June 24, 2020 Vol. LXXV, No. 25 a weekly Saudi Aramco publication for employees new training SVP appointment for FrPD front-line Nabeel A. Al-Jama’ was recently appointed as senior leaders vice president of the newly To build the body of knowledge and established Human Resources the corresponding skill sets, FrPD set & Corporate Services (HR&CS) out to radically redesign its officer service line. training program. see page 2 see page 3
an oasis of green
on the red sands of Green grass rises in the Shaybah Nursery. Gardeners here use treated wastewater to nurture plants, Shaybah shrubs, grass, and flowers, applying the concept of reuse in see page 6 the circular economy.
With restrictions now lifted ... we must not become complacent in controlling COVID-
Do Your Part by Wearing a Mask in Public maintain physical distancing of meters at all times June 24, 2020 the arabian sun 2 company news Nabeel A. Al-Jama’ named senior vice president Nabeel A. Al-Jama’ has been ap- uary 2012; and served as executive Community Development, in Sep- pointed as senior vice president of the director, Community Services, from tember 1998. In February 2002, he newly established Human Resources 2009 to 2012, having become gener- became manager of Central Commu- & Corporate Services (HR&CS) service al manager of Training & Career De- nity Services. During this period in his line, effective July 1. velopment in 2006. career, he completed several assign- Prior to his appointment, Al-Jama’ He started his career with Aramco ments within the Employee Relations had served as acting service line head in 1980 in the Home Ownership Divi- & Training and Community Services for Operations & Business Services sion, after which he joined the com- organizations, as well as roles as act- since January 2020. pany’s College Degree Program and ing general manager of Medical Op- His experience as a member of ex- earned a B.S. degree in 1985 and lat- erations, acting Personnel director, ecutive management has been exten- er an M.S. degree in 1998 — both in and acting executive director, Com- sive and varied. Before assuming his Community & Regional Planning from munity, Buildings & Office Services — role as a service line head, Al-Jama’ King Fahd University of Petroleum functions which all lie within the re- was vice president for Corporate Af- and Minerals in Dhahran. sponsibility of the new HR&CS service fairs, a role he assumed in June 2018; Al-Jama’ returned to the Home line he now heads. served as vice president for Human Ownership Division after his under- In addition, Al-Jama’ currently Resources from November 2017; and graduate education, serving in a va- chairs the Board of the Johns Hopkins led the Office of the Minister of En- riety of administrative roles before Aramco Healthcare Company (JHAH) Nabeel A. Al-Jama’ ergy, Industry, and Mineral Resources becoming supervisor of the Home and is a member of several other since June 2016. Al-Jama’ had previ- Ownership Unit in 1992. Boards. He has completed numerous ously been appointed vice president In February 1998, Al-Jama’ became executive leadership programs, in- for Pipelines, Distribution & Terminals director of Aramco-Built Government cluding Leadership at the Peak, Stra- in May 2015; was named executive Schools before taking on the role of tegic Negotiations, and the University director for Industrial Services in Jan- administrator, Home Ownership & Executive Program. COVID-: Potential Deglobalization of the Global Value Chains by Mohammed Masrahi, Maha Alabdulkarim, and Masudbek Narzibekov In the third part of our series of articles to understand the coronavirus impact, we ex- plore the potential fallout of the pandemic on the global value chains (GVCs). Approximately 70% of international trade today involves GVCs, a trend that came to be known as globalization, and they ac- celerated economic growth through job creation, increased productivity, industri- alization, knowledge transfers, and boost- ing tax revenues. The GVCs fundamentally were all about cost optimization and man- ufacturing efficiency and an ever-increasing specialization of labor across countries, with much touted benefits of mutual synergies and dependencies that should ensure over- all global stability. While many would argue global stability was never realized, facts still credit globalization with pulling more than 1 billion people out of poverty in emerging economies, empowering an unprecedented economic convergence across the globe. As efficient as this model may have ap- peared in the past, the recent COVID-19 “Just-in-time” to “Just-in-case.” According introduce policies aimed at inward man- ment, technology, and people. Furthermore, outbreak has impacted the established eco- to the Bank of America, 80% of multina- ufacturing development, leading to an in- countries may opt to develop and maintain nomic models. The pandemic has not only tional companies are considering plans to creased share of localization of goods and different standards, which