VIDEO: From Safaniya to the electricity sector

Sulaiman Al-Kadi joined Aramco in 1964 after graduating in the United States 

During his career, he moved between Safaniya and Abqaiq, eventually assuming leadership roles that contributed to the establishment of the Pipeline Department before continuing his professional journey in the electricity sector.

Sulaiman Al-Kadi,
Former Aramco employee

I started working for Aramco in 1964 after graduating from the United States.

I was born and raised in Bahrain.

I developed a dual identity. 

At home, we spoke in the Qassimi dialect, but outside, we spoke in the Bahraini dialect.

I graduated, thank God. 

One of the most memorable moments of my graduation was the attendance of U.S. President Johnson at the graduation ceremony. 

I applied for a job at Aramco and was accepted. 

Then they asked me, “Where do you want to work?”
I asked them, “What’s the most difficult area to live and work in?”   

Without much thought, they said, “Safaniya.”

I said, “I’ll go there.”

After that, I was appointed superintendent in Abqaiq.

I worked there for a while, and then, by the grace of God, I became the manager. 

Every month, I would take one of the finance employees from Abqaiq with me to Al-Udhailiyah to distribute employee salaries in cash. 

One day, Professor Ali Al-Naimi, may God grant him health, came to me and said, “Do you want to go to the electricity company?” 

I said, “The electricity company?”

Since then, my entire life has become intertwined with electricity, to the point that even today, whenever I greet someone and mention my name, they immediately ask, “Are you the one who owns the electricity?”

The next generation faces enormous challenges; life was easier in our time. 

Science is changing rapidly, and knowledge is expanding daily. 

You learn, and then something new appears, whether it’s computers or artificial intelligence. 

Where do you go from there?