1. SunVol. LXIV, No. 21, May 27, 2009
The Arabian
HE Ali I. Al-Naimi ad-
dressed a new group
focused on energy
economics.
Page
3
Page
5
Saudi Aramco exhib-
ited its role as energy
leader at the Offshore
Technology Conference
in Houston.
Saudi Aramco project teams from the
Oil and Gas Upstream Pipelines Division
(O&GUPD) and the Offshore Projects Di-
vision (OPD) working at Berri and Abu Ali
Island recently accomplished two environ-
mentally significant feats.
The first was the completion of Saudi
Aramco’s longest underground pipeline
sections installed using Horizontal
See ‘Pipe,’ page five
The horizontal drilling machine at left is guided from the steering cabin, right, while casing is
being pushed underground during a horizontal directional drilling operation.
Pipe pull a plus
for environment
LONDON — Saudi Aramco received
two awards — the prestigious Procurement
Leader Award and the Innovation Award
— from the Procurement Leaders Network
at a May 12 ceremony in the historic Ban-
queting House in London.
The awards were accepted on behalf
of Saudi Aramco by Esam A. Mousli, vice
president of Materials Supply.
The Procurement Leader Award went to
Mousli in recognition of his achievements
in managing a supply chain organization
with a total procurement value of more
than $30 billion in 2008 while leading a
series of strategic initiatives designed to
transform Materials Supply from a service
provider to a manager of best-in-class sup-
ply-chain services.
The Innovation Award recognized one
of Materials Supply’s key strategic initia-
tives: the Electronic Contracting Network
(ECN). Phase II of the Web-based ECN
and the introduction of the Virtual
Materials Supply garners
two awards for company
Esam A.
Mousli ac-
cepts the
Procure-
ment Leader
Award from
representa-
tives of the
Procurement
Leaders
Network at a
ceremony in
London.
See ‘Awards,’ page five
Dhahran Diversity
By Femke Baudoin
THE HAGUE, The Netherlands —
Once a temporary exhibit, “Al Arab,”
which showcases the diversity of the
Arab world, has gained a permanent
place on the second floor of a popular
science and cultural museum on the Stad-
houderslaan.
Aramco Overseas Co. (AOC) on May
14 co-sponsored the opening of the new
space at the Museon. AOC also donated
objects from Saudi Arabia for display.
“It has been said that one should seek
knowledge from the cradle to the grave,”
AOC managing director Ahmed M. Al-
zayyat told an audience of government offi-
cials, public officers and suppliers. “I hope
that through this exhibition you will be
able to lift the veils surrounding the Arab
culture and gain an appreciation of what
makes it so unique.”
Dina Nowilati, recruitment representa-
Girls perform the Chinese Long
Nail Dance at the May 14 “Trea-
sures of Dhahran” dinner. See
story on page 8.
Museum exhibit
opens door
on Arab culture
See ‘Museum,’ page eight
Ambassadors
Photo: Aleksandra Aleksic

2. The Arabian Sun2 May 27, 2009
Movie Reviews
HABIBI NAEMAN: A man is blinded by his love for a
woman who is extremely overweight. (2008)
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE: A Mumbai teen who grew
up in the slums becomes a contestant on the Indian ver-
sion of “Who Wants to be a Millionaire?” He is arrested
under suspicion of cheating, and while being interro-
gated, events from his life are shown that explain why he
knows the answers. (2008)
AA DEKHEN ZARA: A photographer has nothing going
for him until he inherits a camera that changes his life in
a way that he could never have imagined. (2009)
SEVEN POUNDS: Ben Thomas carries a fateful secret
while embarking on a journey of redemption by forever
changing the lives of seven strangers. (2008)
HAPPY GO LUCKY: A look at a few chapters in the life
of Poppy, a cheery, colorful, North London schoolteacher
whose optimism tends to exasperate those around her.
(2008)
DHAHRAN
HABIBI NAEMAN, starring May Ez Al-Dean and Khaled
Abu Al-Naja (Arabic comedy, PG-13) — Wed., May 27,
Fri., May 29, and Sun., May 31, 5:30 p.m.
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE, starring Dev Patel and Anil
Kapoor (comedy, R) — Wed., May 27, 8 p.m.; Thu., May
28, 5 p.m.; Fri., May 29, 8 p.m.
AA DEKHEN ZARA, starring Neil Nitin Mukesh and Bi-
pasha Basu (Hindi, PG-13) — Thu., May 28, 8 p.m.
SEVEN POUNDS, starring Will Smith and Rosario Daw-
son (drama, PG-13) — Sat., May 30, 5:30 p.m.; Sun.,
May 31, and Wed., Jun. 3, 8 p.m.
HAPPY GO LUCKY, starring Alexis Zegerman and Sally
Hawkins (comedy, R) — Sat., May 30, 8 p.m.; Wed., Jun.
3, 5:30 p.m.
ABQAIQ
MISS PETTIGREW LIVES FOR A DAY, starring Frances
McDormand and Amy Adams (comedy, PG-13) — Wed.,
June 3, 5 and 7:30 p.m.
NAJMAH
MORNING LIGHT, starring Patrick Warburton (sports,
PG) — Wed., May 27, 4:45 and 7:30 p.m.
LAKEVIEW TERRACE, starring Samuel L. Jackson and
Patrick Wilson (thriller, PG-13) — Thu., May 28, and Fri.,
May 29, 4:45 and 7:30 p.m.
WHAT JUST HAPPENED, starring Robert De Niro and
Bruce Willis (drama, R) — Sat., May 30, and Wed., June
3, 4:45 and 7:30 p.m.
MISS PETTIGREW LIVES FOR A DAY — Sun., May 31,
4:45 and 7:30 p.m.
‘UDHAILIYAH
PRIDE AND GLORY, starring Ed Norton and Colin Far-
rell (crime, R) — Wed., May 27, 5 p.m.; Thu., May 28, 8
p.m.; Fri., May 29, 5 p.m.
THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL, starring Keanu
Reeves and Jennifer Connelly (sci-fi, PG-13) — Wed.,
May 27, 8 p.m.; Thu., May 28, 5 p.m.; Fri., May 29, 8
p.m.
RACHEL GETTING MARRIED, starring Anne Hathaway
and Debra Winger (drama, R) — Sat., May 30, 5 p.m.;
Wed., June 3, 8 p.m.
JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH, starring
Brendan Fraser and Josh Hutcherson (adventure, PG)
— Sat., May 30, 8 p.m.; Wed., Jun. 3, 5 p.m.
MEET THE BROWNS, starring Tyler Perry and Angela
Bassett (comedy, PG-13) — Sun., May 31, 5 p.m.
HABIBI NAEMAN — Wed., June 3, 8 p.m.
Photographic memory
This week’s movies
Butterhead leaf lettuce was
added to the list of crops
hydroponically grown by
Aramco’s Local Industrial
Development Department
in 1978. The crops were
grown in plastic tubes with
running water and dissolved
plant food instead of soil
— an experimental method
that was already success-
fully tested on tomatoes
and cucumbers in the
company’s two hydroponic
greenhouses. With this
method, the lettuce could
be harvested every 25 days.
