English Edition (9 MB pdf) - Saudi Aramco

A Periodical of Saudi Aramco
Spring 2011
How to make a supertanker.
First, think big. Really big.

6
Reliving the Bedouin
experience
26
An intrepid group of Saudis and expatriates,
some of them Saudi Aramco employees
or dependents, in January rode camels
into the Rub‘ al-Khali desert (The Empty
Quarter) to reprise a traditional route
of Bedouin nomads. In the process, the
journeymen learned a lot about the
hardiness and resilience of the Bedouin
and a lot about themselves.
Andrew Bartlett United Kingdom
Saudi Aramco is diverse,
to say the least
Employees of nearly 70 nationalities make up
Saudi Aramco’s broadly diverse work force.
They bring world-class talents to their jobs
and cultural enrichment to the company’s
communities. Its employees are what make
Saudi Aramco possibly the most unique
company in the world.
Building supertankers
an enormous job
14
In the past decade, Saudi Aramco’s shipping subsidiary,
Vela International Marine Limited, based in Dubai, has
directed the construction of 14 new double-hulled very
large crude carriers (VLCCs) to make its fleet among the
most advanced in the world. Building just one ship is,
in itself, an enormous undertaking.
Artistry defines
Saudi Aramco’s
top female
Huda M. Ghoson, Saudi Aramco’s
general manager of Training &
Career Development, brings a
love of order and beauty to her
job, and a passion for developing
the company’s Saudi work force
into being the best it can be.
She is also an award-winning
artist, whose canvases evoke
emotional and physical power.
30
departments
Abbrev. 2 | WorldView Back Cover
The Saudi Arabian Oil Company, also known as Saudi
Aramco, was established by Royal Decree in November
1988 to succeed the original U.S. concessionary company,
Aramco. The Aramco concession dates back to 1933.
Beginning in 1973, under terms of an agreement with the four Aramco shareholders, the Saudi
Government began acquiring an ownership interest. By 1980, with retroactive financial effect to
1976, the Government’s beneficial interest in Aramco increased to 100 percent when it paid for
substantially all of Aramco’s assets.
Saudi Arabia’s Supreme Council for Petroleum and Mineral Affairs determines policies and
oversees operations of the Kingdom’s oil and gas industries. Saudi Aramco’s Board of Directors is
chaired by HE Ali I. Al-Naimi, Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources.
Saudi Aramco Dimensions International
is published periodically for the affiliates,
customers and employees of the Saudi
Arabian Oil Company (Saudi Aramco).
Khalid A. Al-Falih
President and Chief Executive Officer
Khalid I. Abubshait
Executive Director, Saudi Aramco Affairs
Nasser A. Al-Nafisee
General Manager, Public Affairs
Editor:
Rick Snedeker
Contributing to this issue:
Joon Soh, Bradley Wilkinson, Suzanne
Martinchalk, James Duggan, Todd Nims,
Nabiel Al-Shaikh, Fahad Al-Daajani,
Abduljalil M. Al-Nasser and Rick Snedeker.
Design:
Herring Design, Houston, Texas, U.S.A.
Printing:
Sarawat Designers and Printers, Jiddah,
Saudi Arabia
All editorial correspondence
should be addressed to:
The Editor,
Saudi Aramco Dimensions International
Public Relations Department,
Saudi Aramco Box 5000
Dhahran 31311
Saudi Arabia
ISSN 1319-0520
Copyright © 2011 Aramco Services Company
SPRING 2011
Printed on recycled paper
www.saudiaramco.com
About the cover: Employees of Vela International
Marine Ltd. contractor Daewoo Shipbuilding
& Marine Engineering ride bicycles past a
huge section of a new Vela ship being moved
by floating crane into dry dock for mating with
another ship section. The two-wheelers are
standard transportation for shipyard employees
because bikes are cost-effective and handy in
the sprawling shipyard.
Spring 2011 1

abbrev.
Saudi Aramco news in brief
Aramco, CNPC ink trade deal
DHAHRAN — Saudi Aramco and China National Petroleum Corp. (CNPC), parent of
Petro-China, signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) during a four-day visit to
Saudi Arabia by a CNPC delegation, led by its president, Jiang Jiemin.
Jiang held discussions in Dhahran in December 2010 with Saudi Aramco president
and CEO Khalid A. Al-Falih on a wide range of topics of mutual interest.
Students take part in a UPDC course titled The Event
Solutions Module, part of the Reservoir Engineering
Saudi Aramco and CNPC agreed to expand crude oil trade and strengthen curriculum.
their cooperation on refinery and petrochemical projects, as well as technology
services and equipment supply to the petroleum industry.
Saudi Arabia is the leading supplier of crude oil to China. CNPC is China’s largest integrated
oil and gas company and has extensive investments outside China both upstream
UPDC on the horizon
and downstream.
DHAHRAN — A new building has changed
The 13-member delegation toured Saudi Aramco facilities in Dhahran, including the
the Dhahran core area skyline. The highly
Oil Supply Planning and Scheduling (OSPAS) Center and the Saudi Aramco Exhibit. The
anticipated Upstream Professional Development
Center (UPDC) state-of-the-art
delegates also visited the Shaybah producing facilities in the Rub‘ al-Khali.
Accompanying the
facility will soon open its doors to house an
CNPC president were
updated integrated training program for
a number of company
Upstream Operations employees.
officials, including CNPC
All Upstream training is being redesigned
to combine technical depth and
assistant president Li
Runsheng and PetroChina
breadth with behavioral skills necessary for
vice president Bo Qiliang.
upstream professionals to excel in a dynamically
changing work environment.
“UPDC is more than a facility … more
Members of the CNPC delegation visit the
than a training program,” said Amin H.
Saudi Aramco Exhibit during a trip that resulted
in a Memorandum of Understanding.
Nasser, Upstream senior vice president. “It
is Saudi Aramco’s proactive decision to stay
ahead of the times. It represents our commitment
to prepare our workforce for the
unique challenges that lie ahead.”
Global energy demands are expected
to rise substantially in the next 30 years.
According to Abdullatif A. Al-Ghanim,
director of Upstream Continuing Excellence:
“UPDC is designed to address
unprecedented professional development
needs. We have aggressive targets of
higher hydrocarbon discovery and recovery
factors that require more complex activities
and technologies to achieve. Exploration
efforts are reaching into new environments,
such as the Red Sea and deep gas
exploration in the Arabian Gulf. The technologies
used during routine operations
will continue to evolve with new tools and
advancements appearing at a rapid pace.
With the advent of enormous amounts of
real-time data that allow critical operational
decisions to be made on the fly, engineers
and geoscientists are taking multidisciplinary
collaboration and joint decision
processes to a new level.”
Storage lease
strengthens ties in
Asian region
DHAHRAN — The first shipment of Saudi
crude oil arrived at Okinawa, Japan, on
Feb. 23, and discharge of the crude into
local storage facilities was completed on
Feb. 26
Saudi Aramco and Japan Oil, Gas and
Metals National Corp. (JOGMEC) had
on Dec. 2010, signed tank-lease and
throughput agreements in Dhahran for
the storage of Arabian crude oil at Japan’s
Okinawa storage facilities.
The signing of agreements follows
Saudi Aramco’s earlier agreement in June
with Japan’s Agency for Natural Resources
and Energy for a joint project to use crude
oil storage facilities in Okinawa.
Dawood al-Dawood, vice president of Marketing, Supply
and Joint Venture Coordination, Saudi Aramco, and
Fumiaki Fujita, executive vice president of JOGMEC, sign
the agreement for the storage of 600,000 kiloliters of
Arabian crude in Okinawa.
The project will secure crude storage
for Arabian oil in Japan and is expected
to further strengthen the company’s commitment
in the Asian region, the world’s
fastest-growing market, by having readily
available crude-oil supplies for its commercial
customers in the East.
“This agreement further underlines our
longstanding relationship and commitment
to be a reliable long-term supplier
to our customers in the wider Asia
region,” said Dawood M. Al-Dawood, vice
president of Marketing, Supply and Joint
Venture Coordination.
Company honors 350
retirees, families
DHAHRAN — More
than 350 retiring
employees and family
members turned
out for the Expatriate
Retirees Dinner
Feb. 15 at the Plaza
in Dhahran for an
evening of entertainment,
good food and
camaraderie.
Guests arrived
to find the Plaza
grounds transformed
into a dramatically lit
meeting space, and
they were given an Arabian welcome
of sweet dates and cardamom coffee
by servers wearing traditional Saudi
dress, along with members of company
management. A young Saudi artist
displayed several of her
artworks and worked
on one painting as
visitors watched.
A falconer and
his trained bird
were on hand
for photographs,
and a
Latin jazz band played soft
music as people mingled, greeting
old friends and speaking of
new things awaiting them in
retirement. Later during the dinner,
a pianist performed.
“Each one of you showed courage and
a spirit of adventure when you left home
to make a new career, and a new life in
Saudi Arabia,” senior vice president of
Industrial Relations Abdulaziz F. Al-Khayyal
told guests during a speech before dinner.
“While a few of our retirees have spent
just a short time with the company, very
many of you have lived and worked here
for so many years that this place became
a home. I have heard from my expat
friends that, while away on vacation, their
young children would ask, ‘When are we
going home?’ meaning returning to
Saudi Arabia.”
He also recognized those who traveled
Top: Michele Haas takes a close look at a hunting
falcon during the Saudi Aramco Expatriate Retiree
Dinner on Feb. 15. Michele’s husband, Michael, is
petroleum engineering specialist. Bottom: A Latin jazz
combo performs during a greet-and-meet session at
the Saudi Aramco Expatriate Retiree Dinner on Feb. 15.
(Photos by Stephen L. Brundage)
alone to the Kingdom to work for the
company.
“I also salute the many bachelor
employees who have made their own rich
contributions to Saudi Aramco and its communities.
A great many of our expats on
so-called ‘bachelor status’ left their spouses
and children in their home countries,” Al-
Khayyal said. “These expats, and their families,
have made major personal sacrifices to
support productive careers over many years
at Saudi Aramco.”
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Dimensions International
Spring 2011 3

