Arabian Sun: Number 36

Saudi National Day 91

A continuousSaudi NationaljourneyDay 91 of

achievement

September 22, 2021 Vol. LXXVI, No. 36 a weekly Aramco publication for employees

September 22, 2021

the arabian sun

the arabian sun

September 22, 2021

2 company news

company news 3

Saudi National Day 91

Saudi National Day 91

colleagues,

mation and in Aramco's contribution to that progress.

Today our country is full of confidence and opti-

manage each day. It's what we offer to the country

And while those achievements have been driven by

mism. Our ability to persevere as one united team

and the global community: the energy and innova-

Saudi Arabia's National Day, we unite to ex-

the Kingdom's leadership, everyone in Saudi Arabia

was proven in our collective response to COVID-19.

tion that drives development and progress.

appreciation to the Custodian of the Two

can reflect with pride on a year of accomplishment,

On that note I would like to thank everybody at Ar-

Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud,

as we work towards the goals of Vision 2030.

amco for your commitment to safety precautions, in-

We couldn't do any of this without you, so be

Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Sal-

cluding getting vaccinated. Your wellbeing and that

proud of your achievements, and let me thank you

Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince, Deputy

From last year's G20 summit to Tareg Hamedi's

of your families is a priority. And while I'm confident

all for your unwavering dedication and commitment.

Minister and Minister of Defense of the King-

silver medal in karate at the Tokyo Olympics, from

that we have overcome the worst of the pandemic, I

Saudi Arabia. Their leadership and vision are

the recent advances in energy and infrastructure to

encourage you to continue to exercise caution.

I wish you and your families a very happy - and

inspiration to us all.

the archaeological finds that have made headlines

safe - National Day.

around the world - people from all walks of life have

Thanks to your efforts, Aramco has consistent-

cel brate, I am filled with a treme

dous

gone above and beyond in the s

rvice of the King-

ly deliv

red on our strategic objectives. It's not just

Amin Nasser

prid , both in he Ki gdom's rap d tra

sfor-

dom.

our t chnical excellence or the millions f barrels we

President & CEO

Investing in the future of the Kingdom - youth

At YLAB Town Hall,

The Journey of the Young Leaders Advisory Board

CEO offers insights on Aramco strategy, leadership

Engaging and inspiring the youth

By Scott Baldauf

In a Town Hall meeting with Aramco's young employees, president and CEO Amin Nasser shared his insights into the strategic challenges and the com- pany's future plans, as well as personal thoughts about leadership and resilience from his long career with Aramco.

The gathering was held at the Plaza Center, is the flagship event for YLAB Anniversary Week, a weeklong celebration of YLAB's 10-year anniversary. Attendees at Plaza Conference Center and Ghawar Hall, representing more than 60% of the company's employees under the age of 35, participated in the town hall meeting, either in person or remotely. Nasser fielded a wide range of questions from the participants, about the company, global development and his personal life.

Bright future

The company's long-term strategies and handling of the COVID-19 pandemic crisis have prepared Aramco well for a future that is focused on new areas of growth, sustainability and talent, Nass- er told attendees.

"It has been a very challenging time for the energy industry and the world, but I believe the worst is now behind us," Nasser said.

Leadership insights

In his interactions with young employees during the Town Hall meeting, Nasser shared some of his own experiences that shaped his views on leader- ship. Good leaders create and cultivate good teams, Nasser said, and they embrace challenges as opportunities to become stronger and more effective.

"In your career, you will face obsta-

cles - but these obstacles will make you stronger," Nasser said. Leaders who trust in the talent of their team members and who draw upon an inner resilience are leaders who can have the most impact, he added.

Digital wellbeing

While Nasser applauded the ways in which new technologies have contributed to development, he also cautioned against the addictive nature of lives lived increasingly online.

"When people ask me, 'What keeps me up at night?' they expect me to say something related to business. But

Durng the townhall attendees had the opportunity to ask a number of questions on a varied range of issues.

Amin Nasser talks to young employees at the recent CEO YLAB Town Hall.

what concerns me is our digital wellbe- ing. Because of all of us, but especially the youth, can be negatively impacted by endless emersion in technology, and begin to lose touch with what is most essential.

"The Covid pandemic has shown the importance of one-to-one and in-person conversations and the need to keep in touch," Nasser said. "We need to keep the human touch that connects us, and I am worried about the impact on society if we move away from that."

