class learning center that will train young Saudis in the field of hydraulics technology was inaugurated here Sunday by the proponents of the project – the Al-Rushaid Group and Flowserve Corporation of USA. Sheikh Abdullah Al-Rushaid, Chairman of the Al-Rushaid Group, and Lewis King, President and CEO of Flowserve, jointly opened the Flowserve Al-Rushaid Educaltional Services and Learning Resource Center alongside the largest pump manufacturing, repair and testing facility in the Middle East. The training center and the facilities have total investment of SR229 million: SR179 million for the facility and SR50 million for the training center. “This training center is our gift to the young people of Saudi Arabia, as well as those around the region and those from other countries, for them to learn a technology that is so important for industries and also for mankind,” Sheikh Al-Rushaid said. He said the training center will be opened to all Saudis working in all companies, including Saudi Aramco, Sabic, Saudi Electricity Company, and privates industries. “We will extend the opportunity not only to Saudis, but also to foreign workers” he added. The region's first hydraulic training center features state-of-the-art classroom, along with static and dynamic laboratories. The center hopes to train 2,500 young Saudis every year. The Flowserve Al-Rushaid Facility Center is comprised of two units: a 11,500 square meter pump manufacturing, repair and test facility and a 1,500 square meter hydraulic training center. The training center and the facility will gradually be expanded. “This is only the first phase of these projects; we are going to implement the second and third phases as we grow,” said Lewis. Lewis said his company selected the Kingdom as the location of the facility and training center because of Saudi Arabia's strategic role in the global market. “We have considered the people – the people of Saudi Arabia, the infrastructures here, the willingness to learn – this (the Kingdom) is the best location,” he said. Flowserve will transfer all its technology to Al Rushaid in order to optimize the knowledge and training of those who will specialize in the field of hydraulics, which mainly serves the oil, gas, petrochemical, power, water, desalination, chemical and other industries. The transfer of Flowserve hydraulic technology to Kingdom has been approved by the US government, according to Lewis.
