Week 10 in Review: A ground breaking in South Korea, Community Championships steam toward the finish line, and more

As the clock begins to tick down for Ramadan, a number of activities such as the KSA Expat Reunion and the Community Championships moved toward completion. Meanwhile, big news continued to roll in from aboard, including a ground breaking for the Shaheen petrochemical project in Ulsan, South Korea.

Here’s a brief digest of some of the week’s biggest stories on Aramco LIFE.

Breaking ground on a groundbreaking petrochemical project

South Korean President Yoon and Aramco president and CEO Amin Nasser today (Thursday, March 9) attended the groundbreaking ceremony for the $7 billion Shaheen petrochemical project in Ulsan, South Korea. 

Ministers and senior officials from both countries also attended the milestone event. The Shaheen project, which was announced in November 2022, is being developed by Aramco affiliate S-OIL and is a key part of Aramco’s regional crude to chemicals strategy.

Shaheen is Aramco’s biggest investment in Korea to date and is expected to be one of the largest integrated steam crackers in the world. It is also the first major commercial deployment of Aramco’s thermal crude to chemicals technology, that was developed in collaboration with Lummus Technology.

Best and brightest minds getting brighter

Thanks to the company’s Advanced Degree Program, young Saudi talents continue to find themselves inspired, studying for masters or doctorate degrees at the world’s top-ranked universities.

The program, which is one of the development programs offered by the company to upskill its employees and advance their knowledge, was recently featured on Aramco LIFE, as were some of its standout participants. 

Since the late 1970s, over 3,000 eligible employees have explored new horizons and been nourished by the company’s focus on learning and development.

Delivered by Aramco’s Training and Development organization, qualified Saudi employees are encouraged to pursue higher education degrees in specialties that reflect Aramco’s business needs of the present and the future.

Community Championships prove a rousing success — again

Opening Day of the 2023 Community Championships brought plenty of excitement to spectators in Ras Tanura (RT) this weekend. This year’s championships are the largest yet, with more than 1,000 participants competing in the first day alone.

Here are a few highlights of what Aramcons can enjoy between now and Super Saturday, March 11.

• 20 golds won on the opening day 
• Records broken 
• 10 celebrities/professional international athletes, with over 10-million social media followers — and grand slam titles, as well as five times world champions! 
• Prizes and giveaways: over SAR 20,000
• 10 food vendors 
• 10 premium sports and nutrition brands 

This year’s closing ceremony at Al Midra Recreation Center will be even bigger than last year’s, so don’t miss it. 

‘Oil and Gas Chemistry Management Series’ is first of its kind 

Over the past several years, Qiwei Wang, a globally recognized expert on oil field scale management at the Aramco Research and Development Center (R&DC), had many engineers approach him to recommend a good book to read to better address chemistry-related issues in oil field operations. 

Wang searched for a book to recommend, but then realized that there was not one on the market.

It was then that this recipient of the NACE International 2021 Technical Achievement Award — not one to shy away from a challenge — decided that a general reference for chemical issues in oil field management was needed. 

His effort produced a four-volume book series called the Oil and Gas Chemistry Management Series.

This four-volume series is the first of its kind in the field. Each volume contains about 10 chapters on fundamentals, new developments and case studies, authored by industry known experts with extensive experience from major production companies, service providers, chemical manufactures, universities, and research institutes. 

‘Desert Challenge’ draws thousands of spectators and some tough-as-nails competitors 

The beach at Ras Tanura (RT) witnessed an unprecedented event in the world of obstacle races — the first-of-its-kind “Desert Challenge.” 

The event, held Feb. 18, was hosted by the RT Community Services and supported by the renowned obstacle race organizations Spartan DEKA and Tough Mudder. 

The race boasted an impressive lineup of 10 hybrid obstacles and 10 functional stations, providing participants a challenging yet rewarding experience. These obstacles were designed to test the physical and mental limits of the participants and push them to their fullest potential. 

The course included a 5-km race for adults, which took them through the beach, dunes, and sandy terrain — providing a challenging yet scenic route that tested their endurance and agility. 

There was also a secret 11th obstacle provided by Mother Nature herself. As the contestants approached the finishing line of the grueling obstacle course, they were met with winds that threatened to throw them off course and made it even more challenging to complete the race.

The event was a huge success, attracting more than 5,600 community members, with 1,048 adults and 516 children participating. The high turnout symbolized the community’s celebration of health and well-being and the importance of sports and physical activity in achieving a healthy lifestyle.