Cream of
the crop
Photo: B.H. Moody
Several students sponsored by the Saudi
Development Division of the Career Devel-
opment Department have been recognized
for their achievements at their universities.
Husameddin S. Al-Madani was named
Texas A&M University’s Graduate Stu-
dent Council president for 2009-2010. Al-
Madani is pursuing his master’s degree in
engineering in the International Petroleum
Management Program. He is advised by
Petroleum Engineering Department head
Stephen Holditch. His research focuses on
the integration and enhancement of soft-
ware applications for the estimation of un-
conventional gas resources, and optimum
drilling, stimulation and production prac-
tices.
Al-Madani is originally from Riyadh
and received his undergraduate degree in
computer science from the University of
Kansas in 2003.
The Graduate Student Council is the
voice of graduate students to university ad-
ministration on matters that affect all grad-
uate and professional students. For more
information on the council, visit http://gsc.
tamu.edu/.
Ahmad Al-Huthali won first place in
a research contest for his paper “Optimal
Water Flood Management under Geologic
Uncertainty Using Rate Control: Theory
and Field Applications.”
He presented the paper at the Society
of Petroleum Engineers Regional Student
Paper Contest at Rice University in Tex-
as. To qualify for that contest, Al-Huthali
was selected from among 300 students, 40
of whom were doctoral students, and was
judged by 100 industry representatives at
a competition at Texas A&M University.
He was among nine presenters in the Ph.D.
competition.
In the master’s division, another Saudi
Aramco student, Mohammed Al-Wadani of
Rice University, also presented a paper.
Ph.D. candidate Mohammed S. Al-
Ghamdi recently won the doctorate level
prize for Exceptional Design and Presen-
tation during the Electrical and Comput-
er Engineering (ECE) Department poster
competition at the Illinois Institute of Tech-
nology.
More than 110 Ph.D. and master-of-
science-degree students presented their
research posters and contributions in the
fields of power, control, communications,
power electronics, signal processing, com-
puters and microelectronics.
Each student delivered his or her five-
minute presentation at least four times,
followed by a question-and-answer ses-
sion before judges. Finally, winners were
announced in a meeting attended by more
than 250 students and 35 faculty members.
Mohammed Al-Ahmed was elected
president for the Student Society of Human
Resource Development (SSHRD) at the
University of Houston. The second-semes-
ter student was nominated for the position
by faculty and fellow students.
SSHRD is a society that helps HRD
students in their professional and academ-
ic development. It works closely with the
Houston chapter of the American Soci-
ety for Training and Development and the
Academy of Human Resource Develop-
ment, and is developing a partnership with
the Society of Human Resource Manage-
ment.
Al-Ahmed was sponsored by his depart-
ment for a master-of-science degree in hu-
man resource development. He is thought
to be the first Saudi Aramco master’s de-
gree student in the HRD program at the
University of Houston.
He holds a bachelor-of-science degree
from California State University in Long
Beach.
Sponsored students recognized for their achievements

3. The Arabian Sun 3May 27, 2009
By Heather O’Connor
HOUSTON — Saudi Aramco
and Aramco Services Co. (ASC)
had a strong presence at this
year’s Offshore Technology Con-
ference (OTC), one of the world’s
largest oil and gas technology
conferences and a hub for the ex-
change of scientific knowledge
and innovation.
In addition to a keynote ad-
dress and participation in a panel
discussion by senior vice presi-
dent of Exploration and Produc-
ing Amin H. Nasser, two of the
show’s technical sessions — fea-
turing 13 presentations — fo-
cused solely on Saudi Aramco’s
upstream technologies and prac-
tices. On the exhibit floor, the
Saudi Aramco booth drew indus-
try professionals as well as sup-
pliers interested in learning how
their products and services could
support the company’s opera-
tions.
“Our high-level of partici-
pation in all aspects of OTC
— from a keynote address to
technical presentations and exhib-
iting — was impressive and re-
flects positively on the company
and its role as an energy industry
leader,” said Ali A. Abuali, ASC
president and CEO.
Among the show’s highlights,
the two technical sessions were
especially notable. Titled “Drill-
ing and Completion Practices
in Saudi Arabia” and “Leverag-
ing Upstream Technology in the
Largest Oil Program,” the ses-
sions featured 14 Saudi Aramco
speakers on technical topics such
as horizontal drilling, drilling flu-
ids technology, well completions,
artificial lift, intelligent (real-
time) monitoring, multiphase me-
tering systems and aspects of the
Khurais development.
The OTC Show Daily, pub-
lished by the World Oil maga-
zine, reported that “the Khurais
Megaproject was front and cen-
ter” during one opening technical
session.
The Saudi Aramco exhibit booth drew a large number of suppliers for a video presentation about how their products
and services can support the company’s operations.
In a keynote address to in-
dustry professionals, Amin H.
Nasser, senior vice president of
Exploration and Producing, dis-
cussed the key challenges facing
the upstream oil and gas industry.
In his speech, Nasser discussed
the industry’s need to be prepared
to meet the world’s demand, and
to preserve human capital and the
technical skill base. He also rein-
forced Saudi Aramco’s interest in
stewardship and sustainability, in-
cluding the latest technologies.
“There are a number of tech-
nical challenges that will con-
tinue to be faced by the industry
for the foreseeable future,” said
Nasser. “However, with industry
collaboration and an investment
in technologies and people, these
challenges can be surmounted.”
To address those challenges,
Nasser highlighted the company’s
reservoir simulation technology,
which can run models with more
than 1 billion cells, and the intel-
ligent-field reservoir surveillance
that makes it possible to assess field
performance even before a single
drop of oil has been produced. In
terms of “beyond-the-horizon”
thinking, he described the compa-
ny’s award-winning research into
nano-robots that can be injected
into reservoirs and gather data.
Nasser also participated in a
panel discussion titled “Navigating
Long-Term Business in the Face
of Short-Term Uncertainty.” He
emphasized Saudi Aramco’s long-
term view of the industry and the
importance of maintaining excess
producing capacity to ensure reli-
able supplies.
Technical Presenters
Presenting during the two techni-
cal sessions about Saudi Aramco
were the following employees:
A.A. Al-Somali, J. Thuwaini, S.S. Al-
Malki, H.B. Al-Qahtani, F. Al-Ajmi,
F. Al-Dossary, A.A. Al-Ghamdi,
A.S. Al-Ahmari, M.A. Simpson, F.N.
AlNughaimish, A.M. Al-Qahtani,
D. Krinis, P. Warren and R. Tello
Kragjcek.
“There was a large turnout for
our company’s presentations at
OTC and a great deal of interac-
tion with other industry profes-
sionals and leaders interested in
learning about our approach to
projects and technology and also
sharing their own activities,”
said Kwaku Temeng, director of
ASC Upstream Research, who
coordinated Saudi Aramco’s par-
ticipation in the event and was a
chairperson for the technical ses-
sion on Khurais.