Join YLAB

One way that the youth can prepare themselves to meet the company's challenges while accelerating personal growth and effectiveness is to contribute to various company organizations such as YLAB, Nasser said.

When asked by a participant how he sees the future, Nasser said that the company's future is bright, because it will be created by what he views as the company's greatest asset, its young em- ployees.

"The company's greatest accomplishment is the talent we have created," Nasser said. Young people now make up the majority of the workforce, and

I would say that resilience is key. Life isn't always rosy. You need to adjust and adapt to change and avoid taking things personally. If I had taken things personally or reacted negatively to feedback during my career, I believe it would have taken a very different path.

- Amin Nasser

that means Aramco can tap into the energy and intelligence of a younger generation that is well prepared for the challenges ahead.

Nasser added that Aramco will require hard work and resilience from its younger employees, but given the talent and engagement that Millennial and Gen Y employees have shown thus far, they are more than equal to the challenges they will face.

"If you ask me, I would say that resilience is key. Life isn't always rosy. You need to adjust and adapt to change and avoid taking things personally. If I had taken things personally or reacted negatively to feedback during my career, I believe it would have taken a very different path."

"At the end of the day, if you are tal- ented, you are going to play a part in the success of your team."

By Dalia Darweesh

Established in 2011, the Young Leaders Advisory Board (YLAB) has set out on a journey to empower, engage, and inspire the youth in Saudi Aramco, and to create a link and two-way communication between Generations Y and Z in the company and senior management.

Celebrating its 10-year anniversary this year - the board has only gone from strength to strength. The autonomous body ensures that the youth are an active resource towards solving challenges within Aramco by providing innovative ideas and solutions that drive Saudi Ar- amco's strategic intent.

YLAB has a direct line to the Strategy Council in Saudi Aramco to provide input on strategic items and communicate the youth's voice. YLAB also delivers advisory services to several organizations within the company on people, policies, innovation, and training. This in turn has an impact on the company's strategies including sustainability, digital transformation, and diversity and inclusion.

Additionally, YLAB initiates independent studies - deep dives - on topics of relevance within the industry and orga- nization. Centered on corporate chal- lenges, these deep dives are conducted to support the company with its strategic intent.

With both the enthusiasm from the youth in the company and the support from the CEO and management, YLAB unleashes the young talents' full potential by incorporating their ideas and perspectives within the decision-making process.

Engaging Opportunities

One of YLAB's exciting initiatives is the Digital Hackathon, which was launched by YLAB 6 back in 2019. It was a pivotal point for YLAB to recognize the power of a healthy competition between enthusiastic employees, which allowed them to bring out their creative energies to the fullest level. A Sustainability Hackathon, organized by YLAB 7, has also rolled out this year - encouraging more employees to channel their inner creativity and bring compelling and competitive sustainability ideas and innovations.

It is empowering and inspiring for the youth to know that they can make significant changes, to have their voices heard, and to become a major part of shaping the future. Hence, YLAB introduced Youth-Initiated-Studies - where young employees can present a proposal to analyze a specific situation, policy, process, or any potential opportunity. YLAB would support through providing resources, feedback, and connecting them with the appropriate stakeholders.

This autonomous body is not for its members only. It exists to serve young employees across the compa- ny. YLAB actively engages young employees through webinar s, dis cus sions groups, and various publi- cations, and also provides plenty of resources available on their website, for those eager to learn more on relevant

topics, or add on to their skills.

The doors are always open for young employees to participate, whether you have an idea, or have a talent and would like to contribute as a graphic designer, content creator, artist, or writer - there's always room for you.

Connecting with executive management

Senior vice president of Technical Services Ahmad A. Al Saadi and Nasir K. Al Naimi, senior vice president of Upstream, engaged with the youth in an open-panel discussion moderated by Abdullah B. Kurdi. An executive panel session was held the following day, moderated by Hala A. AlHashmi, with Ahmad A. Al-Subaey vice president of Marketing, Sales, and Supply Planning.

They touched on several matters of interest to the youth including:

- Preparing future leaders in the company

- Employee well-being

- Saudi Aramco being the best place to work

- Diversity and Inclusion

- Sustainability and climate change

Inspiring Change and Continuity

Through the CEO, Corporate, and Executive panels, a connection is created that the youth do not usually have access to, especially in discussing topics of relevance and interest to the youth, and to the company. YLAB has always worked to facilitate a direct link and a bridge between the youth of the company and senior management. Hence why, one of the strengths of joining YLAB is not only the autonomy that the youth has, but also the direct line with the decision makers in the company.