could result in in- brought entire industries across the globe to re-shore or relocate part of their produc- services produced domestically. Indeed, the compatibility between products drawing a a halt, but it has also resulted in suppressed tion. An increasing volume of goods and U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said cordon around the value chains. consumer demand because of massive in- services are likely to be produced closer to that the fallout from the pandemic would The COVID-19 pandemic is likely to come loss, the collapse of business invest- locations where products are consumed and “help accelerate” the return of jobs to change the way global value chains op- ment, and divestment from production sourced from several locations. As a result, North America. At the same time, the U.S. erate, ensuing an age of deglobalization. hubs. For example, the global manufac- businesses are likely to shrink their multi- president’s Trade Adviser, Peter Navarro, People, confronted with the social and eco- turing PMI collapsed in April at a rate not step, multiple country value chains, with stated, “We cannot necessarily depend on nomic consequences of the coronavirus, are seen since the height of the Global Financial scrutiny on the origins of their supplies, and other countries, even close allies, to supply looking to their national governments to Crisis, and WTO estimates the fall in inter- trading off efficiency for redundancy to pro- us with needed items.” protect them. Businesses will have to adapt national trade by 13% to 32% in 2020. As tect against future disruption. Furthermore, Third, a potential redistribution of exist- to a new environment of more inward-look- a result, the COVID-19 pandemic could per- thanks to IR 4.0 technologies, an increasing ing GVCs may result in increased regional- ing policies, and the development of new manently change value chains due to busi- volume of goods and services are likely to ization of the value chains. Increased eco- economic zones. The potential fallout from ness- and policy-related reasons. be produced using robots, 3-D printing, and nomic nationalism and localization may lead this pandemic may be a global economy First, businesses may alter their produc- other advanced manufacturing techniques. countries to reduce dependence on other with value chains integrated at the regional tion systems, changing the attitude from Second, on a policy level, countries may countries for key inputs, flows of invest- level. the arabian sun June 24, 2020 company news 3 firefighter training new training approach gives front-line leaders the skills to better save lives and protect assets Firefighting is a team effort, with the outcome dependent on each person doing their job correctly at the right time. With a mission of “Saving Lives and Protecting Assets,” Saudi Aramco’s Fire Protection De- partment (FrPD) puts a lot on the line when the fire crews respond to emergencies. All firefighters are trained extensively on a wide range of skills. Some are complex skills required to fight emergencies, which can include fires, chemicals, vehicle acci- dents, and more. When FrPD embarked on its Strategic Re- alignment Initiative several years ago, one area identified as having critical importance was front-line leadership, i.e., the officers on the “frontline” of emergency response. Specifically, this pertains to the captain (leader of a single crew), deputy chief, and battalion chief (leaders of several crews working together). Having effective leader- ship in these positions was viewed as a crit- Moreover, while this ensures the company’s To enroll in the FOAC program, the em- to be accepted, including being a “Ready ical aspect to effective and efficient emer- mission of being a safe and reliable oil sup- ployee must meet a variety of training, Now” deputy or battalion chief. With such gency response. plier, it does not afford many opportunities physical fitness, and job certification re- competence already established, FCDP fo- for firefighters and officers to practice their quirements. Upon meeting these, they cuses on the administrative component of multifaceted approach craft under actual emergency conditions. must take an entry test. fire service management. to training leaders Responding to emergencies provides the Those passing these requirements are as- FCDP candidates begin by taking a three- The front-line leadership component of experience component crucial to the devel- sessed at the Advanced Fire Training Center week, internationally accredited course at the Strategic Realignment Initiative was de- opment of FrPD personnel. under live-fire conditions. A team of asses- the Fire Officer III and IV level. After passing veloped to build solid leadership through a Since training can only go so far in pro- sors judges the candidates’ scene manage- that course, candidates advance to a Field multifaceted approach focusing on a broad viding experience, FrPD sought out other ment