The Saudi Aramco exhibit re-
ceived heavy traffic, and video
presentations by the Strategic
Sourcing Unit of ASC Procure-
ment and Logistics (P&L) drew
more than 230 potential suppli-
ers. The Canadian Trade Com-
missioner also coordinated a visit
for ASC with representatives of
By Abdulrahman A. Al-Omair
DHAHRAN — Corporate data is a vi-
tal resource that must be preserved, main-
tained and, when not needed, disposed of.
It has always been important to proper-
ly handle confidential documents, whether
public, company general use, restricted or
governmental, and whether they are paper
or digital.
As Saudi Aramco builds toward a pa-
perless work environment, the Corporate
Applications Department, along with the
Information Protection and Technical Plan-
ning Department, is conducting seminars
covering two corporate document solu-
tions, eCabinet and ShareK. The seminars,
conducted throughout the Kingdom, are
aimed at promoting these systems to con-
tent managers as well as end-users.
The electronic document management
application eCabinet, based on the software
EMC Documentum, specializes in control-
ling content storage and is the standard IT
solution for document management. As
one of the building blocks used by Saudi
Aramco to facilitate content flow across or-
ganizations, the application is designed for
easy, yet secure, access.
Public folders will be made available to
all organizations, and content can be easily
uploaded and downloaded using drag-and-
drop action. Data is encrypted to safeguard
corporate information from unauthorized
access, and access is designed to ensure se-
curity.
ShareK is the collaboration and
knowledge-management system Saudi
Aramco is using to promote sharing of
knowledge, information, ideas and skills.
Each organization has its own workspace
with Intranet and Internet links to a num-
ber of collaborative capabilities in cy-
berspace, such as specialized discussion
forums, work surveys, calendars, wikis,
blogs and related services.
In addition to the organization work-
space, ShareK contains a wealth of infor-
mation in the communities of practice of
such disciplines as engineering, informa-
tion technology and other fields.
With digital workspaces such as these,
employees can make the most of the tera-
bytes of information at their fingertips.
Solving industry
challenges
more than 30 manufacturing com-
panies.
“From a sourcing perspective,
OTC offered us an opportunity
to meet with potential suppli-
ers from throughout the Western
Hemisphere, and to continue to
build and capitalize on the rela-
tionships that are critical to up-
stream and offshore efforts,” said
Abdulrauf Allarakia, manager,
ASC P&L Department.
In addition to ASC Upstream
Research and P&L, many other
departments and groups partici-
pated, including ASC’s North
American Staffing Services, En-
gineering, Visual Technology and
Public Affairs, as well as Saudi
Aramco’s Petroleum Engineering
and Development, Drilling and
Workover, and Northern Area
Producing organizations.
Company participates in OTC
Amin H. Nasser
Saudi Aramco
exhibits role as
energy leader
Discover a wealth of
data at your fingertips
The Corporate Applications Department, along with the Information Protection and Technical Planning departments, are conducting seminars
throughout the company to showcase their corporate document management solutions, eCabinet and ShareK.

4. The Arabian Sun4 May 27, 2009
DHAHRAN — Environmen-
tally aware employees and de-
pendents went the extra mile to
celebrate Earth Day this year, as
they took to the podium and the
streets to spread the message.
Organized by the Society of
Associates and Volunteers for
the Environment (SAVE) and the
Environmental Technology and
Management Association, a cli-
mate-change symposium brought
together environment experts from
King Saud University, King Fahd
University of Petroleum and Min-
erals and King Abdulaziz Uni-
versity to discuss the effects of
climate change on the Kingdom,
future forecasts and what needs to
be done to meet the challenges.
They also discussed things
people can do at home, school
or at work to reduce their carbon
footprint. They included reducing
the amount of water used to brush
your teeth or to take a shower,
scheduling an hour every day to
turn off the lights at home, and
cutting back on printing paper
and then recycling it at work.
In a later event, 120 partici-
pants across different ages and
nationalities took their message
to the streets for a Walk for Earth
along the Dhahran Fitness Trail.
Participants got a chance to walk
and talk about the environment,
stretch and flex their muscles,
and then share stories over a sha-
warma and apple while children
colored in environmental col-
oring books. The conversation
about what they could do contin-
ued, and participants each made
a pledge, in writing, about three
things they would change in the
coming year to do their part for
the environment. Pledges includ-
ed turning off the lights twice a
day, volunteering for the environ-
ment and dropping off recyclables
at community recycle bins.
Participants shared their
pledges and received “personal
contracts” that they would be re-
minded about throughout the year
to check on their progress.
Richard M. Yates retires May
31 with 31 years of service. He
first came to work for the com-
pany in January 1976. Except for
a short time in the late 1980s, he
spent the rest of his professional
career with Saudi Aramco.
Rising from an electronic data
processing analyst in Computer
Applications Department Finance
Division to senior information
systems consultant in the Infor-
mation Protection and Technolo-
gy Planning Department, Richard
spent most of his time in Dhah-
ran.
Between those two jobs, he
served as administrator and act-
ing manager in several organiza-
tions. He was also senior project
manager for the Y2K project from
1996 to 1999.
In 1976, he met his future
wife, Eva, who was an Office Ser-
vices secretary from 1974-1980
and later worked in the Mechani-
cal Services Shops Department.
They were married in 1977.
Their lives were shaped by
many experiences, and they were
present for big changes in the
company and community. They
lived through the first Gulf War,
hosting military personnel, and
experiencing the wailing of air-
raid sirens and clouds of smoke
from Kuwaiti oil fields.
They saw the Core Area de-
velop with the building of the
Tower, Executive, EXPEC and
Engineering buildings. They also
watched as the community ex-
panded into Dhahran Hills, and as
sports and educational facilities
were added.
Another fond memory was the
celebration of the U.S. bicenten-
nial in 1976, with “free hotdogs
and hamburgers and all the beans
you could eat,” Richard says.
Looking back on his contribu-
tions to the company, Richard cit-
ed “being able to develop sound
professional, technical and busi-
ness expertise in the fast-mov-
ing highly charged Information
Technology arena,” and the “de-
velopment of younger Saudi pro-
fessionals, many of whom have
risen through the highly competi-
tive ranks of Saudi Aramco man-
agement.”
He was a member and fre-
quent officer of the youth soc-
cer, junior tennis, Boy Scouts and
aquarium groups. He was execu-
tive secretary and board member
of the Saudi Aramco Employees’
Association (SAEA) and a mem-
ber of the Dhahran Outing Group.
His hobbies include reading,
the cinema, following the English
Premier League’s Arsenal, fresh-
water aquariums, woodcraft, trav-
el and adventure, and exercise.
Eva also served as an SAEA
board member, as well as a Dhah-
ran Women’s Group board mem-
ber, and was active in youth
soccer, the garden group, art
group and theater group. She
led a recent Kashmir tour for the
Dhahran Outing Group and was
a member of the Arabian Natural
History Association.
