Abdullah O. Al-Baiz has praised Aramco and its management — past and present — for a commitment to developing the workforce at his retirement ceremony in the company’s Dhahran headquarters.
Hosted by senior vice president of Technical Services, Ahmad A. Al Sa’adi, and attended by members of corporate and senior management, Al-Baiz spoke of a bright future for the company and the Kingdom.
“Management has afforded me opportunities, that were both challenging and satisfying at the same time,” he said.
“The fact that I have not stayed in a single job in the last 30 years for more than three years, really gave me a unique exposure to the big picture of this company and its activities in their entirety.”
Career journey
Al-Baiz began his career with Saudi Aramco in 1991 as a mechanical engineer in the Process Engineering Services Unit, and rounded off his career as chief digital officer. He holds a doctorate in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Colorado at Boulder.
“The Digital Transformation organization really spans across our corporate strategy,” Al-Baiz added, “the enhancement that we have witnessed over the recent past, underscores the company’s commitment to an effective and productive Digital Transformation.
A world-class organization
“It is solid evidence that this company is really a world-class organization, and that it can move in a fast way, and remain an agile, successful, and cutting-edge business.”
Al-Baiz went on to say that Saudi Aramco, not only keeps pace with, but strides ahead of the trends in the industry.
“The best memory I have of this company, is when I saw the development of the people whom I worked with.
“As for my retirement, it will entail looking after myself, my health, and I hope to travel around the world with my wife, and enjoying the company of my grandchildren and extended family,” Al-Baiz said.
A rich career history
From 2010 to 2013, Al-Baiz served as president of SASREF, a refinery joint venture company in Jubail-Saudi Arabia owned by Saudi Aramco and Shell.
Prior to his assignment at SASREF, he was President for three years at LUBEREF — another Saudi Aramco/Exxon Mobil joint venture lubrication base oil manufacturing and marketing company with plants in Jiddah and Yanbu.
In 2006, Al-Baiz began a two-year stint as director of New Business Evaluation, where he heavily engaged with the Saudi and international business community to explore areas of business developed in areas that that were beneficial to Saudi Aramco.
Prior to that assignment, he spent two years as manager of Gas Domestic Marketing, managing the Kingdom’s Gas and NGL supply, demand outlook and supporting the Saudi Energy Ministry in the gas/NGL feedstock allocation management process to all In-Kingdom hydrocarbon industrial customers.
Before that, he served as manager of Hawiyah Gas Plant; one of the major plants in the Aramco hydrocarbon supply chain.
Al-Baiz has also served as a board member in two of Saudi Aramco joint venture refineries — Petron in the Philippines and YASREF, in Yanbu-Saudi Arabia.
He serves on the board of Saudi Aramco Energy Ventures (SAEV), Saudi Aramco Asia Company (SAAC), and Saudi Aramco Development Company (SADCO).
Caption of top image: CEO Amin Nasser poses with Al-Baiz during the retirement ceremony.