capabilities using standard metrics. Development Experience (FDE). FDE pairs body of knowledge on the technical as- opportunities. This issue required a unique A set of soft skills is also assessed for each a candidate with a highly competent fire pects of emergency response, excellent or- and innovative solution. FrPD formed a respective rank. chief at a busy FrPD fire station for a two- ganizational and station management skills, partnership with the International Associa- More than 400 assessments have been week full immersion experience where the and field experience — all being verified us- tion of Fire Chiefs to develop the solution. conducted. Candidates who do not meet candidate shadows the fire chief and learns ing valid and reliable methodology. The result was a first-of-its-kind, fellow- the standard for a “Ready Now” rating are many of their daily duties. The FDE is grad- To build the body of knowledge and the ship program in the U.S. that sent specially given a remediation plan that allows them ed according to a set metric and must be corresponding skill sets, FrPD set out to rad- selected officers or aspiring officers to busy to re-test after a time, and when the plan successfully completed before the candi- ically redesign its officer training program. fire departments throughout the U.S. While has been completed. date can move on to the next components. The Fire Officer Candidate Schools (OCS) there, the personnel were fully embedded FOAC has proven accurate in identifying Candidates must complete several cours- were developed. OCS I was implemented with on-duty fire crews and responded to capable officers while also raising the skills es at the Leadership Center, including the to develop captains, while OCS II was de- emergencies, taking on active roles. This of those needing development. The proof business application. signed for deputy and battalion chiefs. provided the much needed experience in has been evident at emergency scenes The final step in FCDP is a panel presen- The new program, which was length- actual emergency response, while also ex- where “Ready Now” officers prove more tation exercise where the candidate brings ened, is far more heavily oriented toward posing our personnel to a legacy fire service proficient compared to pre-FOAC periods. his finished projects from Fire Officer III and live-fire exercises and scene management. culture. IV and presents them to a specially selected Both courses result in international accred- tackling the next challenge group of subject matter experts. The can- itation to their respective levels upon suc- testing capabilities Given the success of these programs, the didate must be able to clearly present his cessful passage of rigorous cognitive and The last component of the original Front- focus turned to the next logical step in the project results and provide sound rationale skills testing. line Leadership Initiative was developing process — developing fire chiefs at the unit for his decisions. Candidates successfully a means of verifying an officer’s skills and head level. Fire chiefs bridge the gap be- completing all components are deemed a learning component abilities. Enter the Fire Officer Assessment tween FrPD administration and operational highly competent and able to fill the role beyond training Center (FOAC), which was developed in- crews. of fire chief. Fortunately, Saudi Aramco experiences a house. FOAC has numerous components A team was formed, and the Fire Chief With this final piece of the puzzle in low rate of fires and emergencies, thanks and was specifically designed to assess Development Program (FCDP) was devel- place, Saudi Aramco’s FrPD possesses one largely to the company’s efforts to make fire captains, deputy chiefs, and battalion oped in-house. Like the FOAC, FCDP re- of the most robust officer development the work environment as safe as possible. chiefs. quires candidates to meet high standards programs found anywhere in the world. reliability and asset management through digitalization Saudi Aramco and the importance of re- a solution for today’s challenges as other companies, e.g., SATORP, SASREF, liability have been intrinsically linked since Hamad Al Mehthel, head of RTCSSD, SAMREF, Ma’aden, and the Saudi Electricity the company’s early days. opened the first-ever roundtable by em- Company. Moreover, as it remains a critical focus phasizing the importance of digitalization Presentations and their correlating open area for us, increased business challenges, and its pivotal role in reliability and asset dialogue pivoted around asset manage- and the role digitalization plays in meeting management. ment, digitalizing, and Fourth Industrial those challenges, are even more important “Given the increased business challenges, Revolution concerns, including: in today’s world. it is important to address each and provide • Digital twins This was the driving force by the first Up- the appropriate mitigation solution,” he • Artificial intelligence time