Week in Review: Record donations, a look back at Tapline, and flying high with a global drone award

Here are a few of the top stories from the past week in Aramco LIFE.

Employees give record amount in 2021 Ramadan Donation Campaign

This year, employees contributed a record-breaking amount – over SR6 million – during the four-week 2021 Ramadan Annual Donation Campaign, the most ever given since the introduction of the online donations program 19 years ago.

And the company matched the efforts of the more than 14,000 employees who donated, bringing the total amount donated into one of two founds (either social or medical) to a record-breaking SR12 million.

The Tapline: A legacy of Triumph

The Trans-Arabian Pipeline (better known as Tapline) was recently recognized as the Kingdom’s first industrial heritage site. 

With a rich history as a cornerstone of the post-Second World War reconstruction efforts, the development of northern Saudi Arabia, and growth of Aramco, it holds a special place in the hearts and memories of those who worked on the now defunct distribution system.

The epic construction of the then-largest pipeline in the world is a story unto itself, but there are as many stories as there were employees (read a few here.)

First offshore facilities fabrication by female project engineer

Manar A. Albalawi always wanted to be part of Aramco and contribute to the Kingdom. Now, she’s among a growing line of empowered women who are leaving their mark on the company while finding a place among here peers at Aramco.

Albalawi, a project engineer at the Dammam Fabrication Yard, has found her place on a team managing the design, procurement, and construction by the fabrication contractor there.

Our job is to lead the project and solve any problems coming up during the phases of the project.
— Manar A. Albalawi

Aramco Asia flying on international drone award win

Aramco Asia has received global recognition for its promotion and use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), winning the 2021 Global UAV Contribution Award at the Fifth Drone World Congress and International UAV Expo held in May in Shenzhen, China.

Aramco won for:

• Its outstanding efforts in promoting UAV and robotic technology
• Leading the deployment of 50 sets of UAVs in Saudi Arabia over the past three years
• Being actively involved in the corporate digital transformation process.

In accepting the award, Mohammad Al-Qahtani, head of Engineering and Technical Services at Aramco Asia, said, “We have assessed, adapted, and applied UAV technology to ensure safer, cost-effective, and efficient operations for many of our key industrial facilities.”

Relentless in our safety focus

An uncompromising culture of safety is good for business, says Mohammed Y. Al-Qahtani, senior vice president of Downstream.

That was the key message coming from the recent Downstream Safety Boot Camp held at the White Sand Lounge in Najmah, Ras Tanura.

“Safety, of course, is a corporate value in everything we do at Aramco,” said Al-Qahtani. “We aspire to be the safety leaders in the Kingdom and in the industry, ensuring that our activities, every day, in our facilities, in our homes, on- and off-the-job, are conducted in the safest way possible.”

The five-day safety camps, which typically include Downstream professionals with between six and 321 years of experience, have seen more than 1,000 front-line supervisors complete the program since 2009.