Week 48 in Review: YLAB, executive speakers, and contractor well-being among week’s top stories

Here are some of the week’s top stories.

CEO to YLAB: ‘In the minds of the young is the future of Aramco’

Aramco president and CEO Amin Nasser, encouraged 60 finalists in the selection process for next year’s cohort of the Young Leaders’ Advisory Board (YLAB) Academy to blaze a trail for the company and lead it to a bright future.

Nasser offered words of encouragement to the young employees hoping to make it into the eighth 16-strong cohort of the academy.

“In the minds of the young is the future of Aramco,” the president and CEO said.

The Academy, the eighth such event since YLAB’s inception, provided participants an opportunity to shine under pressure. (READ: YLAB Academy 8 puts brightest to the test.) 

Collaboration spurs salt-in-crude analysis innovation

In our first of a series of technologies the company is marketing, we look at an innovation that addresses the longtime challenge of determining real-time salt concentration in crude oil. 

About half a decade ago, Aramco’s Research and Development Center (R&DC) went on a quest that would lead them to not only find an innovative solution for a pressing challenge for the North Ghawar Producing Department (NGPD), but create a new product that will be commercialized globally.

Aramco engineer Khalid A. Buradha, Oil Operations superintendent at NGPD, said: “The technology represents a step forward in terms of operational efficiency. On the safety front; it eliminates operator’s exposure to the hazardous chemicals required by the international practice and reduces the requirement of manually sampling petroleum, a potentially unhealthy practice for operations personnel.” 

Citigroup CEO talks team building, leading with empathy

Aramco has kicked off the Executive Speaker Series program with two remarkable leaders: Professor Lynda Gratton from the London Business School and Citigroup CEO Jane Fraser.

The series consists of monthly sessions focused on emerging corporate topics such as sustainability, innovation, digital transformation, and more. Speakers include world-class thought leaders and experts from a number of global business partners such as the Harvard Business School, the London Business School, and Wharton. 

Most recently, Fraser spoke about diversity and empathy in the work force, especially in the shadow of the COVID-19 global pandemic. During the pandemic, Fraser could see the fatigue employees were experiencing as a result of work spilling into their personal time. To combat the fatigue, she implemented a cultural shift, banning video calls on Fridays, encouraging employees to set healthy boundaries, and allowing for hybrid and flexible schedules. 

“With diversity, you can enjoy different styles and ways of thinking. It helps you get rid of the blind spots, or at least to keep working at them,” she said. 

Aramco inaugurates park on Tanajib shoreline

In a joint effort by Aramco’s Community Services and Safaniyah Area Producing, a new park along the Tanajib shoreline brings green benefits to the remote area’s residents.

 “The park is meant for the community residents to enjoy outdoor activities. Tanajib Park is part of Aramco’s participation in the green Middle East initiative, and it is aligned with Saudi Arabia’s 2030 Vision,” said Tanajib Community Services superintendent Khalil J. Al Refaii, who also highlighted two primary objectives of the park. 

The first is education, to increase the employee’s awareness and importance of the surrounding environment. The second is to increase the green coverage in the community areas with minimal water usage. 

Aramco trainees come together to give back 

Earlier this month, Apprentice Program Non-Employees (APNEs) from the Dhahran Industrial Training Center and the Leading National Academy (LNA), an Aramco-led training academy empowering females to join the oil and gas industry in technical and vocational tracks, volunteered over two days to support the Tarmeem Charity Association. 

“Volunteering builds character and promotes personality development. The benefits of volunteering are significant not only for the organization but also for the apprentices’ professional and personal development,” said Ibrahim A. Attiah, superintendent of Aramco’s Central Region/Western Region Training Division.

Participants agree.

“I really felt that I contributed something of value to my community,” said Fatimah Al-Bakheet, an apprentice from LNA. 

“I enjoyed every second painting the house. I can’t imagine the smile on the family members’ faces once they see their house at the end the renovation,” said Eyad Al-Zahrani, an apprentice at Dhahran ITC.