The Aramco hydrocarbon journey - NGL
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Stabilization
Reservoir thinking Maintenance
Drilling
Extraction Gas
Separation NGL
Refining
Pipelines
F ir s t in a co n tin u i n g ser ies
Th e A r am c o h y dr o c a r bo n jo ur n e y
See pages 4 and 5
August 18, 2021 Vol. LXXVI, No. 31
a weekly Aramco publication for employees
August 18, 2021 the arabian sun
2 company news
let’s catch a phish
Usuf Middya clicks on “Report as Spam” first
The July phishing email test was a partment of the Petroleum Engineering the link, this email had all the hallmarks Corner”)
teaser about Puff Donuts’ new location and Development admin area, was ob- of a phishing email test, including: • A large, bright red external tag
supposedly sent from Food & Bever- servant and quick to report the email as (“PHISHING ALERT”)
ages. Did you click on the fake notice? spam. • A suspicious domain (Food & Bev- • Several misspelled words (“coffe”
The top 3
Usuf Middya, a principle scientist with erages ) and “locatoins”)
the Strategic Modeling Technology De- Although highly tempting to click on • An attractive subject (“New Coffee • An embedded link (“Click Here”).
1. Pipelines, Distribution & thank you The Information Security Department would like to extend its grati-
Terminals tude and appreciation to the top three positive performance Admin Ar-
positive performing 2. Northern Area Oil Operations
eas for their noticeable efforts in scoring the lowest negative behavior;
3. Southern Area Oil Operations
organizations
along with the highest positive behavior for the July simulated Phishing
Email Test. Such efforts reflect positively on Aramco cybersecurity user
behavior and elevates the resilience of Aramco’s core business.
What is IoT? (or how my toaster talks to my TV)
cybersecurity tip of the month
By Rahaf B. Alkhadra devices causes hackers to identify more
vulnerabilities and exploit access to IoT
Device communication via IoT device(s). The third cause is associat-
ed with the deficiency of data security
With the evolution of the technology mechanism used, such as encryption.
sector, individuals are now able to pre- For instance, if the data was not protect-
pare their coffee and control their tele- ed properly, any confidential and sen-
visions using their mobile phones. Also, sitive data can be accessed by hackers.
industries are now more dependent on This would result in privacy risks due to
technology to improve the quality of the missing cybersecurity measures that
services they provide to their custom- may eventually lead to personal and
ers. These services and many more, private data breaches. Finally, weak IoT
are possible through the usage of the device management on a company lev-
Internet of Things (IoT) technology. el introduces a risk as well. If no proper
IoT device management is taken into
IoT technology involves sharing data consideration, it opens a pathway full of
and information over various devices vulnerabilities for hackers to access the
connected to the internet. These devic- data, and perhaps alter it.
Minimize risk
es are not limited to wireless routers,
rather it might refer to cellular net- nology that has helped us in many breach due to several reasons that will
works or Bluetooth as well. All devices different sectors and domains, there be highlighted.
connected to the IoT can share and re- are different concerns associated with To reduce the risks associated with
ceive data, with no human interaction it. Cybersecurity and privacy risks are The first reason would be due to IoT devices, three major actions should
and involvement through sensors and considered one of the main concerns weak password security measures, by be taken. First, buy IoT devices from
the implementation of intelligence. of IoT. Cyber risks can result from low using easy to guess passwords, or de- trusted sources. Second, protect IoT de-
Things could go wrong
security measures that causes vulner- fault passwords. Another reason is due vices with complex passwords. Finally,
abilities in the IoT infrastructure. Such to the lack of regular updates and im- keep them up-to-date and contact the
vulnerabilities can cause unauthorized plementation of security patches. The retailer if you have any concerns or if
Although IoT is an important tech- access to systems, which leads to a absence of regular updates to these suspicious activity is noticed.
Your voice
Can eating green make us go green?
The plant-based diet has gained popu- minant animals. As a result, an excessive yond Meat became the world’s first meat
larity in the last few years. Many people amount of methane is produced by this alternative company to become publicly
have shifted their diet to plant-based and increase, which contributes significantly traded in 2019, with its share stock price
some have adapted a vegan lifestyle by to global warming. soaring 163% on its first day of trading.
excluding all forms of animal utilization.