She also spends her time gar-
dening, cooking, reading, doing
arts and crafts, singing, dancing
and doing yoga.
They have three children: Mi-
chael, 28, who graduated from the
Massachusetts Institute of Tech-
nology with a bachelor’s degree
in economics; Malcolm, 27, who
holds a bachelor’s degree in pe-
troleum engineering from Uni-
versity of Texas at Austin; and
Martin, 23, who earned a bach-
elor’s degree in mechanical engi-
neering from Boston University.
Eva and Richard will retire
to Bedford, England, where he
was born and raised. They plan
to travel and support local social
projects, as well as an orphanage
in Tamil Nadu, India.
They may be reached at
yates62156@gmail.com.
MANAMA, Bahrain — The
Saudi Aramco Youth Soccer As-
sociation (SAYSO) fielded a team
in each of the four age categories
May 1 at the annual Bahrain Rug-
by and Football Club soccer tour-
nament that attracts school, club
and institute teams from Saudi
Arabia and Bahrain.
The two younger categories
were seven-a-side competitions
while the older two were full-field,
full-squad competitions. The four
SAYSO teams played under the
name Fursan, which is the name
used by SAYSO travel teams.
Fursan Under-10 won Plate po-
sition after a shaky start in which
they lost their first four games by
narrow margins. They went on,
however, to win all three games
through the loser’s bracket to grab
the trophy even though their op-
ponents scored a total seven goals
to their six. Four of the six were
scored by Alhusain Al-Najrani.
Fursan U-12 also won the Plate
position, the road to which went
through eight grueling games, win-
ning five and losing three. Their
12-6 total goal advantage came on
four by Abdallah Al-Najrani and
three by Talal Al-Ayedh.
Fursan U-14 grabbed first
place, winning all of its four
games: 3-0, 3-0, 3-0 and 1-0.
Mussab Al-Essa led the scoring
with four goals. Anas Al-Zah-
rani had three. Anwar Al-Sawi
contributed with two goals, and
Mansour Al-Haddad wrapped it
up with one. Odai Elyas, Saleh
Abuthlaim, Faisal Kamal, Emad
Fadag and Fahad Alblwi also had
outstanding performances.
Fursan U-16 took third place
with three wins and two losses in
spite of making nine goals to their
opponents’ three. Their two losses
were by a score of 0-1. Nawwaf
Al-Muraikhi scored one-third of
his team’s goals.
A large delegation of adults
accompanied the 52 boys, includ-
ing SAYSO commissioner Rami
Kamal; treasurer Kamel Marzoog;
coaches Nabeel Al-Sawi (U-14),
Sager Al-Yami (U-10), Abdal-
lah Al-Najrani (U-12), Maan
Al-Temesani (U-12), Izzeldin
Bashasha (U-16), Abdulmoneim
Mubarak (U-16) and Hasan Abed
(U-10); and supervisors Fatin Al-
Lababidi, Mohammed Jabali, Talal
Al-Yousef and Hazim Al-Thagafi.
Go green
Earth walk
Pair of events promote
strategies for a healthier planet
Walk for Earth participants numbered 120 of different ages and nationalities. The walk was one of two Earth Day
events, the other being a climate-change symposium.
Yates’company career goes back to 1976
Richard M. Yates and his wife, Eva, are shown in Kashmir during a Dhahran
Outing Group trip.
SAYSO players fare fine at annual Bahrain tournament

5. The Arabian Sun 5May 27, 2009
Directional Drilling (HDD) meth-
ods. The 3,200-meter sections of
24-inch crude pipeline and 30-
inch water-injection pipeline were
installed as deep as 32 meters be-
neath the seabed between Abu Ali
Island and the end of Berri Cause-
way, using state-of-the-art drilling
equipment.
The other major accomplish-
ment was the first use by Saudi
Aramco of HDD technology in
the installation of a pipeline run-
ning from the shoreline into the
sea. The 30-inch water-injection
pipeline contained an under-
ground section that stretched from
the edge of Abu Ali Island to an
exit point more than 1,500 meters
into the Berri offshore oil field.
HDD has a significant advan-
tage over conventional practices in
that it avoids the environmental im-
pact associated with dredging. That
was an important factor at Berri
and Abu Ali Island because of the
sensitive nature of the local marine
environment, where several endan-
Pipe:
(continued from page one)
gered species of coral are found.
HDD also had the added cost
advantage over dredging at Berri
due to shallow local seabed con-
ditions. Extensive access dredg-
ing would have been required
just to reach the pipeline dredg-
ing zone. The use of HDD for this
particular application saved Saudi
Aramco approximately $54 mil-
lion.
HDD is a sophisticated engi-
neering technique that enables the
laying of underground sections
of pipeline without the need to
trench or dredge the pipe route.
The first stage of the process in-
volves drilling a pilot hole be-
tween two ground entry points.
Electronic positioning/steering
instrumentation is used to guide
the drill head along the specified
path.
Once the pilot hole is com-
pleted, a series of reaming pass-
es are made using progressively
larger tools to expand the hole to
the required size. The final stage
involves pulling the new pipeline
through the newly formed tunnel.
The HDD work at Berri and
Abu Ali was undertaken by
Drilltec and Digital Connection
Co. Ltd. through main contractors
Global Al-Rushaid Offshore Co.
Ltd. and Al-Robaya Est.
Contract Room concept has
transformed the way the compa-
ny procures its contracts. ECN
Phase II helped reduce procure-
ment lead time by supplying
one hub for procurement infor-
mation and by optimizing and
Awards:
(continued from page one)
re-engineering 60 business pro-
cedures.
The awards were presented
by the Procurement Leaders Net-
work, which is an international,
membership-led, community fo-
cused group for executive level
procurement, sourcing and sup-
ply-chain-management profes-
sionals. It was the first time the
awards had been opened to com-
panies outside Europe.
A company delegation joined
more than 350 fellow senior ex-
ecutives from some of the world’s
largest companies, including
Shell, BP, Proctor and Gamble,
IBM, Nestle, Hewlett Packard
and HSBC.
The awards recognize the best
and most innovative procurement
and supply-chain projects of the
previous 12 months. The cer-
emony celebrates excellence in
eight categories: Innovation, Pro-
curement Excellence, Corporate
Social Responsibility, Best Cross-
Function Project, People Devel-
opment, Procurement Leader,
Best Use of Technology and Best
Procurement Team.
Saudi Aramco had initia-
tives short-listed in five of the
eight categories, including two
projects in Innovation and Best
Use of Technology. Competition
was stiff, with projects from BP,
Lloyds Banking Group, Diageo,
Nestle and IBM in the same cat-
egories.
The awards are judged by a
panel of nine judges, all of whom
are senior procurement and sup-
ply chain practitioners.
By Ahmad Dialdin
DHAHRAN — The new
Saudi Association for Energy
Economics (SAEE) had its first
formal gathering on May 13 at
the Plaza Conference Center in
Dhahran. HE Ali I. Al-Naimi,
Minister of Petroleum and Min-
eral Resources, addressed the new
organization and several members
of executive management.