Throughout the years, YLAB has

conducted over 30 studies, above 80 advisory services, and engaged over 40,000 young employees. They went from having 12 members in the first year and a duration of a year, to having 16 members today, with a duration of 18 months per cohort.

September 22, 2021

the arabian sun

the arabian sun

September 22, 2021

4 company news

company news 5

Saudi National Day 91

Looking back

Saudi National Day 91

on a year of achievement

by Mohammad Adarbeh

Over the past 12 months Aramco has continued its efforts in supporting the Kingdom toward its ambitious vision for the future.

The company remains a long-standing and reliable supplier of energy to the world. In industry and research, the company has continued the process of development and innovation with unrelenting determination and ambition. As for its employees, they are the epitome of discipline and talent - demonstrated through the growing number of annual patents registered by our employees in various fields. In information technology and artificial intelligence, the company remains determined to remain at the cutting edge.

Aramco also continued its efforts and initiatives to support localization and small enterprises from the far south to the far north. Our employees have excelled in all fields, and our departments have won local and international awards. And front and center of our operations and initiatives is care for the environment and sustainability.

Aramco and Baker Hughes will cooperate to establish non- metallic solutions manufacturing (Novel) for Industry as a joint venture to develop a wide range of non- metallic products.

Six Aramco departments won the King Abdulaziz Award for Excellence and Quality in its fifth session.

Opening of the mangrove ecological park in Ras Tanura, is the first nature reserve in the Kingdom dedicated to the preservation of mangrove forests.

Aramco's sponsorship of the "Aramco Team Series" women's golf tournament, which contributes to strengthening the culture and entertainment sector, diversifying the economy, and providing new opportunities for including their participation in sports

Launching a high-speed computer (Dammam 7) in cooperation with STC - considered among the ten most powerful computers in the world.

Cooperating with Formula1	Successful	Downstream launches its
to innovate vehicle	production and		transformation program in
technologies make the	exporting of the		order to meet the challenges
internal combustion engine	first shipment of		of the future to deliver a more
more efficient, reducing the	blue ammonia from		agile and value focused
environmental footprint.	Saudi Arabia to		operating model.
		Japan.

	Launching the next phase of	Aramco's investment
Aramco continues to embrace the	in the construction
the Aramco Industrial	of the "Sudair Solar
fourth industrial revolution, and to
Investment Program (Aramco	Energy Project",
make maximum use of the latest
Namaat), in the areas of	which is set to
digital technologies to enhance its
sustainability, technology,	become one of the
leadership in the digital innovation
industry, and advanced	largest solar power
scene in the global energy sector.
materials.	plant in the world.

Through John Hopkins Aramco Healthcare, Aramco launches its COVID-19 vaccination program for eligible recipients - at launch being the first company in the business sector to deliver an in- house vaccination program.

Supporting and empowering women working at "Roseyar" factory to extract Taif-rose oil, - a citizenship project to support small industries and empower women.

Aramco agreed to a $12.4 billion pipelines deal with a consortium led by EIG Global Energy Partners (EIG) to optimize the company's assets in one of the worlds largest energy infrastructure deals.

		Aramco's support for
		beekeepers in Madinah
		contributes to providing many
		job opportunities and helps
		change the lives of large
		groups of citizens and their
Impressive financial
results for the first	families.
quarter and half-
year of 2021.

September 22, 2021 the arabian sun

6 company news

Saudi National Day 91

Marching in step with the Kingdom's green initiatives

By Janet Pinheiro

Aramco believes in the importance of a low carbon energy future.

We are part of the solution toward the world's energy transition, using the 4Rs of the circular carbon economy, and planting for the future.

Energy transition

We believe that oil and gas, supported by technological innovations, will prove to be essential in achieving an orderly global energy transition.

For four decades Aramco has coexisted renewables alongside oil and gas operations.

Aramco's renewables journey began in the 1980s when 10.9 volt photovoltaic panels were installed for a remote cathodic protection station at Shedgum.

Berri Gas Plant, inaugurated in 1977 by King Khalid bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, was the first Master Gas System facility.

Aramco environmental engineer Mousa O. Alharthi says mangroves, unlike trees, don not require watering.