Integrity Connect Roundtable in Saudi said, noting that reliability is one of four fo- • Asset concern management Arabia, conducted by the Ras Tanura Clus- cus areas in the company’s Operational Ex- • Work execution management. ter Shared Services Department (RTCSSD) in cellence program. “Digital transformation is coordination with the Reliability Communi- a reality today at Saudi Aramco, where its ty of Practice. digital platform is already established.” Maura Abad, director of Women in Reliability The theme of the event was “Advancing The event also featured presentations and Asset Management, presents at the first Uptime Integrity Connect Roundtable in Saudi Reliability and Asset Management through from external subject matter experts to Arabia, conducted recently by Saudi Aramco Digitalization.” the approximately 50 attendees from var- under the theme “Advancing Reliability and ious Saudi Aramco organizations, as well Asset Management through Digitalization.” June 24, 2020 the arabian sun 4 company news
Chocolates aren’t the only thing she’s carrying
Abeer wanted to pay ouf a isit and brin c ocolates to con ratulate er on t e birt of er baby boy ice friend ri t
ut Abeer didn t know t at s e was an asymptomatic carrier S e was carryin t e corona irus and w ile s e ad no symptoms s e could easily infect ouf and er baby
Never let your guard down.
ecause it s not only about you t s about e eryone s safety nsafe personal be a iors can destroy li es o your part to keep us all safe
aintain a safe Wear a facemask in f you a e a fever cough distance of at public. acemasks s ould and difficulty breathing least 2 meters be worn w en you may call your ealt care from ot ers be near people pro ider immediately
saudiaramco com en co id elp desk A ption
Corporate Communication Department the arabian sun June 24, 2020 company news 5 navigating our way to the ‘New Normal’
On June 21, Saudi Arabia lifted re- strictions that had been put into place since the outbreak of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) back in March. With the lifting of the restrictions, restaurants and retail shops, barbershops, gyms, and beauty salons have been al- lowed to re-open, provided they have the necessary precautionary measures in place. In addition, the curfew hours keeping people home from 8 p.m. until 6 a.m. have also been set aside. But as the government has provided some welcome relief after months of lockdown, we must all maintain the same level of vigilance about our own health and that of our families as we have since the crisis began in March. social distancing still required Under the new rules, the wearing of facemasks is required outside your home. Failure to wear masks carries a steep fine. health conditions, depends on our ad- infectious diseases in the world, and for a sional instead of from a child or spouse. We must continue to maintain physical hering to the health and safety behaviors vulnerable few — those who are elderly, The last three months have been chal- distances as we have in the past. Restau- we have learned. This means maintaining with high blood pressure, asthma or oth- lenging times for all of us. As individuals, rants and shops will be required to limit personal hygiene, washing our hands for er breathing problems — it is exceptional- we all must navigate the reopening at a the number of customers inside, and we 40 seconds after contact with surfaces ly fatal. Our vigilance is the one thing we pace that feels right for each of us, and it as customers can use our judgment to that may be contaminated, even if we are can all do to protect those around us, and is certainly a time for respect and under- avoid restaurants, shopping centers, and unpacking groceries from the store. to keep our families, our communities, standing for others who must readjust as cafes where large crowds are gathered. and our workplaces safe. we lay the foundation of the new norms. In our own homes, common sense will stay vigilant Lifting the restrictions has brought a At the same time, we must recognize lead us to limit the number of guests we The risks of COVID-19 are still very sense of relief, to be sure. It has allowed that we can never go back to the way invite, and to maintain physical distanc- much present. As of June 22, there were us to engage in a broader range of ac- things were before COVID-19. The “New ing as much as possible. The health of 54,523 active cases in Saudi Arabia, tivities, to see friends, to engage in a lit- Normal” will require a level of person- our loved ones, and especially the most 2,045 of them critical cases, and any- tle “retail therapy,” to get back to that al responsibility to our own health and vulnerable members of our family, such where from 3,000 to 4,500 new cases long-neglected workout routine, and to those around us that can never be relaxed as the elderly or those with preexisting each day. COVID-19 is one of the most finally get a decent haircut, from a profes- or dropped. The New Normal starts now.