“The step we take today will
have a direct impact on the fu-
ture of the energy industry in our
country,” he told the group, made
up of Saudi Aramco and industry
professionals.
“SAEE’s mission is to provide
“I hope that its future is filled
with the same enthusiasm and
dedication that it has enjoyed in
its inauguration, and I hope many
studies will be developed here
that will aid the country’s energy
industry in reaching its future
goals and provide many opportu-
nities for our future generations.”
SAEE is an affiliation of the
International Association of En-
ergy Economics (IAEE), which
is a global, nonprofit organiza-
tion founded in 1977 and based
in Ohio, United States. IAEE has
more than 3,000 members and
more than 30 national affiliates
around the world.
an interdisciplinary forum for the
exchange of ideas, experiences
and issues among business, aca-
demics, policymakers and other
professionals interested in the
field of energy economics,” said
SAEE’s vice president, Moham-
med Al-Tayyeb.
He added that the association
would promote the understand-
ing and application of economics
across all aspects of the energy
supply chain.
“Given the central role energy
plays in the Saudi economy,” said
Al-Tayyeb, “we strongly believe
that such an affiliation will en-
hance the local understanding of
the challenges facing the energy
industry and provide a forum to
debate and propose solutions to
these challenges.”
“There are many opportunities
and challenges facing the energy
industry,” said Al-Naimi. “SAEE
is in a prime position to contrib-
ute toward these opportunities. It
can join in forming studies and re-
search into important issues such
as the development of energy di-
versification in the Kingdom.
“Also, the association can col-
laborate with other organizations
and research centers in work-
ing out how to maximize our
economic benefit from the con-
sumption and exportation of our
petroleum products.”
Al-Tayyeb introduced the
other SAEE council members:
Mohammed Al-Sahlawi, SAEE
president, is a professor in the
Finance and Economics depart-
ments at King Fahd University
of Petroleum and Minerals; he
was unable to attend the inau-
gural meeting. The secretary is
Nasser Al-Dossary, and treasurer
is Fahad Al-Dhubaib, both econo-
mists for Saudi Aramco.
“I would like to extend my
congratulations to everyone in-
volved in the establishment of
this association,” Al-Naimi said.
From left in the photo at left are Thaha Abdul Salam, contractor, rig support; Yasser Ahmed, Project Management safety adviser; Salah Zahrah, Project
Management site superintendent; Gerd Nuihs, contractor driller; Ali K. Al-Uthaibi, Project Management project engineer; Ziad Gazzoul, drilling supervisor;
and Veneer Capunitan, contractor supervisor. At right, contractor and Saudi Aramco personnel, including Project Management project engineer Abdulaziz
Al-Hulail and site superintendent Barry Simm, step up to the trench after the pulling of pipe is completed.
Economics called key to energy industry
HE Ali I. Al-Naimi,
center, is joined
by members and
organizers of the
new Saudi Asso-
ciation for Energy
Economics.

6. The Arabian Sun6 May 27, 2009
8; Wheels Class with Kathleen Britton —
June 9; Block of the Month — 1-3 p.m.
and 6-9 p.m., June 15; Monthly Mystery
— 1-3 p.m. and 6-9 p.m., June 22; Open
Sewing — afternoon and evening, June
29. You must be a member to participate
in classes. All skill levels are welcome.
The guild is at 4056 Karl Street; phone,
878-0747; and e-mail, doqgclasses@
hotmail.com.
Dhahran Rapid Chess Tournament:
The tournament will be from 8:30 a.m.-
4 p.m. June 18 at Bldg. 1221-B (near the
Heritage Gallery). Registration deadline
is June 15. Fee is free for members and
SR30 for nonmembers. There will be two
groups: adults and children. For more
info, contact Andy Reyes at 572-4373 or
574-4460, Renato Alegre at 878-1738 or
873-8471, or by e-mail at andres.reyes@
aramco.com or renato.alegre@aramco.
com.
Dhahran Chess Clinics: There will
be chess clinics in Dhahran as follows:
May 28-29 — Basic Endgames; June
4-5 — Elementary Tactics; June 11-12
— Basic openings. Clinics will be from
9 a.m.-4 p.m. at Bldg. 1221-B. Fee
per weekend session will be free for
members and SR30 for nonmembers.
Registration deadline is three days
before the event. For more info, contact
Andy Reyes at 572-4373 or 574-4460,
Patio Sale: Come and participate in the
Semi-Annual Community Patio Sale to be
held from 6-9 a.m., June 4, in the green
belt at the corner of Oasis and Third
Street. Registration is SR100. For more
info, call 878-9178 or 872-4485.
Summer TESOL Program: Saudi
Aramco Schools has announced the
dates and times of the 2009 Summer
TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers
of Other Languages) Program. The
July 4-28 Summer TESOL Program
is designed to enhance the English
language skills of those Saudi students
(kindergarten to seventh grade) who
meet the program’s entrance criteria.
Specifically, the program is available to
Saudi students who live in 11+ camps
and in family housing. Eligible applicants
are accepted on a first-come, first-served
basis until June 3. No early applications
will be accepted. For a description of the
program and deadlines, go to http://sas.
aramco.com.sa/sas/sas/contentAction.
do?name=gen_tesol_home or visit http://
sas.aramco.com.sa, click on Contact Us,
and then click on TESOL.
Dhahran Oasis Quilt Guild: DOQG’s
May classes include Machine Quilting
(Advanced) with Val Foster, May 30. The
June Program includes: Demo — 1-3
p.m. and 6-9 p.m., June 1; Star of the
Month — 1-3 p.m. and 6-9 p.m., June
Andreas Fuhrmann at 878-5713 or
872-5451, Jim Findley at 876-0387, or
by e-mail at andres.reyes@aramco.com,
a.fuhrmann@hotmail.com, or james.
findley@aramco.com.
Cub Scouts Annual Membership:
Pack 2353 will sign up new members
from 9 a.m.-12 p.m. on May 28 at the
Cub Scout House, Building 212 near the
back entrance of the Third Street School.
Registration requires photocopies of
expatriate passports for both parents and
child. For more info, call Nadia Fazal at
878-8517, Joe Cignoli at 878-8444, or
Tony Cole at 876-6835.
Dhahran Toastmasters: Toastmasters
meets from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Tuesdays at
Recreation Building No. 1007. Members
receive training and experience in areas
such as evaluation skills, facilitation
of workshops, impromptu speaking,
increased self-confidence, introductions,
leadership training, prepared
speeches, presentation skills and time
management. For more info, visit http://
community.aramco.com.sa/sourcefiles/
dha/recreation/special_interest.
Sports
Soccer Academy: SAYSO will sign up
players for the next Soccer Academy
from 3:30-5:30 p.m. June 17 and June
24, and from 9 a.m.-noon June 18 and
June 25 at al-Mujamma‘. Session A
runs Sept. 26-Dec. 16, excluding Nov.