Lazzat Kulova models an antique
tribal costume and jewelry at a Dhahran
Women’s Group event. The group marks
its 65th anniversary this year.
Women celebrate 65 th
AL-KHOBAR — According to an ancient
Chinese proverb,” Women hold up half
the sky.” That would make the 65th anniversary
of the Dhahran Women’s Group
(DWG) a milestone worthy of celebrating
throughout 2011.
Starting life as the Dhahran Women’s
Club in 1946, when there were only 118
families in Dhahran, the DWG is now
one of the longest-running self-directed
groups in the company and has played a
significant part in “holding up the sky”
for the growth and life of the community.
Through the years, the DWG’s major
contributions have included welcoming
new wives and single women; being
the catalyst for other groups, such as
the Women’s Exchange and the Garden
Group; responding to international
disaster relief requests; and promoting a
peaceful and cohesive community through
inter-cultural awareness activities.
Many long-lasting friendships have
been forged over coffee at the Baker
House, and many informative and meaningful
cross-cultural exchanges have built
new bridges of understanding and
respect between members from what
are now more than 60 nationalities and
ethnic backgrounds.
The DWG programs have also
offered noteworthy opportunities to
learn about and engage with the host
Saudi culture, enhancing members’
experience of living in Saudi Arabia.
Man on the Moon:
NASA legend visits
Dhahran
DHAHRAN — Earth may be bigger
than Mars, but the Red Planet’s sand
dunes and volcanoes dwarf ours in
comparison, a planetary scientist
told a large crowd gathered Jan. 9 at
ad-Diwan.
Egyptian scientist Farouk El-Baz
made the remarks during a speech kicking
off Dhahran Recreation Library’s “Scientists
and Inventors of the World Month.”
Library officials said they were surprised
by the turnout as the audience swelled
to more than 500 employees and their
dependants.
Al-Baz first gained international
With an image of the full Moon in the
background, Egyptian scientist Farouk
El-Baz discusses the Moon and Mars,
and the importance research has in
providing a better understanding of the
forces at work on Earth. He spoke at a
special event sponsored by the Dhahran
Recreation Library.
prominence for his work with the U.S.
National Aeronautical and Space Administration
(NASA) during the Apollo Program
from 1967-1972. His role was to identify
lunar landing sites for the program, which
eventually placed a total of 12 astronauts
on the Moon’s surface. He explained the
importance of the Apollo Program.
The Moon is similar to the Earth, but
the Moon stopped developing about 3
billion years ago. El-Baz said that there is
no atmosphere or wind, so most of the
Moon’s features are the same since that
time, representing some of the Earth in
its early development stages. By studying
the Moon, scientists can explain some
phenomena in our planet, he said.
Former Pakistan
cricket star visits
Dhahran
DHAHRAN — Former Pakistan International
cricket star Saqlain Mushtaq visited
Dhahran on Jan. 24-28, delivering a
coaching clinic hosted by the Dhahran
Cricket Association and supported by
Dhahran Recreation.
Mushtaq, who played for Pakistan for
nearly a decade and more recently
coached national teams in England
and New Zealand, was pleasantly
surprised by the cricket facilities at
Saudi Aramco.
“Looking at the excellent
infrastructure and cricket facilities
at DCA, it is obvious to me how
much Saudi Aramco cares about
its employees and their dependents.
Not many employers go to
the extent that Saudi Aramco has
to provide such excellent sporting
facilities,” Mushtaq said.
Participants called the clinic “a
once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” to
learn from a modern day great.
Another participant said he learned
more in three days than in the previous
three years.
The camp sessions featured light physical
training, targeted batting and bowling
tips. Mushtaq also shared technical
Former Pakistan international cricket player Saqlain
Mushtaq gives pointers to Dhahran Cricket Association Youth
Academy participants during his recent visit to Dhahran.
advancements at the international level
and held daily question-and-answer sessions
on the ethics and values of cricket
and other sports.
Theater group
marks 65 years
DHAHRAN — More than 175 members
and guests turned out Feb. 10 at ad-Diwan
to help the Dhahran Theater Group (DTG)
mark its 65th anniversary with an evening
of entertainment and fun.
The DTG recently expanded its traditional
offerings of stage productions to
include comedy events and open-mike
nights. In addition to scenes presented
from earlier productions, there was poetry,
stand-up comedy, dance troupes and
a variety of solo and ensemble musical
numbers.
“The DTG has long been a primary
source of entertainment on camp. Well
before the Internet, satellite TV, DVDs,
VCRs and TV, the DTG
was providing entertainment
to Saudi
Aramco employees,” said
Jeffrey R. Geagan, the group’s
vice president.
“The Dhahran Theater
Group is all about teamwork,”
said Liam Smith, a 10-year
veteran of the group, who
directed the musical “Mamma
Mia” in 2009. “The audience
doesn’t know what happens
backstage, but what happens
back there gets reflected up front.”
Aramco Half
Marathon draws
thousands
HOUSTON — Despite threatening Above: Obaid Al-Bishi crosses the finish line after
skies, about 20,000 runners and taking part in the Half Marathon. Al-Bishi traveled
200,000 spectators embraced Marathon
Weekend in Houston on Jan.
from Saudi Arabia to Houston to run, an activity he
says has “dramatically changed my life.” Below:
Nearly 10,000 runners gathered at the starting line
28-30 for the Aramco Houston
for the Aramco Houston Half Marathon.
Half Marathon.
Of the 20,000 runners, about
10,000 participated in the half
marathon.
“I am always in awe of the
thousands of runners who take
to the streets each year for the
marathon and half marathon,”
said Houston mayor Annise
Parker. “They have made serious
personal and physical commitments
in preparation
for this test of human
endurance. They
deserve the best race day experience
possible, and thanks to the tance runners. They competed on the same
which attracted some of the best U.S. dis-
ongoing involvement and support
of sponsors such as Saudi 2012 Olympic Trials Marathon to be hosted
8-mile loop course that will be used for the
Aramco, they get it.”
by Houston on Jan. 14, 2012.
In addition to Sunday’s half
Mohamed Trafeh won the championship
half-marathon with a time of 1:02:17.
marathon, Aramco Services Co.
(ASC) also sponsored the U.S. Ryan Hall, who set the U.S. half-marathon
championships race on Saturday, record on the Aramco half-marathon
course in 2007, came in three seconds
A scene from “Pirates of Penzance” behind Trafeh and took second place. Jen
performed in 1988.
Rhimes, a three-time U.S. Olympian, won
the women’s race with a time of 1:11:14.
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Dimensions International
Spring 2011 5