your voice Now is NOT the time to relax — don’t be caught off-guard
After COVID-19 started spreading and wore a mask, and maintained a safe dis- wash their hands for 20 to 40 seconds, the Ministry of Health reported the first tance. On the personal level, I’m the only and the result was amazing. case in Saudi Arabia, I realized I needed one who is shopping, and I shop at lower Being careful is always important. A to educate myself. I started reading all peak hours. When I get home, I always friend told me that everywhere he went, kinds of articles, books, and even chatted remove my clothes and wash completely he always wore a mask, gloves, and with doctors. Surprisingly, much of the before I even see my family. maintained a safe distance. One day, his information was contradictory, with some In regard to my family, after school at- friend got sick and tested positive for even indicating it’s a normal flu that will tendance was suspended, we had no vis- COVID-19. Surprisingly, he picked up the quickly disappear. itors and were not going out. We made virus from a retail outlet. After being test- Positive cases kept rising daily, with fa- our home a safe haven with all our needs ed, he asked himself many questions, like talities being reported around the world. and entertainment. We never ordered how did I fail to protect myself from the Now, it’s apparent that it’s serious and food from outside. I made a temporary virus? that we have to take stringent precau- washing station in the front yard to wash He thought that by smelling the disin- tions and action to protect ourselves, our all materials and groceries to avoid virus fection chemicals and maintaining a safe families, and our friends. Luckily, I was cross contamination. distance, he was safe and maybe didn’t by Mohammad Al-Ghamdi assigned to develop the COVID-19 Emer- Having kids at home, it was challeng- need to wear gloves and a mask. After Ju’aymah gency Response Plan with a team, so it ing to make them understand the con- further consideration, he realized that he [email protected] was a great opportunity to educate my- sequences of their actions and behaviors, was deceived by store’s appearance and self through virtual meetings and phone so we designed a home experiment. I lax in his own judgment. It then occurred calls. I have learned a lot of information placed a greasy substance on their hands, to him that sick people were also going and started sharing this with my family and I told my son and daughters to wash out. and friends, keeping myself updated ev- their hands as they normally do. To their In these unusual times, please be extra ery day of any new development. surprise, after using a UV light in a dark careful, or you may be caught off-guard I designed my own lockdowns at a room, they were able to see that that when you least expect it. We all need to Your Voice reflects the thoughts and opinions of the writer, and not necessarily those of the personal level, at work, and with family. regular hand washing is not enough. I be more disciplined, because the virus is publication. At work, I frequently cleaned my office, showed them a video on how to better not going ask for permission. June 24, 2020 the arabian sun 6 company news an oasis of green on the red sands of Shaybah by Musherf Alamri pumps and smart fans. A sensor acti- Shaybah — The company’s community vates the fan only if the temperature in Shaybah has established a solar pow- goes above the optimum level. These ered greenhouse to become self-suf- efficiency features ensure that the solar ficient in landscape supplies, reducing power system is optimized while meet- costs, emissions, and enhancing supply ing all the nursery’s electricity require- resilience. ments. By becoming self-sufficient in land- It is unsurprising that the Shaybah scape requirements, having to truck community will be avoiding an estimat- supplies from Dammam (approximately ed $60,000 in costs per year because 800 kilometers away) can be avoided, many of the preexisting resources are thereby reducing emissions and improv- being leveraged in operating the nurs- ing traffic safety. ery, including the manpower. Addition- “We went the extra mile by using so- ally, the difficult logistics of delivering lar because we wanted to build an en- plants and other landscape materials is vironmental friendly nursery to continue eliminated. to beautify the Shaybah camp,” said “This initiative