21-Dec. 4. Session B runs Jan. 9-March
17. The academy is a family-oriented
organization, asking that parents spend
1 hour and 30 minutes each week
The deadline for the June 3 issue is May 30 at 8 a.m. Items may not ap-
pear more than once, in order to permit room for timely events. Please
keep items concise. Unless otherwise indicated, activities are open
only to eligible Saudi Aramco grade code 11+ ID holders. The Bulletin
board page contains any announcements of interest to employees and
dependents. For Recreation events, you may register at the Recreation
Office in Bldg. 1420 (corner of King’s Road and Ibis) from 7 a.m.-4 p.m.
workdays, and from 7 a.m.-3 p.m., Thursdays, including lunch hours. The
office is closed Fridays. For info, call 872-4991 or 872-5473. Recreation
activitiesareforGC11+employeesanddependentsonly.Equipmentmay
be checked out from the Recreation Store between 7 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.
work days. Call 872-3978. Request only the items you need.
watching their son or daughter play.
Dhahran Badminton Association:
DBA will conduct its annual Invitational
Tournament from 5-9 p.m. June 4 and
2-7 p.m. June 5 at the Third Street
Gymnasium. The tournament is open
to badminton players of all ages and
skills. Competitive games are arranged
for players in high skills and flights from
premier, championship, 1 to 6 and junior
(for players 10-14 years of age). For
more info, contact DBA president Shaik
Ashrafullah at ashrafsx@aramco.com
or tournament director Rejee Peter at
peterrx@aramco.com.
Golf in ‘Udhailiyah: The Wadi al-Saeed
Golf Club welcomes new golfers and
social members. Its ranks are growing,
as is the list of planned tournaments and
social activities. For more information,
e-mail Bryan Hanson at bryan.hanson@
aramco.com.
Spinning Class: Spinning is an indoor
cycling exercise that uses a stationary
bike. The spin bike has fixed racing
handlebars and an adjustable saddle.
Each bike can be controlled for the
intensity of the workout. Beginners,
intermediate and advanced riders can
attend the same class. Classes are
conducted by a trained instructor to
motivating music. Riders should come
with a towel, water and comfortable
shoes and clothing. Beginners should
arrive at least 15 minutes early to allow
for bike set-up and briefing. Classes are
held daily at the Spin Hut, Mango 347-R,
at a cost of SR18 per class. Please check
Recreation Offices, the Web site or Spin
Hut for a full schedule.
Women’s Groups
Dhahran Women’s Group: The
DWG, at 1425 Holmes, is open from
8:30-11:30 a.m. Saturdays, Sundays,
Mondays and Wednesdays, and 3-5
p.m. Sundays, Mondays and Tuesdays.
Phone is 872-0632 and e-mail is
dhahranwomensgroup@gmail.com.
DWG May Programs at Baker House:
Yoga Class — 4:45-6 p.m. May 30;
Theatrical Arts — 6:30-8 p.m. May 30;
Coffee Morning — 9 a.m. May 31;
Latin Group — 8:30-10:30 a.m. May
31; Fungo — 12:30-3 p.m. May 31;
Playgroup — 3-5 p.m. May 31.
SAEA
Tickets will be on sale, subject to
availability, from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. May
28 at al-Mujamma‘ for the following
events: May 27, 28 — DTG Dinner
Theatre; June 12 — Fungo No. 2;
June 18 — Classic Arabic Music (Um
Kulthoom); through June — Marah
Amusement Center in Giant Store;
through June — Al-Rashid Amusement
Center; through June — An Evening at
the Movies. Tickets for the following
events will be on sale at the SAEA Office
only: through June — Lost Paradise of
Dilmun Water Park, Bahrain. For more
info, call the SAEA Office at 872-0117
or visit http://hronline.aramco.com.
sa/community/dha/Recreation. SAEA
regular ticket sales times are from 3-5
p.m., Saturdays-Wednesdays at the
SAEA office, 1424 King’s Road and 11
a.m.-1 p.m. Thursdays at al-Mujamma‘.
(C) yoogi.com
Medium
Each row, column and 3-by-3
squaremustcontainonlyone
of each digit, from 1-9.
Last week’s answer
6
8
9
1
9 4
5
7
7
5
9
1
5
3
2
1
3
8
7
9
2
7
8
2
8 5
7
7
3
2
8
8
7
7
2
5
9
3
7
6
1
9
4 2
2
1
6
9
7
6
4
1
6
8
3 6 4 2 1 5
9 2 5 8 6 1 4
1 5 9 7 8 3
5 8 4 3 9
1 6 3 5 9 7 8
2 3 7 4 5
7 2 8 6 3 4
8 4 1 3 5 9 6
9 7 1 4 5 2
Crossword
Bulletin board
Sudoku
Crossword answer
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18
19 20 21 22
23 24 25 26
27 28 29 30
31 32 33 34 35
36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44
45 46 47 48 49 50
51 52 53 54 55
56 57 58 59 60
61 62 63 64 65
66 67 68 69 70 71
72 73 74 75 76
77 78 79 80 81 82 83
84 85 86 87 88
89 90 91 92 93
94 95 96 97 98 99
100 101 102 103
104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112
113 114 115 116 117
118 119 120 121
122 123 124 125
ACROSS
1 Nitty-gritty
5 Company
whose name is
quacked in ads
10 Skier’s wear
15 Slack off
19 Eyelid problem
20 Capital at
12,000 feet
21 Medicinal
creams
22 Slog
23 *Recycled stuff
25 *Most dreaming
occurs in the
last one
27 Birch of
“American
Beauty”
28 Perfume
counter array
30 “Washington
Merry-Go-
Round”
columnist
31 Insinuating
34 Tina of “30
Rock”
35 North Dakota
State’s home
36 When people
retire
39 Mentalist Geller
40 Kennel call
41 Cons
45 It can’t be
returned
46 *West Coast
Marine Corps
training base
50 __ hunch
51 Question of
time
53 Silly type
54 Behaved
55 Sunscreen nos.
56 Easy stride
57 Professor
’iggins
58 __-Caps: candy
59 Chef’s
repertoire
61 Take care of a
boxer?
63 Rods with
roasts
65 College offering
66 Destroy over
time
68 *It’s loaded with
rolls
71 Debt evidence
72 Cell centers
74 Reel
75 Not punctual for
77 Starts liking
79 1950s-’60s
“Man on the
Street” comic
80 Copy of an orig.
81 Composer Satie
84 People
85 __ mail
87 Two-time Tony
winner Rivera
88 Actress Conn
89 Boulder
summer hrs.
90 *“Science”
employed in
many a selfhelp
book
93 X, at times
94 Pasta sauce
herb
96 Work the aisles,
slangily
97 It borders It.
98 Lit
100 Bizarre
102 PC hookup
103 131/2-inch-high
award
104 It can be hard
to refold
107 Captain
Marvel’s magic
word
109 Demolished
113 *Game you
have to dress
for
115 Musical
direction whose
abbreviation is
a hint to the
quiet meetings
taking place in
the answers to
starred clues
118 Futile
119 Very, in scores
120 Formed just for
this project
121 __’acte
122 WWII journalist
Ernie
123 “If I Ran the
Zoo” author
124 Serious
125 Blotter site
DOWN
1 Hey, you!”
2 Yen
3 Green party?
4 Pulitzer rival
5 Chalet
backdrop
6 D.C. mortgage
insurer
7 End, as a
subscription
8 “Wait __!”