Time travel on the Bedouin road
Saudis, expats reprise ancient trek route
through Empty Quarter
By Bradley Wilkinson
DHAHRAN, Saudi Arabia — It began as all great journeys do, with careful,
meticulous planning.
Geraiyan Al-Hajri, Saudi Aramco construction engineer, deep-desert expert and visionary
behind the January 2011 expedition, began planning the Travel Back in Time caravan
in late 2010.
“I wanted for us to reconnect with the past, to recognize the hardships the Bedouin faced
and to learn more about how they lived in The Rub Al-Khali,” said Al-Hajri. “I began thinking
about it two years ago, and last year, I decided it was time to do it and began planning.”
At left: Lunch often was a simple
affair, but on this day a small fire
was built to heat coffee and tea,
and a nice picnic was enjoyed.
Pictured, left to right, are Gerayian
Al-Hajri, Bradley Wilkinson, Fahad
AlDaajani, Todd Nims, Saeed
Al-Marri, Obaid Mohsin Al-Marri
and James Duggan. Background:
The caravan. Foreground: One of
the expedition’s trusty steeds.
Oppostie inset: Photo by Nabiel Al-Shaikh , TOP: Background photo by James Duggan
6
Dimensions International
Spring 2011 7

The trip would traverse part of the Rub Al-Khali, known
in English as The Empty Quarter, the world’s largest
uninterrupted sand sea, encompassing
most of the southern third
of the Arabian Peninsula and
covering some 650,000 square
kilometers (approximately 250,000
square miles).
The team approached the
expedition not with the intention of
conquering the desert but of passing
gently through. The camel-riding
Nims, Duggan and Al-Daajani, the young photographers
on the team, worked together sharing ideas and techniques
as well as swapping cameras and
equipment to obtain the very best
photos and video to document the
trip, capture fascinating stories and
show the world a life that few still
At left: The air was so pure in the vast
desert that sunrises and sunsets were
unforgettable. Below: Each evening, the
team met around the campfire to share
stories and laughs.
By the end of the journey, new friendships
and camaraderie had been forged. At right,
the team hoists expedition leader Al-Hajri
overhead to show appreciation for organizing
the adventure.
Dhahran team took off Jan. 15 on a Saudi
Aramco flight to Haradh. They were met
at Haradh by members of Al-Hajri’s team,
many of whom were using their vacation
days to lend support to the historic journey.
On an unpaved company “skid road”
that Al-Hajri and his crew had built to haul
materials to and from oil rigs, the travelers
were driven by vehicle approximately 170
km south to Nadgan Well, where the warm
mineral waters coming out of the ground
are thought by many to have healing powers.
After enjoying the waters, the team drove deeper into the
desert to rendezvous with the camels and the support team.
At times it seemed as if the four-wheel-drive vehicle floated
above the surface, as the desert sands cushioned the ride. At
that point, the final destination—the Umm Al-Hadid meteorite
crater—lay about 240 km away. It was expected that the
travelers would average about 35 km per day and cover the
distance in one week. Ultimately, the caravan averaged 40 km
per day and made the trip in six.
When the team arrived at the camel encampment, they
were greeted with a traditional Saudi welcoming dance,
qahwa (traditional Saudi coffee spiced with cardamom)
and dates. The route would pass by wells dug deep into the
Photos by James Duggan
‘
Everyone met around the campfire to tell stories,
recite poetry and engage in lively conversation.’
team comprised Bradley Wilkinson of Saudi Aramco’s Public
Relations Department; Todd Nims of the King Abdulaziz
Center for World Culture; James Duggan, son of Joe Duggan
of Saudi Aramco Affairs’ Research and Advisory Group;
Nabiel Al-Shaikh of the Dammam Regional Museum; and
Fahad Al-Daajani, a freelance photographer. In addition, for
much of the way, Al-Hajri, a seasoned desert trekker who
comes from a long line of Bedouin forebears, strolled alongside
the camels, directing the caravan to its next destination
and regaling the team with wonderful stories.
follow today. Al-Shaikh, the team’s archeologist/geologist,
scoured the land at each stop, collecting archeological artifacts
of past human existence and geological indications of how
the earth had changed. Wilkinson recorded perceptions and
reflections in his ever-filling notebook.
All aboard!
After reviewing the company’s Surveying Services Emergency
Content Manual, which provides valuable information on
what to do in the case of an emergency in the desert, the
desert, some by Saudi Aramco
and others by the Bedouin
themselves. One such well,
Bir Hudbah, had been handdug
by the parents of Bakheet
Bathan Al-Marri, a respected
member of the Al-Marri tribe
and the owner of the expedition’s
camels. Bakheet and his
son Bathan provided support
throughout the journey and
told many entertaining stories
around the evening campfire.
Members of the Al-Marri tribe
came and went throughout the
The Bedouin hold dearly to family
ties. Here Bathan Al-Marri hugs
his father, Bakheet Al-Marri, who
owned and cared for the camels
the team rode.
8 Dimensions International
Spring 2011 9

‘
I couldn’t miss the quietness, stillness and
clarity you get from being out here. The silence
is so loud, you can’t ignore it.’
At right: Throughout the trip,
Saudi Aramco personnel and
local Bedouin came to share
stories at the daily campsite.
Here Galet Al-Aida, left, chief
explorationist of Saudi Aramco’s
Southern Area Exploration
Department, and Saeed J.
Al-Marri, a rig-road construction
inspector, enjoy tea and
a good laugh. Below: Ibrahim
al-Qahtani, a road inspector,
demonstrates a unique way
to feed a camel.
trip. It seemed that driving in the desert to them was the same
as a city dweller driving to a favorite restaurant to enjoy an
evening’s meal.
On one night musicians came to entertain the team with
traditional Bedouin songs accompanied by the mournful
sound of a rebaba, a single-stringed instrument played with
a bow. On other
evenings, everyone
simply met around the
campfire to tell stories,
recite poetry and engage
in lively conversation,
all the time consuming
massive amounts of
qahwa, very sweet tea
and hot milk. Needless
to say, sleep came
easily at the end of each
evening.
The caravan followed
traditional Bedouin
methods of travel with a
few modern twists. For
safety, the travelers were
aided by satellite phones
and supported by vehicles
that carried food, water,
tents and a team that
moved the camp each day. On occasion, vehicles got stuck,
but never the stoic camels, which plodded along at a steady
pace, the imprint of their footsteps marking the passage until
the blowing sand obliterated any trace.
Bir Shanadhir was one of the first destinations, and it
proved quite exciting. A sand dune was slowly wrapping
Top photos by Nabiel Al-Shaikh; bottom photos by James Duggan
around the long-dry well-site, leaving one to wonder
what might lie hidden under the ever-shifting
sands. Two millstones and pottery had previously
been found at the site, and in no time, the
team found an arrowhead, glass and shell
beads, broken bits of tools and the handle
of a pot. “Bedu typically don’t carry pottery
and jars,” said the team’s archeologist
Al-Shaikh. “They typically prefer skins;
so this is quite interesting. I would like to
return someday with a team of scientists to
spend more time so we could conduct an
extensive survey of this area.”
On the weekend, Galet Al-Aida, chief
explorationist of the Southern Area Exploration
Division, and Sa‘id Al-Hajri, chief
explorationist of the Eastern Area Exploration
Division, drove out to join the trek team and
experience the desert in the way of their ancestors.
Team members graciously
loaned two of their camels to
the visitors so they could get
a feel for riding the perfectly
adapted “ships of the desert.”
“I was able to get a very
close look at the topography
while taking my time on the
camel, and I got to experience
the way the Bedouin traveled
a hundred years ago,”
Sa‘id Al-Hajri said. He was
profoundly influenced by the
experience. “I couldn’t miss
the quietness, stillness and
clarity you get from being out
here. The silence is so loud,
you can’t ignore it.”
The team camped one night
near the well of ’Ubaylah,
located at the lowest point of
an ancient lake bed. A piece
of petrified wood provided
evidence of lush days long
gone, and shards of pottery
presented tantalizing signs of
Below: The team faced blazing sun, blowing sands and even
some rain, but none of it fazed the stoic camels. Bottom: Trek
leader Al-Hajri occasionally rode a camel but more often than
not preferred to walk — ultimately 170 km of the 240 km trip.
10 Dimensions International
Spring 2011 11