shows that the com- Abdullah Al Shemaly, acting manager of pany will go out of its way to come North/West Area Community Services up with creative solutions to reduce its Department. “This is in line with the environmental impact, including emis- company approach of using renewable, sions. Meanwhile, we will continue to clean energy sources to apply the circu- provide a vibrant, green community to lar economy principles that are in line our residents to retain employees and with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030.” enable them to excel,” said Saeed M. These Marigold flowers, in front of the Shaybah Admin Building, are only one product of the solar powered and efficient Al Ghamdi, superintendent of the North beautiful landscape supplies grown in the Shaybah Nursery. An estimated $60,000 per year will be Area Remote Camps Services Division. avoided due to the nursery because many of the preexisting resources are being leveraged in The 1,076-m² greenhouse com- operating the greenhouse, including the manpower. (Photos: Musherf S. Alamri) menced operations in the fourth quarter treated wastewater of 2019, and it has the capacity to grow and drip irrigation 100,000 seedlings per year. Shaybah gardeners use treated waste- use in the circular economy. the site, this challenge is resolved, and The greenhouse, called Shaybah Nurs- water to nurture plants, shrubs, and The Shaybah Nursery is near the flowers are more likely to thrive because ery, uses solar panels to power water flowers — applying the concept of re- wastewater treatment plant, which uti- gardeners have more flexibility over the lizes membrane bioreactor technology exact timing of planting. More impor- to reduce the pumping requirements. tantly, the gardeners can respond more Drip irrigation is used to maximize the swiftly to green landscape requirements nourishment of each water drop. in preparation for visits and events. The solar powered greenhouse and associated equipment were procured from a Riyadh-based vendor, ensuring that spare parts and maintenance is Located against the majestic sand dunes is the more readily available, thereby aligning Shaybah Nursery. With its very own solar with the In-Kingdom Total Value Add panels (left), it enables the Shaybah community (iktva) initiative. to become self-sufficient in landscape supplies, Additionally, benefits include enhanc- reducing costs, emissions, and enhancing ing the quality of flowers and increased supply resilience. agility in meeting demands. During the lengthy trucking process, a certain per- centage of the shipment is usually dam- aged. With the plants now grown on
Gardener Mohammed A. Al Halou moves a Khalil A. Mohammed, senior gardener, sets water irrigating hose at the Shaybah Nursery. seedlings at the 1,076-m² greenhouse. The Drip irrigation is used to maximize the facility has the capacity to grow 100,000 nourishment of each water drop. seedlings per year.
In coordination with the Management motivate and boost leadership expertise Harvard sessions and Professional Development Depart- by leveraging the university’s remarkable ment and the Career Development Di- online learning platform. The program vision, Power Systems (PS) launched the includes self- and online-based learning, give company Harvard Manage Mentor Leadership café as well as an interactive session facilitat- for all PS chief position holders. The four ed by Harvard. It will be followed by “on- leaders an sessions were attended by 120 chief po- the-job” application. sition holders in PS to learn about “Emo- The program is targeted to be con- opportunity to tional Intelligence,” “Building Trust,” and ducted throughout the year to provide “Engaging and Motivating Employees.” relevant learning opportunities and to The café provides a unique opportunity support PS leaders in their leadership learn key skills to work with Harvard thought leaders to journey. the arabian sun June 24, 2020 community news 7 new virtual summer program prepares for roll out