Design facilitates the circular economy and Aramco has a standard offshore wellhead design that can be used again and again without replication of engineering,.

The company is part of the King- dom's commitment to deploy a variety of low-carbon energy solutions in Saudi Arabia, and last month became a 30% investor to build the Kingdom's largest solar plant, the SAR 3.4 billion 1,500 MW Sudair Solar PV project.

Planet's lightest, most abundant element

Hydrogen, releasing no greenhouse gas emissions when combusted, is gaining traction as an alternative fuel source, and Aramco is exploring the blue hydrogen market.

Last year Aramco made the world's first commercial blue ammonia shipment to Japan, demonstrating the possibilities of ammonia as a decarbonized energy commodity.

Aramco's significant processing, pipeline and refining infrastructure, and expertise in carbon capture means the company is well placed to contribute feasibly to a hydrogen-powered low carbon economy.

Circular economy

Most economies discard raw materials as waste after use. The circular economic system uses resources again and again.

Saudi Arabia and Aramco have adopted the circular carbon economy framework as a way to reduce their carbon footprints.

The circular carbon economy concept was presented by the Kingdom to the Group of 20 (G20) leaders last year, who endorsed it as a strategy to combat climate change globally.

Design is a key part of the circular economy and Aramco's standard offshore wellhead design can be used again and again without replication of engineering.

Master Gas System

In the 1970s, instead of flaring associated natural gas, Aramco started to capture it.

The Master Gas System, an extensive network of pipelines collecting gas for commercial use and power generation, drastically reduced Aramco's upstream flaring rates.

In 1977, King Khalid bin Abdulaziz Al Saud inaugurated the first facility constructed for the Master Gas System, Berri Gas Plant.

Planting the future

tiative, and Green Middle East initiative this year, noting that, as one of the leading global oil producers, the Kingdom fully showcases its aim in advancing the fight against the climate crisis.

So far, across the Kingdom, Aramco has planted 1 million native trees, and plans to have planted more than 100 million trees by 2030.

Mangrove planting

In 1993, Aramco planted its first mangrove seedlings as part of a study commissioned with the Research Institute at King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals in an effort to re-establish mangrove forests along the shores of the Arabian Gulf.

The company also partnered with the National Commission for Wildlife Conservation and Development as well as the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries to determine whether mangroves could be successfully restored, and now the shores have well-established mangrove forests.

Today, Aramco has planted more than

6 million mangrove trees, and environmental engineer Mousa O. Alharthi says the trees not only restore the Kingdom's

natural ecosystem and wildlife habitats, but also contribute to the capture and storage of carbon dioxide.

Fighting desertification with nature

Haradh gas plant sits on Wadi Sahba's age-old banks, and environmental coordinator AbdulRahman O. Lashkar is one of the team working to reestablish an inspiring 250,000-m2 area of environmental restoration to the remote operating site.

In the plant's distant shadow survives three crucial pockets of native Saudi Arabian biodiversity, collectively covering 8.3 km2, and seeds from the native biodiversity are aiding with Haradh's biodiversity restoration, where 16 species of native and endangered shrubs grow.

The new trees and plants at Haradh also bring business benefits, such as sequestering carbon, reduce sand blowing into the plant, and create an attractive area for our employees.

A circular carbon economy adds a focus on 'removing carbon' to the core circular elements of 'reduce, reuse and recycle.'

HRH Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al-Saud launched the Green Saudi Ini-

Remote Haradh gas plant uses seeds from its existing native plants to bring back desert biodiversity.