human activity. Nonetheless,
four graves dug into the hardpan
lakebed were a reminder
to all of the unforgiving
nature of The Empty Quarter.
The next morning, it was
on to Bir Um Al-Hadid — the
Well of the Mother of Iron.
As the final dune overlooking
the well was crested, the
team spied a water tanker
being filled with precious
Right: Expedition members
enjoyed a traditional dance
at the end of the trip. Bakheet
Al-Marri and Bradley Wilkinson
celebrate friendship and achievement.
Opposite top: The slow
pace and vastness of the desert
provided many opportunities for
quiet reflection.
‘
The graciousness and respect of the Bedouin
team members met throughout the journey
were as vast as the desert itself.’
water from deep underground. Peering down into the well,
one could only imagine the courage, strength and determination
it must have taken to have dug so deeply into the earth
with only a hope that water would be struck. The water
operation was being overseen by the youthful eye of 88-yearold
Faraj Talib Al-Hulayal Al-Marri, who tended the well.
Al-Marri and his son came to the campsite that evening for
dinner. He not only shared stories but brought a container of
fresh camel milk for all to enjoy. The graciousness and respect
of the Bedouin that team members met throughout the journey
were as vast as the desert itself.
The team headed on to its final destination, the Um Al-
Hadid meteorite crater, and the final campsite. When they
arrived just before sunset, the team experienced a profound
moment of satisfaction. They had successfully and safely
achieved a difficult objective under the guidance of a gracious
and determined leader with the help of a dedicated team and
the strength of their steady mounts in an environment both
stunning and desolate.
After celebrations the next morning that included being
thankful to God, and breaking into impromptu dance and
songs, the team headed to the crater. One couldn’t help but
be humbled by the power of what had transpired. A mighty
meteorite from the sky had once lit up the night, gouging a
path into the earth and leaving a trail of glass forged from
sand in the intense heat.
After the trip, Al-Daajani reflected on his experience in a
presentation to a delegation from Harvard University that was
visiting Saudi Arabia. “My father always told me stories from
the early days, but I could never quite relate to them. Now I
understand what he was saying and better understand where I
come from.” For this young man, Al-Hajri’s dream of
reconnecting with the past had indeed been achieved.
Photo by James Duggan
Top, Bottom Right: photos by James Duggan;
Bottom Left: Photo by Fahad AlDaajani
Above: This sign was posted at the top of a hill that
limited visibility for the vehicles that come infrequently
from either direction on an earthen rig road.
At left: Riders kept an eye out for anything revealed
by nearly constant wind across the sand, which has
buried past civilizations.
12 Dimensions International
Spring 2011 13

Floating Giants
Building crude tankers for Saudi Aramco a mammoth undertaking
By Joon Soh
GEOJE ISLAND, South Korea — Seen for the first time
in person, the sheer size of the marine behemoths can be
overwhelming. These massive and complicated structures
of steel and wire seem to defy comprehension and perhaps
even come close to breaking a few laws of nature. It’s hard
to imagine that they are able to float and glide so gracefully
in the water, let alone carry 2.25 million barrels of crude oil
halfway around the globe.
14
Dimensions International
Spring 2011 15

The gargantuan vessels, called
Very Large Crude Carriers
(VLCCs), make up the heart
of Vela International Marine
Ltd.’s fleet of 20 vessels. Vela,
the Dubai-based shipping subsidiary
of Saudi Aramco, has
for the past decade carried out
a major construction program to produce
a total of 14 double-hull VLCCs — four
tankers during 2001-2003, another six
from 2007-2009, and, most recently, four
additional vessels at the end of 2010.
The new double-hull tankers are not
only equipped with the latest technology
but also have replaced Vela’s older
15 single-hull VLCCs that the company
phased out. The proactive move was in
line with international environmental
regulations mandating the phase-out by
2015 of single-hull tankers, which
are more vulnerable to oil-spill
incidents.
Planning a VLCC
Measuring more than 300 meters
long — about the length of three
American football fields or three
soccer pitches — and weighing
about 45,000 tons without cargo,
a single VLCC costs more than a
$100 million to design and build.
Each VLCC will be able to haul
precious Saudi Aramco crude oil
from Saudi Arabia to countries
around the world, nonstop, for
up to a quarter of a century. So,
as one can imagine, the decision
to build a fleet of such tankers is
not taken lightly by the company. Each
project must be approved by both Vela
and its parent company, Saudi Aramco.
In fact, it takes a while before a tanker
goes from the planning stage to start of
construction. The design and cost of a
new VLCC are discussed and decided
by members of the Tanker Construction
Division, Marine Planning Group and
Marine Operations Department, headed
by the Vela president and CEO. Specifications
such as the vessel’s speed, capacity,
equipment and environmental factors can
dramatically affect the overall design of
the ship.
According to Mohammed Al-Gusaier,
president and CEO of Vela, planning a
new vessel requires thinking ahead to
changes in international requirements that
can occur years later. “So sometimes we
have to use foresight and build to those
possible specifications in the future,”
Al-Gusaier said. “It may make the vessel
costlier now, but in the long term, it pays
off. Our ships are built to operate for
25 years, so we must make sure to build
them to the highest standard possible,
and, above all, the safety issue is a prime
objective from day one.”
Once the specifications are decided,
the bidding process begins. For each
project, Vela receives bids from the
world’s top shipyards, which are mostly
in Europe and Asia. Among other criteria,
the company seeks a balance between
quality and overall
cost. As the specifications
required by
Vela are very high,
not all shipyards
can meet them and
stay within the budget
requirements.
‘Deciding on a
shipyard is
never easy.
It’s not just
about going to
many shipyards
and choosing
the cheapest.’
“Deciding on a
shipyard is never
easy,” said Zaki
Ahmed, group
leader of Tanker
Construction
Division–Dubai
Office. “It’s not just about going to many
shipyards and choosing the cheapest.
There are numerous factors that have to
be considered in order to make each
bid fair.”
The competitive bidding process does
not give preferential treatment to any
shipyard; nevertheless, the company
Top: Vela’s new tanker Matar Star rests in Building
Dock No. 1 at Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering
(DSME) shipyard in South Korea after its
first float-out and repositioning in the dock. Above:
W.K. Ki, senior executive vice president and CPO of
DSME; Mohammad Al-Gusaier, president & CEO of
Vela International Marine Ltd.; and Khalid Alhammad,
project site manager, view a scale model of
the shipyard before a ship naming ceremony at the
DSME main office building. Right: Vela’s new VLCC
Homam Star under construction in Dock No. 1.
VLCC
16 Dimensions International
Spring 2011 17