Dhahran — The King Abdulaziz Cen- creative methods to keep kids edu- Through the World Inventions and original games and films. ter for World Culture (Ithra) delivers cated this summer. The Virtual Sum- World Art Lab, children (ages four to Ithra believes young minds shape countless learning activities and enter- mer Camp introduces cross-cultural 12) will learn about inventions and the future. Based on this, the Cen- tainment for kids. Through Ithra Con- experiences under the camp’s theme, artists around the world. Children will ter focuses on introducing ambitious nect, Ithra introduces its first Virtual “Travel the world and explore di- explore the inspirations, ideas, and experiences and projects for kids to Summer Camp. The Virtual Summer verse cultures.” Through four tracks ingenuity that innovators and artists learn and develop skills in various sub- Camp is a fun learning platform for — World Inventions, World Art Lab, developed to design devices and art- jects. Ithra’s previous summer camp kids, ages four to 15, to explore cul- World Game Maker, and World Film- work. under the theme “Unleash Your Imag- tures, art, and inventions. making — kids will have the opportu- Through World Game Maker and ination,” helped more than 1,000 kids Ithra’s Virtual Summer Camp will nity to discover their talents through World Filmmaking, kids (ages 13 to develop cognitive knowledge and soft engage kids in exploring new con- rich learning experiences. Participants 15) will have the opportunity to build skills. Due to COVID-19, this year, the cepts, learning skills, and enable them will find the online camp experience their game making and filmmaking summer camp has gone virtual. The to have fun while at home. As social through live streams, podcasts, DIY skills. Participants will enhance their Virtual Summer Camp strives to build distancing is a vital part of our way videos, and PDF kits. Each track will communication abilities, creativity, an initiative for kids to discover global of life post-quarantine, Ithra instills be 10 days long. confidence, and more, to produce cultures, arts, games, and inventions.
Ithra’s virtual summer camp Tracks
Track 1 World Inventions Discover the world with Imagine ... Invent ... Innovate Ages 4-9 years Three sessions to choose from: Ithra’s July 5, July 19, and Aug. 9 (10 days each) virtual summer camp To sign up, click here July 5 to Aug. 20, 2020
Track 2 World Art Lab Da Vinci ... Picasso ... You Ages 4-12 years Three sessions to choose from: July 5, July 19, and Aug. 9 (10 days each)
To sign up, click here
Track 3 World Game Maker Ready ... Set ... Go Ages 10-15 years Three sessions to choose from: July 5, July 19, and Aug. 9 (10 days each)
To sign up, click here
Track 4 World Filmmaking Lights! ... Camera! ... Action! Ages 13-15 years To sign up, click here Two sessions to choose from: July 5 and July 19 (10 days each)
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The Arabian Sun is a weekly publication North Admin Building, Room AN- Publishing director: Articles and coverage can be requested Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Saudi issued free of charge by the Corporate 1080, C-05A, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia Meteb F. Al Qahtani (A) through the company’s CRM system. Aramco) is a joint stock company, with Communication Support Department Telephone (013) 876-0374 Editors: Jamsheed Din, William Bradshaw Correspondence may be addressed to certificate of registration number for Saudi Aramco employees. Email: [email protected] Editorial staff: Todd Williams, Jeff the editor, North Admin Building, Room 2052101105, having its principal office at ISSN: 1319-156X McCoshen, Musherf Alamri, Eamonn AN-1080, C-05A. P.O. Box 5000, Dhahran, Postal Code Articles may be reproduced provided Houston, Scott Baldauf, Shaistha 31311, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and with The Arabian Sun is credited. Khan and Dalia Darweesh. fully paid capital of SAR 60,000,000,000. Designer: Husam Nasr. the arabian sun June 24, 2020 8 new virtual summer program
Ithra prepares to roll out a new virtual summer program that will engage kids in new concepts and learning skills while at home. see page 7 in search of the ‘Mysterious Structures in Arabia’ by Chiara Ciampricotti Iacoangeli main unanswered, and what is most surpris- For two decades, Ghaith A. Al-Shaia has What is ANHA? ing is that these structures have been found traveled and explored the furthest reaches ANHA is a Saudi Aramco self- in remote internal areas that are difficult to of the Kingdom in search of the unique and directed group founded in 1966, and reach. awe-inspiring, but one of his most scintil- is dedicated to furthering the Al-Shaia states that experts have noted, lating experiences has been seeing the geo- understanding and appreciation of the “These