9 Blithe
10 Ashen
11 Shakespeare
title starter
12 Sturgeon output
13 Continually
remind
14 According to
15 “Silkwood” co
screenwriter
Nora
16 Word of sorrow
17 Not great
18 Paradise
24 Chicken Little’s
emotion
26 Certain
polytheist
29 Opposite of ja
32 Publicists’
concerns
33 Possessed
35 Guitar ridge
36 More than tear
up
37 Cave
phenomenon
38 *Liability suit
targets
39 __-daisy
40 “Little Men”
author
42 *Thing to do
first
43 How distances
to ballpark
fences are
measured
44 Gets cheeky
with
47 Fancy entrance
48 Coffee go-with
49 Pigged out (on)
52 Ribs
55 Seen from the
crow’s-nest
58 Part of little
girls’ makeup?
60 Singer Winans
62 Tiger’s bagful
63 How acrobats
perform
64 Seine sun
66 Bury
67 Former African
territory __-
Urundi (now
two countries)
69 Fine, for
instance
70 Airport security
concerns
73 “Don’t make __
difficult!”
76 Like “Macbeth”
78 Not by accident
80 Pi followers
82 Tête thought
83 Benevolent
86 Church area
87 Impudence
90 Portly
91 Term of
affection, in Asti
92 A long time
95 Nutrient in kelp
99 Cleared the
board
101 Spanish snacks
102 ’90s “SNL”
regular Farley
103 Seat of Douglas
County,
Nebraska
104 Brief answer?
105 Our Gang
assent
106 Seed cover
107 Salty septet
108 Subordinate
110 Brief reading?
111 ER arrivals
112 Nerd
114 Manhattan sch.
116 Fall mo.
117 Standoffish
QUIET MEETINGS”
By KATHLEEN FAY
O’BRIEN
M A M B 0 O N K P B L U R B E M I L
U T E R O H E A R R A N D I D A R E
G O T A H O N E Y O F A D E A L I D O S
G N A W C O R A C L E S L A T E N T
Y E L L A T K L U B O W W O W S
S E R B A N S E L M E R A T O
T O O K T H E H I G H R O A D V O L
D R I P S O V U M L E G A T T E N D
R A N T O M I T N O N S R E E S E S
E L K A B B E A M O U T N E
W A S N T J U S T B L O W I N G S M O K E
O L E S O E D T R U E N E G
T I C T A C Q U O I O R E N M E M O
E N L I S T U R N K R I S L A M P S
R T E S W E E T E N E D T H E P O T
P H A S E E U D O R A E S A I
E N T E N T E R P M N A M E I T
F L E E C E P R E S A G E D E L H I
R O D E C A U S E D A S E N S A T I O N
Y O U R K A Z A N C O N K C R E P T
E P P S S U I T E K N E E H O L E S

7. The Arabian Sun 7May 27, 2009
By Mohammad A. Al-Sadah
Michigan, United States
Your Voice reflects the thoughts and opinions of
the writer and not necessarily those of the publica-
tion.
Volunteer and make a difference
A noble act is to help people without
being motivated by any financial benefit.
Spending your own personal time and ded-
icating it to others is something every soci-
ety needs.
As a student sponsored by Saudi Ar-
amco, I have chosen to volunteer at the
Bickford Assisted and Living Center in
Michigan. At first it was for the extra cred-
it in a class, but after a while, volunteering
gave me a good feeling, so I continued.
What I mainly do is talk with residents.
All they need is somebody to care and pay
attention to them.
It doesn’t take a lot to make them smile,
and I felt good doing it.
One resident, Julie, who is 83, comes
to mind. She often sat alone, and many
volunteers tried to communicate with her.
However, she blocked us out. I felt she was
keeping kind, warm feelings inside her and
she was showing only depression, the re-
sult of a hard life.
Even though she didn’t pay attention to
me, I still keep trying. After a month, she
came and sat at the table with us, and af-
ter a while she was talking and smiling. I
would like to think I helped get her out of
the shell she was living in.
The people in charge at the center think
of themselves as one big, happy family,
and I was a new member in that family.
I soon forgot that I was there for course
credit and started to do it for the sake of
the feeling. It was fun, too, because I got
to learn more about their cultures and ex-
periences in life and also got to teach them
about mine. I made connections, and since
Your voice
Serious
suspension
Abdulrahman A. Muhrij was impressed by the design of this bridge and took the photo while on a trip to Kobe, Japan. Spanning 1,991 meters, the Akashi-Kaiyko
Bridge holds the record as the world’s longest suspension bridge, connecting Kobe and Awaji Island. Muhrij is from Saudi Arabia and lives in Dammam. He has been
with the company for five years and works in the Consulting Services Department.
Readers Album
Photo: Abdulrahman A. Muhrij
By Zaki O. Safar
Jiddah
I have always known that traffic safety
in Saudi Arabia left a lot to be desired. But
when I returned after a five-year absence
while studying in the United States, the
stark reality hit me like a hammer.
A recent statistical report released by
the Traffic Police said traffic accidents, in
the past year alone, had robbed a shocking
6,485 people of their lives, according to
Al-Wattan newspaper. Moreover, one-third
of Saudi Arabia’s hospital beds are occu-
pied by victims of auto accidents.
These and other frightening facts are,
no doubt, largely attributed to the procliv-
ity of some drivers to thumb their noses at
traffic laws by engaging in unsafe driving
practices such as speeding, tailgating and
running red lights.
While all this generated within me a
great deal of unrest, I was also sufficiently
intrigued to conduct an informal study of
one behavior that really frustrates me: run-
ning red lights.
Accompanied by my cousin, I selected
a traffic signal at a moderately busy inter-
section at a time when traffic is considered
to be least heavy. I stayed at that spot from
10:15-11:15 p.m. During that time, we kept
track of the number of vehicles that failed
to stop at the red light. In just one hour,
116 drivers ran the red light — one viola-
tion every 30 seconds!
Another consequence of this reckless
practice is that it slows down the entire
cycle of traffic by stealing time from other
drivers. That is, drivers with the right of
way, whose light has just turned green, are
forced to remain stopped until the intersec-
tion clears of red-light violators.
With that taken into consideration,
the experiment also involved calculat-
ing the time elapsed since the first car ran
the red light until the last one reached the
other side of the intersection. It turned out
that one cluster of red-light violators took
away, on average, 18 percent of the time
belonging to the drivers with the right of
way, an act that could be construed as dis-
respect for others’ time and rights.
But, needless to say, what is far more
important is the fact that such a dangerous
behavior jeopardizes the lives of others.
