.

North Admin Building, Room AN-1080, C-05A, Dhahran, Saudi ArabiaTelephone (013) 876-0374 Email: publishing@aramco.comISSN: 1319-156XArticles may be reproduced provid-ed The Arabian Sun is credited.