For example, they avoid wearing clothes Following a plant-based diet will help In terms of the health benefits of fol-
made of animal leather and wearing cos- in reducing meat production. Therefore, lowing a plant-based diet, this form of
metic products tested on animals. the atmosphere will be less polluted by diet has indeed been shown to help peo-
methane. A study published in the Amer- ple in maintaining a healthy weight, re-
Consequently, the demand for plant- ican Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed duce the risk of heart disease and type
based meat is expected to grow over the that following a plant-based diet can re- 2 diabetes. Although, there are consid-
coming years. But what are the reasons duce greenhouse gas emissions by 26% erations to bear in mind. For example,
for the increasing popularity of a plant- in comparison to a diet that is high in vitamin B12 can only be found in animal
based diet? Two of the most common meat. products. Therefore, following a plant-
reasons for converting to a plant-based based diet requires taking a B12 sup-
diet are environmental sustainability and Those following a plant-based diet can plement. Beyond this, it is worth noting
By Laila A. Alabdrabalnabi health benefits. still enjoy the sensation of meat without that plant-based junk foods are readily
Dhahran sacrificing taste. Companies such as Be- available and widely consumed, such as
Laila.Alabdrabalnabi@aramco.com In terms of understanding the basis yond Meat and Impossible Foods offer French fries and highly processed prod-
for environmental concerns, it helps to compelling products that have estab- ucts.
reflect on history. Global meat consump- lished comparable texture, flavor, and
tion has increased more than threefold overall meat-like consumption experi- So, being healthy truly depends on the
over the past 50 years. The Food and ence. The plant-based products have person. In general, you can follow a reg-
Agriculture Organization of the Unit- been bolstered by a number of billion- ular diet and still be healthy by eating
ed Nations estimated that we consume aire and celebrity investors, including Bill in moderation and being mindful about
more than 335 million tons of meat every Gates, Richard Branson, Jay-Z, and Katy what you put in your body as it affects
Your Voice reflects the thoughts and opinions of
the writer, and not necessarily those of the pub- year. To satisfy this demand for meat, the Perry. As a testament to the growing your health in the long term, and your
lication. industry has expanded to raise more ru- market rationale for these products, Be- mood and energy in the short term.
the arabian sun August 18, 2021
company news 3
One face to market
Here it begins — SABIC takes on marketing role
Following its acquisition of a 70% tiveness. Customers will benefit from polypropylene copolymer, and poly- head of the Aramco-SABIC Commer-
stake in SABIC in June 2020, SAB- improved product range and avail- propylene homopolymer. Similar ar- cial Integration Team, commented on
IC became the chemicals arm of Ar- ability, ordering and points of sale, rangements were made with S-Oil the successful transition of the busi-
amco amid an ex tensive range of supply chain, shipping reliability, and and Sadara to have their respective ness by stating that, “We started the
optimization synergies and shared after-market services and solutions.” produc ts to be off taken by SABIC business, we nurtured it, we watched
What was achieved
value creation initiatives that includ- too. Two other Aramco affiliates, Pet- it grow, and now we handed it over
ed feedstock allocation, stream and ro Rabigh and PRefChem, will soon to SABIC at a high note.”
commercial integration, and human follow the first three in having their
resources. Olivier Thorel, vice pres- The marketing of polymer prod- marketing rights transferred by the To ensure business continuit y, a
ident of Chemicals, stated that the ucts from the first three Aramco af- end of 2021 af ter meeting current customer communication event was
strategic importance of this integra- filiates of Sadara, S-Oil, and FREP contractual commitments and oper- organized with attendees represent-
tion is in line with both SABIC’s and have been officially transferred to ational readiness require- ing major partners along with Aram-
Aramco’s long-term vision to be the SABIC. SABIC took FREP off taking m e n t s . A b d ul a ziz co and SABIC to clearly explain these
world’s leading integrated energy rights to market, both existing prod- Al Hamdan, sales and marketing adjustments and
and chemicals company. ucts and extensions, to its portfolio, make assurances that they will have
including high-density polyethylene, no impact on business.
Among the most important devel- lin ear low- densit y p olye th -
opments to date is the realignment ylene, low-densit y Equally important to the success
of marketing re sp onsibilitie s b e - polyethylene, of this large-scale endeavor was the
tween SABIC and the Aramco Trad- cooperation between the numerous
ing Company (ATC) as part of Aram- Human Resources func tions, all of
co’s “one face to market” strategy. which aligned in a highly coordinat-
Nasser Lasloum, chemicals director ed effort to ensure that all necessary
of Aramco A sia, commented that, p er s onnel m ovem ent and mu tu-
“The changes will drive further op- al support were agreed upon by all
erational efficiencies, strengthen the parties involved.
brands of both companies and their
combined products and services of-
fering, and help to maintain competi-
Aramco invests in giant Saudi Arabia solar project
Aramco was announced this week as Badeel is a company fully owned by
a 30% investor to build Saudi Arabia’s Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, Aramco’s 30%
investment in the
largest solar farm. the Public Investment Fund (PIF). Sudair Solar PV
project reflects the
With an investment value of SAR3.4 The Sudair project is located at Su- company’s efforts to
billion, the 1,500 megawatt Sudair So- dair Industrial City, a planned city near advancing sustainable
lar PV project is part of the Kingdom’s Riyadh, and represents the first project energy solutions
within its operations.
commitment to deploy a variety of low under the PIF’s renewable energy pro-
carbon energy solutions in Saudi Ara- gram.