VELA
Role of Vela Tanker Construction Division (TCD), Dubai
Vela TCD in Dubai plays a vital role right from the project conception
stage through delivery of the vessel and post-delivery guarantees.
TCD Dubai is the only official and legal contact point for the building
yard, and all correspondence on technical and commercial matters during
a project is handled from the Dubai office.
Prior to start of a capital project, the approval of funds for the project is
obtained by Vela from its shareholder.
After approval, specifications are prepared for each tanker, and potential
shipyards are vetted globally. The construction contract is awarded after all
commercial bids are received and evaluated, and final technical and commercial
negotiations are completed.
After contract signing, ship drawings are approved and equipment
selected for the shipyard. A Vela Project Site Office team is assigned to
the shipyard and monitors construction progress with on-site inspections
through commissioning.
Once the ship is delivered, warranty periods range from one to five
years for various machinery, equipment, the hull structure, etc. Claims
help improve future Vela ship procurement specifications.
vela facts
Vela International Marine, Ltd. was established as a subsidiary of Saudi
Aramco in 1984, to provide marine transportation of Saudi Aramco
crude oil.
Currently, 20 vessels comprise Vela’s fleet, and the company has operated
48 vessels during its 26 years and has chartered many more.
Vela has 1,081 employees, 905 of whom are sea-faring personnel.
The names of all Vela-owned ships are derived from the Arabic or Latin
names of the stars in the Vela constellation, located in the southern hemisphere.
The Vela constellation figures prominently in the story of Jason
and the Argonauts in their quest for the Golden Fleece.
It normally takes 24 seamen to operate a very large crude carrier (VLCC):
the captain and three officers, the chief engineer and three other engineers,
an electro-technical officer and 15 crewmembers.
A VLCC is about 333 meters long and 60 meters wide, weighing
319,000 tons in dead weight. It can carry 2.25 million barrels and can
reach a top speed of 16.45 knots when loaded.
During the shipbuilding project, a vessel is traditionally referred to by its
hull number only. It is only when the vessel is completed and an elaborate
naming ceremony takes place that it is referred to by its name.
In 2010, the Vela-owned fleet completed 447 voyages, transporting more
than 1 million barrels per day of crude oil to customers, primarily in the
United States and Europe.
The enormous rudder and propeller of this
Vela tanker is coated with silicone-based
paint that helps prevent colonizing of the
giant parts by marine organisms.
has repeatedly returned to the South
Korean shipbuilders for their 14 doublehull
VLCCs. The first four were built
by Hyundai Heavy Industries in Ulsan,
a port city on the southeastern coast of
Korea. The remaining 10 were built by
Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering
(DSME) on Geoje Island, also
located in southeastern Korea. DSME, a
top shipbuilder in the highly competitive
Korean market, has won the contracts for
the last 15 Vela vessels, including the 10
VLCCs.
“When we started, it looked like an
uphill battle to satisfy Vela,” said Senior
Vice President Won Kang Ki of the DSME
shipyard. “It’s completely different from
normal VLCCs, in terms of specifications
such as coating and welding methods.
They asked for perfection, and we did our
best to deliver it.”
Building a VLCC
Once a shipyard is selected
and construction begins, the
fate of the tankers is in the
hands of Vela’s Tanker Construction
Division (TCD),
supported by an onsite
inspection team.
Saud Bukhari, manager of
Floating cranes position a section of a Vela tanker
block, which will be shifted and mated with the
waiting hull form.
Vela’s Technical & Support
Department, gives
much of the credit for the
success of the VLCC project
to the professionalism
of his top-notch TCD and
Vela’s Inspection team in
Korea. Hailing from different
parts of the globe, including Saudi
Arabia, Canada, Sweden, UK, India,
Korea, and Japan, team members are
unparalleled in experience and expertise
in their respective fields, according to
DSME management.
As impressive as the tankers are when
completed, their construction process
in the shipyard is even more astonishing.
Encompassing an area of 4 square
kilometers, the DSME shipyard is a giant,
sprawling factory for a range of vessels
and offshore products and home to more
than 30,000 skilled workers. Completing
an average of 60 ships and 10 offshore
plants a year, the
shipyard operates as
an intricate assemblyline
process. At any
moment, one will find ships of all shapes
and sizes in various stages of assembly,
while massive cranes, some able to lift
over 900 tons, hover over the entire site
and slowly move enormous assemblages
of metal and wire.
According to Khalid Alhammad, site
manager of Vela’s Inspection team in
Korea, every vessel, no matter how large
or complex, begins as large, flat steel
plates that are brought in by boat from
the iron mill, then treated and cleaned.
This collection of steel sheets
looks somewhat humble until
the DSME workers begin to
measure, cut, bend, shape and
weld them together to form
View of a ring-hull block awaiting
erection in the building dock.
blocks, or sections of various
sizes that will later be assembled
into a tanker. By dividing
a tanker into such blocks — 88
in all for a single VLCC — it is possible
to maneuver them to stations within the
shipyard where they are outfitted with
pipes, wires and other required components,
and painted.
As the blocks are completed, they are
joined together to form larger groups and
then are moved to one of the shipyard’s
dry docks where, along with subcontracted
components built outside the
Continued on page 24
18 Dimensions International
Spring 2011 19

Despite supertanker technology,
humans rule
By Joon Soh
With every passing year, new
advancements in shipbuilding
technology make ships
safer, more computerized
and easier to navigate. But
no matter how sophisticated commercial
vessels get, the human element
remains.
“It takes a certain type of person
to deal with life on a vessel,” said
2nd Officer Abdulaziz Al-Sharahili,
who joined Vela 13 years ago. “Not
everybody can handle it.”
Al-Sharahili was part of the sea
staff for the maiden voyage of the
Matar Star, the third Very Large
Crude Carrier (VLCC) of Vela’s
four-vessel construction program that
ended in 2010. The 10-member sea
staff — composed of Captain Martin
Lange, four senior and junior officers,
five engineers and 14 Filipino crewmembers
— set sail on the brand-new
tanker from the South Korean
shipyard on Oct. 31 to Fujirah,
United Arab Emirates. There, they
made their final preparations before
embarking on their maiden commercial
voyage: a 40-day journey to
deliver crude oil from Ras Tanura,
Saudi Arabia, to the Gulf of Mexico
coast in the United States.
The sea staff of a new vessel usually
arrives at the shipyard a month
before the sea trial (a series of tests at
sea) and about two months before the
tanker sets sail on its first commercial
voyage. It is an opportunity for the
captain and his staff to familiarize
themselves with their new vessel as
well as help the onsite inspection team
make its final evaluations. And the
Matar Star staff did not take its job at
the shipyard lightly.
“It is a big responsibility to be
the first sea staff for a new vessel,”
Captain Martin Lange, right, and electro
technical officer Bogdan Wooblewski stride
across the deck onboard the Matar Star
during Sea trials.
Right: Vela and DSME colleagues cut a traditional
rice cake for good luck in a steel-cutting
ceremony for the Homam Star in the DSME fabrication
shop. Right below: Vela’s senior machinery
inspector, Tom Liddle, center, confers with a
DSME official and Vela Third Officer Abdulla
Al-Junaidi during sea trials of the Matar Star.
Captain Lange said. “You have to make
sure the ship is working at full capacity,
not only for your own sea staff, but for
all the sea staffs that come to work on
this ship after you.”
Like on most vessels, the Matar
Star sea staff members came from all
over the globe: Captain Lange is British;
Chief Officer Mavrinac and 2nd
Engineer Zlatko Zarnik are Croatian;
and Chief Engineer Miroslaw Czeladka
and ETO Bogdan Wroblewski hail
from Poland. Along with 2nd Officer
Al-Sharahili, the remaining four junior
officers and engineers are Saudi: 2nd
Officer Mohammed Majdali, 3rd Officer
Abdullah Al-Junaidi, 3rd Engineer
Majed Misfer Al-Ajmi and 4th Engineer
Salem Al-Ghamdi.
Everyone agreed that having a multicultural
sea staff was a positive element.
“It is an amazing experience to work
with people from different countries,”
3rd Engineer Al-Ajmi said. “Everyone is
very professional, and you get to learn
about different cultures.”
A DSME commissioning engineer tests the cargo system during
sea trials of the Matar Star.
A life at sea is still considered an
unusual career choice for young people
in Saudi Arabia, but Vela and Saudi
Aramco have done much to encourage
it as an option. Currently, 17 percent of
Vela’s sea-going personnel
are Saudi, and Vela hopes
the number will continue
to grow. As an incentive,
Vela offers a comprehensive
training program that
regularly sends officers to
the United Kingdom and
Egypt to receive specialized
education and certification
training needed to
move up the ranks.
In order to make voyages easier to
handle, Vela’s vessels are equipped with
modern conveniences, including a large
DVD collection, state-of-the-art exercise
equipment and, for the few willing to
pay the expensive fee, Internet connection.
In
addition, the
officers receive
20 to 28 days
leave for each
month spent
on board. Nevertheless,
most
officers agree
that it isn’t
always easy to
be away from
family and
friends for
long periods at
a time.
So what kind of a person
does it take to be a seaman? According
to Chief Engineer Czeladka, it requires
affinity for the solitary life, “because
sometimes it’s like being a monk.” At
‘It takes a
the same time, 3rd Officer Al-Junaidi
said, you have to be a very social person
as well. “For every new voyage, you are
meeting new staff and new crewmembers.
You have to be very open-minded
and diplomatic to handle it and get
along with everyone.”
But despite the difficulties
and challenges,
the sea staff feels great
pride in the role they
play in bringing Saudi
Aramco oil to the
world.
“The job at sea
never stops. You are
working 24-7,” said
2nd Officer Al-Sharahili.
“And you have
to, because if you do
not, you are not taking
care of the company’s
business. The company
has invested much in you and the
vessel, and you want to live up to their
investment.”
certain type
of person to
deal with life
on a vessel.
Not everybody
can handle it.’
20
Dimensions International
Spring 2011 21