If this study were to be applied to all
the traffic lights in the Kingdom, can you
imagine how grave and staggering the re-
sults would be? Is it then any wonder that
we maintain the world’s highest rate of
road accidents?
It’s about time that we as individuals and
as a nation take action against what is truly
a national emergency as well as a disgrace.
We can start with ourselves by obeying all
traffic rules, the first of which should be
coming to a full stop at stop signals.
the required work has ended, I still spend
time with the residents every once in a
while.
I hope that the awareness of volunteer-
ing will reach higher levels in Saudi Ara-
bia. Even though many people in Saudi
Arabia help others, the ratio is too low
when compared to other developed coun-
tries. It surprised me to learn you have
to be on a waiting list to volunteer in the
United States!
When I learned that, I hoped that would
become true in Saudi Arabia. I would like
to spread the word to everybody about the
importance of volunteering.
We could be working for humanity in-
stead of just working for financial gain. If
everyone volunteered, the world be an even
better place.
Al-Sadah is a participant in the College
Degree Program for Non-Employees and
studies at Michigan State University.
Be safe and practice traffic safety

8. The Arabian Sun8 May 27, 2009
The Arabian Sun is a weekly publication is-
sued free of charge by the Public Relations
Department for Saudi Aramco employees.
Room 2210, East Admin Building, Dhahran,
Saudi Arabia
Telephone 874-7322, 873-8993
Fax 875-2270
www.saudiaramco.com
ISSN: 1319-156X
Director, Internal Public Relations:
Faisal S. Al-Zahrani
Editor: Paul Sauser
Editorial staff: Stephen L. Brundage, Ahmad
Dialdin, Sara T. Al-Bassam, Rahmah I. Naw-
wab, Abdulrahman A. Al-Omair
Correspondence may be addressed to
the editor, R-2210, E. Admin.
Telephone, 874-7322; fax, 875-2270
Articles may be reproduced provided
The Arabian Sun is credited.
tive at AOC’s London office, spoke about
the important role of family in Saudi cul-
ture and highlighted changes in the roles of
Saudi women, dispelling stereotypes and
misconceptions about Saudi society.
Guests were invited to take part in a
live art performance by calligraphers who
sprayed the Arabic translations of guests’
first names on a canvas that was then auc-
tioned off for charity. Folk musicians treat-
ed the audience to music of the Arab world.
The exhibit is divided into four main
areas: the city, the desert, the mosque and
the bathhouse. The aim of the museum is to
educate visitors about the diversity and rich
heritage in the countries of the Arab world.
The Museon museum maintains contact
with schools in the region, allowing teach-
ers to give geography and social science
lessons in the exhibit space. After France,
the Netherlands has the highest popula-
tion of Muslims in Europe. The exhibit
also aims to give the growing number of
young Muslims, often second-generation
immigrants from Morocco, an identity, pro-
moting social cohesion among different de-
mographic groups.
Museum:
(continued from page one)
Young designers work on an interactive calligraphy piece, later auctioned for the hospice Mappa
Mondo for children with cancer.
By Saman Khan
DHAHRAN — Seat belts may be your
car’s most important safety feature.
According to Saudi Aramco’s Loss Pre-
vention publication, Panorama, studies
show that seat belts save lives and mini-
mize injuries in almost all auto accidents.
The Kingdom’s Ministry of Interior es-
timates that using proper vehicle restraints
alone can save about half of all fatalities
and serious injuries in the Kingdom.
Failure to wear a seat belt in a vehicle
in Saudi Arabia is against the law. There
are two ways that
the Kingdom en-
forces seat belt
laws. One is by allowing police officers to
stop vehicles in which occupants are not
wearing seat belts and to fine them. Police
officers also may stop drivers for other of-
fenses, such as speeding or running a red
light, and then ticketing them for not wear-
ing their seat belts.
Saudi Aramco leads the way in motor
vehicle safety. In 2008, the company’s mo-
tor vehicle accident (MVA) rate was 0.85
per million kilometers driven, which is one
of the lowest ever recorded. That record is
attributed to the company’s strict enforce-
ment of traffic rules, including seat belt use
in company vehicles.
Young drivers, who are less experi-
enced and are at a higher risk for vehicle
crashes, are, according to Panorama, also
the least likely to use seat belts. According
to statistics from the Ministry of Interior,
Directorate General for Traffic, 45 percent
of traffic-related fatalities affect drivers 29
years old and younger.
Children represent another at-risk age
group. Children in Saudi Arabia are at risk
of injury and death because they are often
not restrained. In fact, passengers are fre-
quently seen carrying children on their lap,
and in an accident, those children could be
hurt or killed.
Experts believe that holding parents re-
sponsible for restraining their children is
key to reducing child injuries and fatalities
in car crashes. They estimate that the cor-
rect use of child restraints on every trip can
prevent up to 70 percent of crash-related
deaths and serious injuries to children.
Even if you are the safest driver on the
road, other people’s reckless behavior can
result in you being hit. So fasten your seat
belt, and be sure everyone in your vehicle
is safely buckled up.
Stay safe
Seat belts
save lives
By Alison Hooker
DHAHRAN — Celebrating the diver-
sity of the community through the arts was
the theme May 14 for the Dhahran Wom-
en’s Group’s (DWG) “Treasures of Dhah-
ran” dinner at ad-Diwan.
The brainchild of Maya Taylor and
Ilaria Sezanne-Beard, this was the sec-
ond Treasures of Dhahran event, provid-
ing an opportunity for 300 DWG members,
families and friends to showcase the arts of
their home cultures.
From the Grand Opening Sword
Dance of our host culture, Saudi Arabia,
to the electrifying finale “The Circle of
Life,” performed by the award-winning
Filipino a cappella choir, Prime Note En-
semble, the audience was wowed by the
professionalism and talent of the per-
formers.
The vibrant South American culture cre-
ated a festive mood with dances from the
junior Latin Dance troupes, a steel-pan Ca-
ribbean calypso from Tiffany Manrique,
and music from Clara Mansilla and Hebert
Suaraz, culminating in a sizzling Argentin-
ean tango from Russell Ranno and Mary
McDermott.
Young girls performing the Chinese tra-
ditional Long Nail Dance, the Bollywood
style and color of the Indian girls and the
energy of the Lebanese ladies had every-
one clapping and stomping along. The Sil-
ver Spurs Line Dancers provided the flavor
of the U.S. West, while Indonesian and yet
more Chinese performers interpreted their
traditions.
This year’s event included a fashion
show of traditional costumes from DWG
members’ home countries, and an exhibit
of the paintings of artist and Saudi Aramco
employee Afaf Al-Salman.
The DWG thanked the businesses and
individuals who supported the event, as
well as Saudi Aramco for creating a com-
munity where people can experience the
treasures of the cultures of the world.
The style and color of Bollywood took the stage during the Dhahran Women’s Group’s celebration of diversity.
Treasuring our diversity
DWG spotlights many-cultured community
Photo: Aleksandra Aleksic
Printed by: almutawa p. press