Photographic Memory: Since the mid-20th century, training Saudis for critical jobs at Aramco

The concept of Saudization has been around since 1949 with the implementation of the Aramco Production Training Program. This was the first program to combine on-the-job training with classroom training and was the first companywide effort to prepare Saudis to fill jobs typically held by expatriates. Then director of education and Arab training, Harry R. Snyder, believed that, “The avowed purpose of Aramco is to give No. 1 priority to the training of Saudis.” In 1952, the first Saudis became qualified as firemen-watertenders on a steam tug after completing a yearlong training course in the Marine Division. A year later, as shown in this April 1953 photograph, Saudis were training to become firefighters at the instruction field in Abqaiq. (Photo by Dan Holdeman)