RIYADH — The photobook “SAUDIA” illustrates the Kingdom's remarkable political, economic, and social journey over the past 75 years and was developed in partnership with King Abdulaziz Foundation for Research and Archives. The pictures will be exhibited in Riyadh later in the year. Prince Sultan Bin Salman Bin Abdulaziz, President of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities and Chairman of the Disabled Children Association, welcomed Shell's initiative to document the Kingdom's progress and thanked Shell for their active role in Saudi's society: “Royal Dutch Shell is a trustworthy partner that looks beyond short-term company benefits. Shell doesn't just invest in projects, it also invests in people. Testimony to this is Shell's acclaimed Intilaaqah program to train young entrepreneurs, the company's road safety campaign and that the jubilee book “SAUDIA” will be used to raise funds to the benefit of the Disabled Children's Association.” Saudi Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Ali Al-Naimi underlined Shell's considerable contribution to the Kingdom's economy over the past 7.5 decades by saying: “Shell's leading technology and investments have helped the Kingdom increase its technical capabilities, diversify its economy and support a rolling energy efficiency effort. I am particularly pleased to see that earlier this year, two Saudi universities participated for the first time in the Shell Eco-marathon – which shows that our young Saudi engineers have the creativity and know-how to contribute to a future of sustainable mobility.” Shell's Country Chair for Saudi Arabia Patrick Van Daele emphasized the long history and the strong links between Shell and the Kingdom as well as the hope for an ongoing alliance to the benefit of all involved, and said that “Shell is committed to Saudi Arabia, and we are pleased to have earned a position of trusted partner. As an industry leader in technology and innovation, we hope to take our partnerships even further. Tradition and innovation are in balance, both in this remarkable country and in Shell. We are determined to continue playing an important role in the Saudi economy and in Saudi society. The real owners of the Kingdom's future are the young, and that is where we focus our social efforts.” Shell in Saudi Arabia is active in refining, in the manufacture of petrochemicals, in the blending and marketing of lubricants, and in aviation refueling. Together with local partners, Shell has investments of more than $8 billion in the Kingdom. It employs more than 2,000 staff, the vast majority (80%) of whom are Saudi nationals. Shell's Intilaaqah program helps young entrepreneurs achieve their dreams. In the past 5 years, more than 7,000 Saudi young men and women have graduated from the Intilaaqah program, receiving training, education, business advice and mentoring to help them convert their ideas into businesses, real businesses, and creating real jobs. Shell works together with the Spanish football team FC Barcelona as part of its ‘FutbolNet' initiative, using sport to teach essential lessons about teamwork, respect and responsibility. Shell's Road Safety awareness program works together with its road safety ambassador Prince Abdulaziz Turki Al Faisal. Recently, he interviewed victims of car accidents so that they can tell their heart wrenching stories with the hope of preventing others from having to deal with the same problems. For the first time, Saudi universities participated in the Shell Eco-marathon this year. This competition challenges young engineers to design ultra-efficient vehicles of the future that consume the least amount of energy. The King Saud University clocked an impressive 99.6 km on one liter of fuel while the Al Faisal University scooped the coveted “Perseverance Award”. — SG