the arabian sun September 22, 2021

company news 7

Kingdom ripe for tourism	Saudi National Day 91
Ancient village charm at Rijal Alma
By Janet Pinheiro	Colorful crossroads		stone, clay and wood, each of the
			Long ago, ancient trade routes	UNESCO-listed site 's buildings is still
	A centuries-old stone village in	stretching from Asia, Africa, and the	owned by the original family, who
	southern Saudi Arabia beckons visi-	Middle East lured people up Soudah's	name their homes "forts."
	tors to take a breathtaking step back in	3,000-meter steep slope to conduct
	time with its enduring residents.	international business with the town's	All forts, with a family history going	Honey, like palm dates, occupies a
			people.		back hundreds of years, are lovingly	special place in the hearts of Saudi
	Rijal Alma, tucked for more than 900			decorated inside with vibrant colors	people.
	years in the clouds under one of Sau-	Traders, laden with the aromat-	and designs, influenced by the centu-	The Asir region, for hundreds of
	di Arabia's highest mountaintops, is a	ic smells of perfume and spices, and	ries of the village's exchange of objects	years, has been famous for produc-
	charming combination of soaring nat-	goods like food, household items and	and ideas with people from far and	ing honey of the purest quality.
	ural beauty, historical depth, and living	jewelry, bravely traversed this territo-	wide.	Every day for 30 years Rijal Alma
	culture.	ry of the legendary Asir warriors, re-		resident Yahya Manjadi has sold
			nowned for their warfare skills.	Ancestor of Rijal Alma's flower-wear-	honey.
	Inside the heritage village, whose			ing patriarchy, Ibrahim Fathy, navigates	"I used to have to walk to the top
	name refers to the great ancestors who	Wearing exquisitely scented colorful	up and down the village's stone stairs	of the mountain," he says. "Now I
	lived there, are more than 60 multi-sto-	flower wreaths in their hair for centu-	with the agile speed of an Arabian	drive up on the road, and put the
	ry buildings, clinging with rock-solid	ries, Asir tribesmen fearsomely stood	gazelle, overtaken only by his sleek	honey in my car."
	resolve to the Asir mountain range.	up to invading armies of up to 50,000	black cat Ali, who keeps a friendly but
	white quartz-accented walls could	soldiers.		watchful eye on visitors.	Horizon set on the past,
	Never misjudge the bold power of	He explains that 40 years ago, less
	If the hand-cut local stones of the				present and future
	speak, they would tell ancient tales	fiercely proud Saudi warriors.		rain fell, and his tribespeople began to
	honey.	Four seasons in one		look for work elsewhere."	more is to come
	of bravery, cultural and commercial			leave Rijal Alma, "The wells were be-	So much has happened in Saudi
	exchange with the wider world, and	late afternoon		coming dry, and younger people left to	Arabia's south west, but so much
				People's museum	Rich in trade and agricultural his-
			Rijal Alma from Jazan, nature puts on	a strong connection to their tower-
			As we head east under blue sky for		tory, the region's proud people hold
			an awesome show, sweeping in with	The exodus prompted a decision	ing mountain peaks, coastal plains,
			a grand wind, a swirling coastal plain	to develop a museum, "Together, my	and the pristine Red Sea.
			dust storm, thunder, lightning bolts,	people decided to preserve our heri-	As the Kingdom transforms itself,
			and a rainstorm turning day into night,	tage," he says.	Aramco is helping to prepare the re-
			and dropping temperatures 10 degrees		gion for its next chapter of history.
			in 30 minutes.		In 1985 residents opened a 2,800-ob-	Jazan Refinery Complex- a refin-
					ject museum inside the village's tallest	ery, gas plant and power plant - is
			When we reach the foothills of the	six-story building, Al Elwan fort.	set up to be a leading contributor to
Rain turns into waterfalls.	Asir, dry stone wadi beds cascade into		the region and Kingdom's economic
			rivers, slopes become waterfalls, and	Inside the museum, for a modest en-	development.
			specialist road crews are out to mop up	trance fee, you can experience how	"Aramco, just like the trade routes
			rock slippage.		the locals lived, wonder at awesome	of the past, is connecting Jazan to
					objects like the village's original pris-	trade routes and commerce from all
			As we arrive at Rijal Alma's story-	on chains, swords, and gain an insight	corners of the world" said general
			book "gingerbread" village, nature	into why Rijal Alma is one of the most	manager Yahya A. Abushal.
			innocently blinks open blue sky again,	historically important villages in the
White quartz accents.	switches off the lightning, and we feel	Middle East.	to check into nearby accommodation.
like brave Asir warriors for conquering	Visiting Rijal Alma
				has a restaurant, souq, and plans for a
			the journey.			hotel, but for now, visitors are advised
			Vibrant design		gion, about 45 km west of Abha and	A 1,000-personopen-air theatre at
					Located in Saudi Arabia's Asir re-
			Traditionally constructed from	170 km north of Jazan city, Rijal Alma	the entrance host an annual "Flower
						Men" festival in August every year.

Heritage village Rijal

Colorful geometric wall paintings.Almaa, a UNESCO- listed site and trade center for ancient trade routes, sits on Saudi Arabia's highest peak, and is popular with local and overseas visitors.