Trial by SeaBy Joon Soh
The sea trial is a huge milestone
for a newly built vessel. It is the
final, comprehensive test, the
last big hurdle that a shipyard
must jump before the tanker’s
sale can be approved by its new owner.
At the same time, it is also the unofficial
“maiden voyage” for a ship, as it leaves
the safety of the shipyard and hits the
seas for the very first time.
Each vessel must undergo a sea trial,
but usually, the sea trial for the
first vessel of a project is the
longest and most arduous and
is also attended by members
from Vela Head Office Tanker
Construction Division and
Marine Operation Department.
The February 2008 sea trial for
Al Butain Star, the first of the
previous 10-VLCC project, not
only took eight days, but due to
lingering questions, the vessel
had to be taken out for a rare
second sea trial to resolve
those issues.
The sea trial for Matar Star, the third
vessel of the most recent four-VLCC
project, began on Oct. 6, 2010, and ran
for five days. Nevertheless, said Vela’s
Senior Electrical Inspector Bhaskar
Raghunathan, “We should always
expect anything, any kind of anomaly.
There could be a big problem or no
problem at all. But we always have to
be prepared.”
The purpose of a sea trial is to run all
Saudi ship officers Abdullah Al-Junaidi, left, and Abdulaziz
Al-Sharahili talk aboard the Matar Star during sea trials.
the major components of a vessel as if it
were actually on a commercial voyage.
For the Matar Star sea trial, the VLCC
departed from the DSME shipyard on
Geoje Island, and as its tanks were filled
with seawater and the correct draft was
being reached, the vessel made its way
southward, about 30 nautical miles
offshore from the shipyard and toward
the deeper part of the sea.
Once the vessel reached waters of
about 120 meters, it underwent a
battery of tests meant to simulate a
range of conditions, both ordinary
and extraordinary, that it could
potentially face during a commercial
voyage. These tests included
specific directional changes to
test the ship’s maneuverability; a
ship-wide blackout to time how
quickly the vessel’s many backup
generators returned to life; and an
anchor test to measure how long it
took for the vessel’s two 17.25-ton
anchors to reach a specified depth
and be brought back up.
Other major tests measured the durability
of the vessel’s numerous boilers,
engines and generators under various
conditions, as well as the maximum
speed of the vessel. The latter half of
the sea trial was almost wholly devoted
to checking the integrity of the all-important
cargo tanks and pumps. During
the tests, seawater substituted for the
oil that will eventually be stored and
transported.
Every wire, pipe and electrical
component must perform to the exact
specifications agreed to by manufacturer
DSME and Vela during a sea trial; if
it doesn’t, the problem may be major
enough to require another sea trial and
even postpone the sale and delivery
of the vessel. Fortunately, the Matar
Star passed its sea trial with no major
difficulties.
“It’s not unlike taking a new car
out before you buy it: you kick the
tires, check the sparkplugs and make
sure the engine is running properly
when you rev it up,” said Senior Machinery
Inspector Tom Liddle. “Except,
of course, a tanker is infinitely more
complicated and expensive than any
automobile you can imagine.”
To extend the automobile metaphor,
the driver’s seat belongs to the shipyard
during a sea trial, while Vela remains
firmly in the passenger seat. The
operation of the entire vessel is left to
DSME’s team of navigators, engineers
and technicians. “This is because at this
point, the vessel still officially belongs
to DSME and not Vela,” said Khalid
Alhammad, Vela’s site manager for the
project. “The sea trial is how the shipyard
convinces us that they have built a
ship worth purchasing.”
To ensure the objectivity of the
tests, Vela’s senior inspectors observe
everything, making sure the tests are
run properly and that the results are
measured accurately. After each test, the
inspectors must sign and approve the
validity of the results, which often only
happens after lengthy
discussions.
Vela’s VLCCs are
designed to be operated
by 24 officers and
crewmembers, but they
can carry a complement of 40 seafarers
comfortably. On a sea trial, however,
this number reaches over 100. During
the Matar Star’s sea trial, the ship was
teeming with specialists from Vela, the
shipyard, various subcontractors and
representatives from the DNV classification
society, which had to certify that
the ship met technical standards for
construction and operation. Many were
there for the duration of the sea trial,
while others arrived and left daily by
tugboat for particular tests.
Also on hand for the entire sea trial
was the sea staff of Matar Star, who
took the vessel on its official maiden
voyage after final sale. For Mohammed
Majdali, 2nd officer of Matar Star, the
experience of participating in the sea
trial was truly eye-opening.
“When you are out on the sea, it’s
easy to complain about a loose screw or
any other minor problem that happens
on a vessel,” Majdali said. “But here I
see how many people it takes to make
sure a vessel is without any mistakes,
how much work they have to put in.
After seeing this, I will have new respect
and appreciation whenever I go out
to sea.”
Vela’s newly built VLCC Matar Star during sea trials, when she
was loaded to design draft to test cargo-carrying capacity.
Above: Matar Star ship officers onboard during sea
trials. Right: Technicians conduct a commission test
in the Matar Star’s Engine Control Room during
sea trials.
22 Dimensions International
Spring 2011 23

Continued from page 21
shipyard, they are assembled
into the tanker. Once assembled
and tested, the tanker is ready
to be launched into the water
and prepared for its sea trial,
which it must pass in order
to be approved for delivery
to Vela.
The entire construction
process, from steel cutting to
the launch from dry dock, takes
about 215 days and requires
510,000 man-hours.
Although DSME and various
subcontractors perform the
actual manual work, Alhammad
and his Vela Inspection team
(supported by Vela in Dubai)
are an integral part of the
process from the very first steel
cutting. Each shipyard has its
standard templates and working
methods, and the inspectors must make
sure that Vela’s specifications, and not
the shipyard’s, are being followed. That
means examining every detail of the construction,
from the surface preparation
and coating on the steel plates to the location
of the smallest electrical component.
Vela President & CEO Mohammed
Al-Gusaier participates in celebration
activities aboard the Matar Star after
the traditional naming ceremony and
blowing of the ship’s horn.
DSME, Vela and Saudi Aramco officials celebrate the naming of the Antares Star, the first in
a four-tanker series for the Company. Officials attending include, left to right, Y.M. Lee-Engg,
director, DSME; Saud Bhukari, manager (T&SD), Vela International Marine; W.K. Ki, senior executive
vice president and CPO, DSME; Ahmed Al-Sa’adi, vice president of Saudi Aramco Pipelines,
Distribution and Terminal Operations; Dr. Majid Al-Sani, tanker construction manager, Vela
International Marine; Khalid Alhammad, project site manager, Vela; and Hong-Choul Cho, vice
president, Business Team 2, Business Management, DSME.
The inspectors also make continuous
trips outside the shipyard to the offices
of DSME’s subcontractors, which are
responsible for minor items as well as
some parts of the structure itself. Each
subcontractor’s work must be examined
and approved by Vela.
The nature of the work requires
inspectors
to be very
meticulous and
demanding,
and sometimes
those demands
lead to challenges
coordinating
with
DSME workers
who follow
their own tight
schedules. But
it is clear that
quality is the
top priority for
all concerned,
and because
of this shared goal, a mutual respect has
developed between the shipyard and the
Vela inspection team over the years.
“A lot of owners and inspectors come
here and all they do is fight shipyards; but
our concept of working with shipyards
is, you get good ships by cooperation and
not confrontation,” said senior machinery
inspector Tom Liddle. “You can only get
a good ship if you are prepared to work
with a shipyard, and vice versa.”
The rewards of such dedication and
professionalism can be seen in the quality
of the fleet of VLCCs that proudly sail
today. According to Vela President and
CEO Al-Gusaier, Vela is committed to the
transportation of petroleum that Saudi
Aramco produces to the world, on
tankers that exceed national and international
standards for quality and safety,
and in an environmentally sound manner.
When a new VLCC joins Vela’s evergrowing
fleet, it will perform a vital role
in helping Saudi Aramco to meet its
commitments as a company, and in
providing energy to the world.
On the morning of Dec. 31, 2010,
the last completed tanker of
Vela’s successful VLCC construction
program finally left
Geoje Island, South Korea, and
set forth on its maiden voyage. When the
newly launched vessel left the Korean
shipyard, there was probably no one
more moved by the sight than Khalid
Alhammad.
As Vela’s site manager for the project,
Alhammad made it his ritual to climb to
a nearby hill whenever one of his tankers
departed the shipyard, to “just look
at it sail off.”
“When I see it, it’s like watching a
daughter or a son leaving,” Alhammad
said with a smile. “A vessel that you’ve
nurtured and taken care of for nine
months, it’s leaving and it just hits you at
that time. It’s a really amazing feeling.”
The successful completion of the
construction program is also a personal
milestone for 43-year-old Alhammad,
who was not always involved in the
shipbuilding side of the oil industry. He
began his career in 1990 with Saudi
Aramco at the company’s Ras Tanura
terminal, where he was first a technician
and, after receiving an electrical engineering
degree from Oregon State University
in the United States, worked his
way up to project engineer. In 2002, the
ambitious and successful Saudi Aramco
engineer wanted a new challenge, and
he found it with Vela. There was just
one catch: he had to resign from Saudi
Aramco in order to join the shipping
subsidiary in Dubai.
The decision did not come easily for
Alhammad and his family. “Although
there was a big risk, I knew there was
also a big reward,” Alhammad said.
“Also, since Vela is a part of the Saudi
Aramco family, it would follow that
company’s way of doing business, its
way of taking care of its employees. And
it turned out I was correct.”
After making the move to Vela in
November 2002, Alhammad made it
his goal to learn every facet of the vessel
construction process. He worked as an
electrical engineer in Dubai for the two
medium-range product tankers; served
as an electrical inspector at the South
Korean shipyard for the six VLCCs; and
finally became site manager, the second
Saudi in Vela to hold the position. In
addition, he spent 18 months sailing on
Vela product tankers and VLCCs as part
of his training, an experience he called
“invaluable to understanding the vessels
and life at sea.”
new tankers are
build-site manager’s babies
Serving as site manager in South
Korea from January 2009 until the end
of 2010, Alhammad oversaw a team of
highly skilled inspectors, many of whom
were much older and more experienced
than himself. He said his previous experience
as an electrical inspector helped
him bring out the best out of each
inspector’s abilities.
“At the end of the day, it’s the inspectors
who are actually doing the jobs.
The site manager has the overall picture,
and he sometimes directs. But my
people are very experienced, and they
know what they need to do. My role is
to support them.”
Alhammad’s position at Vela has
required him to spend much of the past
six years in South Korea, during which
he “basically fell in love with the Korean
culture.” However, he readily admitted
that spending so much time away from
his wife and six sons has been the hardest
part of his job.
The site manager’s voice filled with
pride as he spoke of his oldest son,
18-year-old Yousef Alhammad, who
plans to follow in his father’s footsteps
and become an engineer for Saudi
By Joon Soh
Virgo Star, the second VLCC in a four-ship series
of new Vela ships, launches from DSME’s Building
Dock No. 1 in South Korea.
Aramco. Yousef joined Saudi Aramco
last year and is currently preparing to
go abroad for his petroleum engineering
degree, much like his electrical-engineer
father did some 18 years ago.
“I encouraged him to accept the position
in Saudi Aramco, and I think it’s
excellent,” Alhammad said. “Yousef is
working very hard to achieve his goal. He
will definitely go further than his father.”
24 Dimensions International
Spring 2011 25

