February 12, 2020 Vol. LXXV, No. 7 a weekly Saudi Aramco publication for employees walking the walk communicating in renewables in a complex world Saudi Aramco celebrates the completion World renowned think tank of the Al Midra Solar Photovoltaic Chatham House tells Saudi Aramco Replacement Project. communicators about the most pressing global challenges of the 21st century see page 3 and their role in communication. see page 4 IR . solution enhances drilling operations onshore and offshore see pages 6 and 7 Rig foremen Ahmed Dellalou and assistant foreman Ahmed R. Halza use a tablet computer to access the new Drilling Rig Supply Service to verify shipment of large bags of drilling mud to their remote drilling rig near the northern Arabian city of Arar. (Photo: Hasan AlMubarak/MPD) OPEC basket Saudi Aramco your way five-week price trend 2020 by the numbers $ 68.86 out of 65.64 64.36 60.29 diabetes 55.18 JHAH opens 2020 intake for 126,695 proven diabetes prevention program, Tawazon. is the number of panels replaced in the Al Midra Solar Photovoltaic see page 2 Jan. 10 Jan. 17 Jan. 24 Jan. 31 Feb. 7 project. February 12, 2020 the arabian sun 2 company news Tawazon: your way out of prediabetes JHAH opens 2020 intake for proven diabetes prevention program by Sarah Palmer Tawazon is a support group-based dia- betes prevention program that through physical activity, diet, education, and be- havior, can transform lives. The 2020 round of the Tawazon will be the third intake for the unique John Hop- kins Aramco Healthcare (JHAH) program. Tawazon was created by JHAH experts and specialists in Public Health from Johns Hopkins Medicine in Baltimore, and fol- lows evidence-based practice from the CDC* Diabetes Prevention Program. Par- ticipants in the first two rounds of Tawa- zon experienced excellent outcomes in terms of a reduction in body weight and blood sugar levels. the hidden dangers of diabetes and prediabetes While many people are aware that dia- betes is a serious health risk, they may not know that it is possible to have prediabe- tes or even undiagnosed Type 2 diabetes without any obvious warning signs or symptoms. your risk level for prediabetes, go to www. 2. Maintaining 150 minutes of moderate around the needs and preferences of each Prediabetes is a medical condition where jhah.com. Knowing your risk level can em- physical activity per week. particular group. your blood sugars are higher than normal. power you to reverse prediabetes and to Over the course of six to nine months, It can predispose you to Type 2 diabetes, prevent Type 2 diabetes in your future. candidates receive 12 sessions with a life- Tawazon eligibility with a subsequent higher risk of develop- Your quiz results will also indicate if you style coach, along with four supervised The program is available to Saudi Aram- ing diabetic complications such as chron- are eligible for the Tawazon program and physical activity sessions with a personal co adult employees and their eligible de- ic heart disease, stroke, blindness, kidney you can immediately complete the online trainer to try to reach these goals. pendents (18 years of age and older) who: failure, and early death. application. The program is designed to help partic- • Have a body mass index higher than 25 The good news is these conditions can To access the Tawazon prediabetes quiz, ipants adopt a moderate physical activity • Are diagnosed with prediabetes or are often be reversed though lifestyle and be- visit www.jhah.com or scan the QR code. program. Along with diet and exercise at risk of developing Type 2 diabetes havior changes, as well as by introducing support, Tawazon provides a supportive • Registered to receive care with JHAH. physical activity and healthier food choic- a program designed to help team of health coaches, nutritionists, case Eligible Saudi Aramco employees and es. you reach your goals managers, Primary Care physicians, and their dependents are invited to register for Tawazon’s targeted measurable out- fitness coaches to help participants im- health care at JHAH. Visit Saudi Aramco take the quiz to determine comes include: prove their quality of life. MyHome>MyInformation>MyFamily. your risk level 1. Losing between 5% and 7% of your Tawazon is run in groups of 20 to 25 To take the prediabetes quiz to find out body weight participants. Session times will be based *Centers for Disease Control and Prevention your voice My Saudi Aramco Journey shaped by The Sun, Aramco World My Saudi Aramco story began long leadership courses and that, too, left a time to get converted into an employee. before I joined the company. As a young lasting impact. I was so grateful to have At first, I felt discouraged, but eventu- girl, I recall the anticipation of my