Saudi Aramco to boost reliance on local goods, services

The Saudi Arabian Oil Company, known as Saudi Aramco, has launched a major initiative to acquire as much of its needed goods and services from within the kingdom as possible. Saudi Aramco envisions the initiative, dubbed the In-Kingdom Total Value Add program, as a way to boost the kingdom’s local economy. The program is designed to help create jobs and increase internal investment. Read More »

Ericsson president named Top Executive by Forbes

Ericsson Middle East and Africa region President Rafiah Ibrahim was named as one of the Top Executives located in the Middle East by Forbes Middle East Thursday. The listing includes 100 of the area’s top executives. Ibrahim ranked at No. 15. The executives were honored with a ceremony at Global Meets Local Awards and hosted by Forbes Middle East in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Read More »

Trecora receives more licenses for partnership in Saudi Arabia

Trecora Resources, a joint stock company in Saudi Arabia, received additional licenses Nov. 16 to progress in joint ventures based in Saudi Arabia. These specific licenses apply to the company’s partnership with the Al Masane Al Kobra Mining Company (AMAK), which has zinc as well as copper mines located in Saudi Arabia. Trecora Resources is the original manufacturer of AMAK. Read More »

General Electric expands Dammam facilities, commitment to Saudi economy

General Electric Oil & Gas is expanding its manufacturing facility in Saudi Arabia, boosting production capacity, bringing more jobs to Saudi nationals and promoting the Kingdom’s industrial brand. The Dammam facility will broaden the scope and output of its advanced pressure control products and repair services. The expansion represents a three-fold growth in employees. Read More »

Raghu Malhotra named new MasterCard president in Middle East and Africa

MasterCard is shaking up its management team in the Middle East and Africa, starting with the appointment of Raghu Malhotra as MENA regional president. From January, Malhotra will be stepping into the shoes of Michael Miebach, who will take up the position of chief product officer. Malhotra will take charge of delivering high-quality customer service and evolving financial technology. Read More »

New Four Points by Sheraton to open next year in Mecca

Next year will see the opening of a new luxury Four Points by Sheraton hotel in Mecca, which will be the largest hotel operated by the brand in the world. Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, which operates the Four Points by Sheraton chain of four-star hotels, is working with the Sulaiman Abdulaziz Al Rajhi Real Estate Investments Company to develop the hotel in Mecca. Read More »

Petrofac celebrates record number of Omani graduates

The Petrofac Academy, an institution dedicated to the professional development of Petrofac’s employees, graduated a record number of Omani graduates Oct. 5. About 30 young men and women are set to begin careers this month with the company -- an increase of about 40 percent from 2014. The milestone was recognized at an event attended by Sayyid Kamil bin Fahd bin Mahmoud Al Said. Read More »

GlassPoint Solar offers new gas production possibilities at Kuwait oil conference

The company is showcasing a 3D virtual reality tour of its Miraah project in Oman during the conference. Created in partnership with Petroleum Development Oman, the project will harness the sun’s energy to produce an average of 6,000 tons of steam per day. The solar-generated steam lets oil manufacturers replace the gas they would otherwise use in oil recovery operations. Read More »

McDermott wins EPCI project for 4 offshore Qatar jackets

Qatar Petroleum recently awarded McDermott International Inc. a brownfield offshore project for the engineering, procurement, construction and installation (EPCI) of four wellhead jackets east of capital Doha. With two of the jackets on target for completion in December 2016 and the remaining two anticipated for July 2017, the four structures will total 3,495 tons. Read More »

Oman Air adopts new customer service techniques from Sabre

Oman Air has signed an agreement with travel technology provider Sabre Corporation to expand the airline’s passenger services system; the new agreement will add additional technology to Oman Air’s current SabreSonic Customer Sales & Service system, designed to enhance the shopping experience for customers and create better and more profitable interactions with passengers throughout their journeys. Read More »

Charbel Maakaron named managing partner of Squire Patton Boggs in Doha

The international law firm Squire Patton Boggs has appointed Charbel M. Maakaron as the managing partner of the firm's office in Doha, Qatar; Maakaron succeeds Susan B. Bastress, who served as managing partner in Doha since she established the office there in 2003 -- she has decided to leave Doha so that she can return to her real estate practice in the firm's Washington, D.C., office. Read More »

Texas de Brazil opens restaurant opens in Dubai

Texas de Brazil teamed up with Gourmet Gulf to open its first restaurant in Dubai on Monday in the Mall of the Emirates. Texas de Brazil's menu combines the cuisine of southern Brazil with the Texas culture for a unique experience in fine dining. The new 5,550-square-foot restaurant features a chef's table, an open-view grill in the dining area and can accommodate 190 guests. Read More »

Saudi Aramco partners with Lanxess for synthetic rubber venture

One of Saudi Aramco's subsidiaries, called Aramco Overseas Company, has signed a joint venture agreement with the German specialty chemicals company Lanxess to create a new synthetic rubber company, splitting everything in half; the new company would develop, produce, market, sell and distribute the synthetic rubber used in the global tire industry, auto-parts manufacturing and a wide range of other applications. Read More »

Top