A World of
Talent
DHAHRAN — To
say Saudi Aramco’s
workforce is diverse is
like saying the moon is far away.
At the beginning of 2011, the
company had 54,918 employees
representing 68 different nationalities,
and 47,770 employees, or 87
percent of the total, were Saudis.
After Saudis, Americans (1,832
employees, 3 percent) and Filipinos
(1,273 employees, just over
2 percent) made up the two largest
employee national groups. Other
nationalities also well-represented
included Indians, 807 employees;
British, 729; Canadians, 576;
Jordanians, 303; Pakistanis, 248;
and South Africans, 183.
Fifteen countries provided
one employee each to the Saudi
Aramco work force — Austria,
Boliva, Bosnia-Herzogovina,
Cameroon, Chile, Cyprus,
Denmark, Kazakhstan, Macedonia,
Mauritius, Oman, Panama,
Serbia-Montenegro, Sierra Leone
and Zimbabwe. There are also
two Russians in the work force
and two from Brazil, Croatia,
Singapore and Sweden
Seventeen employees hailed
from the tiny Caribbean archipelago
state of Trinidad-Tobago,
population 1.3 million, and only
25 employees came from much
larger and more populous
European Union heavyweight
France. Employees from Arab
countries other than Saudi
Arabia totalled 459.
Saudi Aramco’s enormously
diverse employees give company
communities in Saudi Arabia a
continued on page 28
William Pinkston United states
“Working at Aramco has
been great! But even good
things come to an end!”
Ivan Cruz Philippines/United States
Anwar Jaweed Canada/Pakistan
“Age wrinkles the body;
retirement wrinkles
the soul.”
“It does not seem so long ago when I moved with my wife and two
children, age 2 and 4, to Saudi Arabia. Nineteen years later, my son
is now in medical school and my daughter a junior in college, both
back in the United States, and they still call this place their home.
Saudi Arabia has been good
to us. It has given my children
the opportunity to go to the
best schools possible, given us
a chance to travel the world,
and, most of all, we’ve made
friends with truly remarkable,
wonderful, diverse people.”
Hector Mascarenhas United Kingdom
“Many vivid experiences living in this
wonderful, cosmopolitan society.”
Manal Al-Sharif
saudi arabia
“The Eastern
Province,
where Saudi
Aramco is
located, enjoys
a very diverse
cultural landscape.
I have
met so many
interesting people from many countries
around the world, and even from other
parts in Saudi Arabia, who I wouldn’t
have met them if I wasn’t working and
living here.”
Henry Pinto india
“I owe a lot to
Saudi Arabia.
Good times and
great memories.”
Portraits of expats
Saudi photographer captures the essence
of Saudi Aramco expatriates
DHAHRAN, Saudi Arabia — Saudi Aramco employee
Abduljalil M. Nasser had a yen to capture the company’s
expatriate spirit in photographs. The result was an
exhibition of black-and-white portraits of expats who
had worked at least 10 years with the company, and
who had already retired or were soon scheduled to retire.
His one-man exhibition in Dhahran presented these
portraits to the public, including personal reflections
from each on their Saudi Aramco experience — and the
bittersweet nature of leaving a company and community
that had provided the backdrop to their lives, often for
decades.
The portraits are published here to illustrate the story
of the company’s enormous diversity, and its unique
social environment.
Nasser is a computer systems analyst with the
Exploration and Petroleum Engineering Center’s Network
Operations Department.
Jasmine Carvalho Canada/India
“This place is paradise — a 365-day resort filled
with friends, both Saudi and expatriates.”
26
Dimensions International

vibrant cosmopolitan feel and
expose workers and their families
to a broadening cultural richness
they rarely if ever experience
in their usually far more
homogenous home countries. And
because the company’s employees
are professionals, some at the
apex of their fields internationally,
the camaraderie in and out of the
office accommodates intellectual
as well as cultural exchange.
So, in searching the world for
the top talent available, Saudi
Aramco has gathered a team of
professionals second to none while
fostering a multi-national community
environment at once enriching
and unique.
Anna Cruz Philippines/United States
“Nineteen years in Saudi Arabia have
given me the wonderful opportunity
of meeting and making friends from
hundreds of different cultures. I will
definitely miss this place and all the
friends I’ve made.”
Mahmood Shadeed Egypt
“It’s hard to believe that
I’m about to retire. Time
went so fast, just like a
dream. Leaving behind
friends and memories and
30 years of my life is not
an easy practice. However,
I have to convince myself
and others that real life
starts after 60.”
their respective, cultures and opinions.”
Scott Lentz United states
Osama Al-Saadoun Saudi Arabia
“One of the great things
about Saudi Aramco is the
fact that it represents a
unique community with
significant diversity, where
people of that community
live in harmony and do
respect differences in
Andrew Bartlett United Kingdom
“I came, I saw, I traveled, from Ras Tanura to
Khafji, from Shedgum to Tabuk, from Jeddah
to Dhuba, and all the places in between. I
met many interesting people who were very
helpful. I saw many unique sites that most
Westerners will never see. Enjoyed it!”
Wilfred Carvalho Canada/India
“We and our children take
with us fond memories
of our life in the ‘friendly
city,’ Abqaiq, and the big
city, Dhahran.”
Wali Kareem united states
“I will miss the blue skies, sunny
days, beautiful desert sands, dust and
humidity of the Eastern Province.
Most of all, I will miss my friends and
special relations.”
“Only the best
people live — or
have lived — in
Ras Tanura!”
Severine Pinto india
Manuel Bronoso Philippines
“I’ve seen changes in
Saudi Arabia, and it was
just like yesterday, a big
30 years — coming up!”
Loretta Mascarenhas
united kingdom
“As the time comes to
leave, I go with wonderful
memories of our
children growing up in
this great place, and I
look forward to longlasting
friendships with
people from all over
the world.”
“It’s hard to leave Saudi Arabia, as it
holds too many memories — the birth
of my three kids, especially. The great
friends, as well. My body will leave,
but my spirit will always be here.”
28 Dimensions International
Spring 2011 29