father this experience early in my career, as the ally, as I sought out more opportunities, bringing home The Arabian Sun, Aram- timid girl disappeared and a confident all was well. I helped start two Toast- co World, and other company publica- young woman ready to work to reach masters clubs to teach public speaking tions, and how they helped shape my her potential replaced her. and leadership skills to women (at the understanding not only of the company When I returned to school, my work al-Khobar Chamber of Commerce) and and its business, but the world at large. experience gave me the confidence to youth (in the Dhahran community). I still remember how my dad used to lead different student organizations and This was all volunteer work, but it point out to me emerging women lead- become a mentor myself. Later, when it inspired me to volunteer at Ithra. Even ers in the company, and how inspiring was time for me to do my co-op train- though I was not officially employed, I it was as they climbed the corporate ing, I decided to try Saudi Aramco, es- was so busy and close to the Saudi Ar- ladder. It became my dream to one day pecially since it would bring me close to amco work environment, it felt as if my follow in their footsteps. the Eastern Province where my parents dream of being an employee here had by Batool Khalaf This led me to join Saudi Aramco. My lived. come true. Dhahran first “job” came when I volunteered at Nervous at first, those nerves disap- And then, after perseverance and lots [email protected] the Saudi Aramco hospital as a patient peared after I was accepted into the of faith and hard work, it did as a job record organizer while I was a sopho- program. From there, it only got better offer came through. I gladly accepted, more in college. It was my first time as my program was extended from sev- even completing my master’s degree working in anything resembling an of- en months to a year. while with the company, and I have nev- fice space, and the experience changed And this changed me, too. It showed er looked back. me. I got the chance to meet people me how capable I was, how much I en- Now I am learning and navigating this who later became good friends and joyed the work environment, and ce- journey one step at a time. The biggest mentors, and they helped shape my per- mented the fact that Saudi Aramco is lesson I have learned on my journey is sonality that later guided me through truly home. to never give up, be resourceful, and Your Voice reflects the thoughts and opinions my career. There were challenges, too. After forge your own path, persevere, and al- of the writer, and not necessarily those of the publication. I also got a chance to take my first completing the program, it took some ways move forward — no matter what. the arabian sun February 12, 2020 company news 3 walking the walk in renewables Dhahran — Saudi Aramco’s Power Sys- newables alongside its operations as re- gader said the project presented a number conducted workshops and training ses- tems Renewables Department recently newables made good business sense by of challenges, requiring extensive planning sions for contractor staff. celebrated the completion of its Al Midra freeing up natural resources for better and problem solving. In addition, strict adherence to the Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Replacement Proj- economic use,” said Al-Ghamdi. To meet the company’s strict require- Kingdom’s Saudization laws was applied, ect with a recognition ceremony at the He congratulated the team members ments for workplace safety, team mem- ensuring that contractors hired qualified Technical Exchange Center. from Power Systems and other depart- bers identified a major challenge of work- Saudi engineers for the duration of the The project replaced 126,695 panels ments, as well as contractor companies, ing at extreme heights in a busy office project. with more advanced thin film panels in for the safe and successful completion of area, with open traffic, and during harsh Al-Ghamdi extended his thanks to the what is one of the world’s largest PV so- the project. weather conditions. The team ensured contractors of the project. lar car parks. The car park covers an area “This gathering celebrates not only the that a Saudi Aramco Loss Prevention en- “While weather proved a significant equivalent to 12 standard soccer fields, completion of the project, but also the gineer was assigned full-time during the challenge for crews working throughout providing shade for 4,500 vehicles, and accelerated schedule of this project that initial phase, and part-time during con- the project, the technicians reached high has the capacity to generate 10.5 mega- enabled our teams to reduce the execu- struction.