volcanic lava fields are the last place glyphs found in Saudi Arabia. unique natural, cultural, and historical you’d expect to find these kinds of struc- A computer engineer and geophysicist aspects of the Gulf region in particular, tures, as the landscape is not hospitable. who joined Saudi Aramco in 2002 and as well as worldwide natural history. You can’t even walk normally.” Adding that works as a supervisor in the Geophysical This is accomplished at monthly it is only possible to trace them from above, Imaging Department’s Land 2-D Seismic meetings, incorporating lectures, slide/ he notes they are long lines, the lengths of Processing Group, Al-Shaia earlier shared film shows, and arranging local field which vary from 100 meters to a few kilo- his interest in the “Mysterious Structures in trips with an emphasis on culture and/ meters. Ghaith A. Al-Shaia believes that hundreds of Arabia” to several dozen members of the or natural history. To become a Today, unfortunately, the construction of master and doctoral papers could be written Arabian Natural History Association (ANHA). member, show up to one of their the highways that cross the country has about these structures, which he calls “Aayat He is president of the group. events and register. Individual meant that some formations have been bro- Alharrah,” which translated from Arabic means “The Lava Miracles.” questions and the membership is SR50, family is SR100. ken or even removed. search for answers ‘The Lava Miracles’ only rocks. It is remarkable how they have A geoglyph can be “positive” or “neg- and circles. Moving north to Harrat Ash Shamah, survived over time, as they are not held to- ative,” says Al-Shaia. Positive geoglyphs Inevitably, questions were raised: What rocks have been found forming tree-like gether by cement. In some of the concentric are made by arranging elements on the are they? Who built such structures? And shapes with large crowns and trunks, and structures, there are mysterious rocks with ground such as the petroforms found at why and when? a little bit closer to the Tabuk area in Harrat holes inside them. Stonehenge, while negative geoglyphs Though the questions remained unan- Uwayrid and Harrat At Raha, triangles point Few studies have been conducted, but are formed by removing part of the upper swered, they produced great curiosity. Al- to a circle. Australian professor Dave Kennedy has surfaces of rock to create a design. Called Shaia became passionate about these stud- Harrat Khyber features rectangular shapes traced the structures back to 8,000 B.C. By petroglyphs, examples include the Nazca ies and went on to expand the observation found in an area dominated by the White way of comparison, the Nazca lines are far lines in Peru. area by applying the same methodology. He Mountain. Next to this larger volcano, a younger, dating back to 500 B.C. Al-Shaia’s exploration of Saudi territory moved the search southward to Harrat Ha- smaller volcano on the slopes features nu- In 2008, Al-Shaia started conducting sev- began with the Google Earth application, dan and Harrat Nawasif, where sand partial- merous visible rectangles, even though they eral field trips to go deeper, with explora- zooming in on specific areas of interest in ly covered these structures. have been covered by lava. This suggests tions and studies of these mysterious struc- the Kingdom’s West. Methodically scanning Many other questions began to arise that the formations predate the eruption of tures. He believes that hundreds of master the region, he first saw a strange shape like about their functionality and purpose. Are the volcano itself. and doctoral papers could be written about a clock. His exploration slowly moved to they ancient habitats? Tombs? Road marks? It is an area in which it is very difficult to these structures, which he calls “Aayat Harrat Kishb, a lava field, where many more Religious related structures? Clocks? walk, but seen from up close, the structures Alharrah,” which translated from Arabic shapes were discovered, including long lines Unfortunately, to date, these questions re- have the shape of low walls, composed of means “The Lava Miracles.”
Harrat Ash Shamah, rocks have been found forming tree-like shapes with large crowns and trunks, and a little bit closer to the Tabuk area in Harrat Uwayrid and Harrat At Raha, triangles point to a circle.
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