Palette of
Achievement
Saudi Aramco’s top female executive brings talent to life
By Suzanne Martinchalk
D
HAHRAN, Saudi Arabia
— Huda Ghoson: Saudi woman, Top 20
Saudi Arabian businesswomen (Arab News,
2009), highest ranking female executive
in Saudi Aramco, award-winning
artist. As general manager of Training
and Development, she speaks of
her accomplishments with humility,
attributing much of her personal
success to the opportunities that
Saudi Aramco has afforded her.
Several years ago, Huda rekindled her lifelong love
of art. She studied books; took lessons; bought canvases,
paint and brushes. And, she explained, “The rest
is history.” As she learned to translate her emotions to
canvas, she found painting to be therapeutic, even
spiritual in nature, and developed her own artistic
philosophy. This philosophy could very well be
the backdrop for her story.
T he canvas
In the 1950s, Huda’s father, Mohammad,
served the Kingdom as governor in the
remote Neutral Zone between Kuwait
and Saudi Arabia. At the time, permanent
buildings and military installations
were prohibited in that area,
Huda Ghoson’s painting
The Race, top left, won
first place in the Judges
Award competition at
the 2009 Annual Art
Show in Dhahran. Her
other works include Girl
With a Flower — A Study,
above, and Side Street
Cafe, at left.
30 Dimensions International
Spring 2011 31

so no local hospitals existed. Ghoson
had a growing family and wanted to
ensure a healthy start to their lives, so,
as his wife’s delivery time drew near, he
arranged for her to travel to Iraq to be
with her mother, and close to modern
medical facilities. It was there that the
family welcomed Huda into the world.
“Freely”
When his children were quite young,
Mohammad Ghoson moved the family
to neighboring Kuwait. Ever concerned
about their intellectual development,
he enrolled them in excellent schools
and exposed them to a panoply of
extracurricular activities. The Ghoson
youngsters found inspiration for their
creative talents through such endeavors as music, art, sports
and theater. Huda thrived in this free-space that allowed her
to satisfy her curiosity, explore talents and discover various aspects
of her personality. “I used to enjoy (gymnastics) so much
… I didn’t think about the movement; I felt controlled by just
the emotions of being free, jumping and playing. It came to me
so easily, and I loved it so much.”
“Perspective, the principle tool”
When Huda was older, Ghoson moved his family back to Saudi
Arabia to build a stronger link to their homeland. Although
the Kingdom offered few options for extra-curricular activities,
Huda considered this move to have been a wise decision. The
abrupt life change allowed her to experience emotions that
increased the depth of her artistic expression. To ease frustrations,
she began to write — essays, poetry — creative outlets
for her active mind. Her talent for expression gained the
Education
Master’s of business administration,
American University,
Washington, D.C., United
States; bachelor’s of art, English
literature, King Saud University,
Riyadh, Saudi
Arabia.
Leadership/
management programs
Sloan’s Health Executives
Development Program, Cornel
University, New York, United
States; Saudi Aramco Management
Development Seminar, Washington
D.C., United States; Oxford Advanced
Management Program, Oxford,
United Kingdom; Economics of Oil
Seminar, London; Executive Influence
Program, London, United Kingdom;
and Advanced HR Executive
Program, Ross School of Business,
Michigan University, U.S.
Huda Ghoson’s career path
attention of local newspaper editors
who published some of her essays.
Throwing herself into high-school
studies of math and science, Huda
dreamed of attending a university in
the West and of pursuing a career in a
related field. These dreams, however,
Saudi Aramco president
and CEO Khalid Al-Falih,
center, enjoys a light
moment with other company
executives and artists
at Ghoson’s exhibit
site at the 2009 Annual
Art Show in Dhahran
had to be placed on hold. “It was a choice driven by circumstances
and by society,” she recalled. At that time in Saudi
history, she was not free to chase these dreams; but, she did
not give up.
A friend suggested that they attend Riyadh University (now
King Saud University) together and study English Literature.
This was not Huda’s first choice, but it was the only viable
option at the time. In reminiscing, however, she expressed no
regrets; the experience taught her a great deal and fomented
her love of literature, poetry, novels and art history.
Certifications/
memberships
Certified Compensation
Professional (CCP) by
WorldatWork Association (formerly
American Compensation
Association); member of the
Arabian Society for Human
Resources Management
(ASHRM).
1981 Joined the company.
Until 2006, held a variety of
positions in various human
resources and support organizations,
including Health Care
Services, Facilities Planning,
Finance, Community Services
and Industrial Relations
Planning, developing expertise
in labor markets, human
resources practices
and pay trends
regionally and
internationally.
“Free of conventions”
After earning her degree, Huda joined Saudi Aramco as a planning
and program analyst, where she became intrigued with
business processes. Wishing to expand her business knowledge
and stay on track with her dreams, she chose to pursue a master’s
degree in business administration (MBA) at Washington
D.C.’s American University in the United States. The company
supported her plan, so, through Saudi Aramco, a long-held
dream became reality.
After earning her MBA, Huda returned to Saudi Arabia to
dedicate herself, her knowledge, her talents and her ambition
to the company.
“The solid reputation of the company locally and globally
— good governance, high ethical standards, corporate culture
and values — are what made me decide that this is the company
I wanted to be with, that I wanted to stick with,” she said.
She particularly appreciated Saudi Aramco’s professional
2006 Appointed director
of Human Resources Policy &
Planning Department.
Responsible for
managing initiation
and delivery of
corporate human
resource policies,
programs and
planning activities
at all corporate
locations, domestic
as well as international; focus
areas — compensation programs,
benefits plans, personnel policies,
and associated employee information
business systems.
2007 Appointed a member
of the Board of Directors of Vela
International Marine Limited,
Saudi Aramco’s subsidiary
shipping company.
2009 Appointed general
manager of the Training &
Development Department.
Responsible for initiation and
delivery of corporate education,
training and development programs
for all segments of the
workforce covering industrial,
administrative, professional and
leadership positions.
Ghoson, middle in back
row, met in 2009 in
Birmingham, England,
with female students of
the company’s College
Degree Program for
Non-Employees. She is
dedicated to developing
young women for the
company’s work force.
and learning
opportunities,
resources for
self-development,
the work
environment
and the way the
company cared
about the wellbeing
and prosperity of its employees
and their families. Females faced many
restrictions in that era, but Saudi Aramco
offered hope for changes that would
allow women the freedom to excel. Realizing
that the path she had chosen would
not be an easy one, Huda studied and
worked tirelessly to ensure that she was
prepared when change happened.
“T he brushstroke”
Naturally, Huda, faced setbacks in her life and career, but
she refused to allow discouragement to defeat her. Overcoming
societal barriers, she established her place, maintaining
a positive outlook — always
Career success
principles to live by:
“To have discipline
and high work
ethics is number
one. Secondly, you
must have a clear
understanding of the
business. And third
is to take ownership
of your own career
progress, selfdevelopment
and
personal growth. It
is also important to
be flexible and open
to new ideas, and to
learn to see things
from a different
perspective.”
learning, always growing —
through successes and failures.
Huda’s perpetual mindset was,
“Once you are focused and you
visualize where you want to be,
believe me, you are going to
get there.”
“Purity of vision”
Recognizing the enormous
responsibility of her position in
Saudi Aramco, Huda aspires to
make a difference, paving the
road for others to reach to their
destinations. She is quick to
credit her mother for her leadership
philosophy.
“She gave of her time, her
emotion, her passion, her
wisdom, and she never asked
for anything in return — she
was my greatest leader and my
role model.” True leadership is
not about one’s position,
explains Huda, it is about “the
choice to serve others with vision, compassion and fairness,
and to create an environment in which people commit to
and believe in a common goal. Ultimately, it is about the
best you can be for others, not for yourself. It’s a state of
being, not doing.”
32
Dimensions International

Saudi Aramco
Public Relations Department
East Administration Building, Room 2014, C-1
Dhahran 31311, Saudi Arabia
worldview
Picture Perfect
Most people have seen a photo of the iconic Matterhorn peak near
Zermatt, Switzerland, which is so well-known throughout the world that a ride is named after it at California’s
Disneyland amusement park in the United States. But it’s unlikely that many have seen a Zermatt image as stunningly
beautiful as this painting-like shot by Saudi Aramco employee Mohammad J. Mumen, a computer systems analyst in
the Computer Operations Department. Mumen was allowed to sleep overnight at a restaurant near the peak one night
in the summer of 2009 so he could be properly situated to shoot the mountain at dawn (there was no other place to
stay near the mountain). He awoke before sunrise and hiked 30 minutes in the cold morning air to reach the ideal place to photograph
Zermatt soon after the sun began to bathe the landscape in soft, early light. He used a polarizer to intensify colors and a gradual naturaldensity
filter to correctly expose the sky. Perfect.