World’s largest oil exporter
bia.
expanding renewables
Aramco’s stake, held by the Saudi
Aramco Power Company, is invested
alongside ACWA Power and the Water In March this year, HRH Prince Mo-
& Electricity Holding Company (Badeel), hammed bin Salman Al-Saud reaffirmed
who each hold 35%. a five-year-old commitment to power Crown Prince noted that, as a leading Mohammed Y. Al Qahtani, said Aram-
half the Kingdom with renewable ener- global oil producer, the Kingdom fully co’s involvement in the Sudair project re-
gy sources by 2030. recognizes its share of responsibility in flected the company’s efforts to advance
advancing the fight against the climate sustainable energy solutions, both with-
At the launch of the Green Saudi and crisis. in its own operations and the broader
Green Middle East initiatives, HRH the energy network.
SAR3.4 B
“Just as the Kingdom underpinned en-
project’s investment value
ergy markets during the oil and gas era, “While hydrocarbons will continue
it is going to become a global leader in to be a vital part of the energy mix for
1,500
forging a greener world,” he said. decades to come, renewables like solar
Advancing sustainable
have an important role to play in help-
magawatt power production capacity
ing achieve the world’s climate goals,”
energy solutions
said Al Qahtani.
185,000
Using bifacial modules with tracking “Sudair will support Saudi Arabia’s
homes, capable of powering technology, the plant is set to deliver a ambition to generate part of the nation’s
highly efficient performance and be ca- power needs from renewable energy by
pable of powering 185,000 homes daily. 2030, and is one of several low carbon
energy options being deployed by Ar-
Senior vice president of Downstream, amco,” he noted.
The Aramco hydrocarbon journey (1)
August 18, 2021 the arabian sun the arabian sun August 18, 2021
4 cover story cover story 5
Reservoir thinking
Take a behind-the-scenes glimpse into an Aramco hydrocarbon’s path with the first in our story series — from reservoir thinking and beyond
Decades of greenhouse gas
mitigation in our operational DNA
Exploration is the early
The Aramco hydrocarbon pathway Arabian oils come in five grades
by Janet Pinheiro
stage of an Aramco
All oils are not equal
hydrocarbon’s journey,
and our exploration
Arabian oils have a place
history goes back more
in our carbon conscious
Associated gases are
than 80 years.
world. sent to gas plants,
while nonassociated
Through advancements
Lying beneath the gas is fed directly
to gas plants.
Kingdom’s deserts and
in seismic imaging,
offshore waters, their high The remaining Heavy Medium Light Extra Super
Light Light
Aramco has been able to
NGL stream is
gravity scales and low A mega-production fractionated
upstream carbon intensity
map subsurface areas
line is behind Stabilized crude into propane,
every barrel of butane, and
rank them among some of is delivered to
across the Kingdom.
Aramco oil. natural gasoline. Aramco GHG emissions Aramco intensity numbers
the world’s finest crude oil. local refineries
(million metric tons of CO2e) 2020 2019
for processing,
2020 2019
With the growing
and to terminals Upstream
Nevertheless, Arabian for export. Scope 1 emissions 49.1 52.0 carbon intensity 10.5 10.4
amount of data being
(kg of CO2e/boe)
oils are not just a Scope 2 emissions 17.9 19.0
Flaring intensity
geological gift. Total 67.0 71.0
collected, we have
The plants also 5.95 5.88
(scf per boe)
produce NGL for
Upstream
refined the analysis of
feeding to fractionating 0.06% 0.06%
Oil and gas reserves Our journey starts from
plants, where ethane
methane intensity
onshore and offshore
that data to more precise
carry different levels of is separated out for Energy intensity
reservoirs to surface 112.4 114.1
distribution to Saudi Aramco Annual Report 2020
(KBtu per boe)
associated greenhouse gas Sales gas is
exploration of
wellheads, then on
produced in the industrial
emissions. to wisely maintained
plants, and fed customers.
hydrocarbons, leading to
plants for oil and gas
separation, before going as fuel to the produce what level s of fluids, and recover y efficiencies.
Reservoir simulation
far greater efficiency and
Without production to the stabilization Master Gas System how.
and feedstock to
models
diligence, even a pure- plants.
reduction in costs.
domestic customers. For many decades, most of Aram-
quality oil can carry a high co’s crude oil fields have produced
carbon intensity. a t lo w a nnual d e ple tio n r a te s of To day, A ram co ’s pro du cin g re s-
1% to 2%, relative to estimated ul- er voir s have highly s ophis tic ate d
timate recover y. reser voir simulation models, which
Smart thinking and well- are updated continuously with new
trained people are key to Dhahran — Oil and gas is not a At Aramco, we lis ten to our reser- F o r e a c h b a r r e l o f o il e q u i v a - drilling and pro duc tion data. The
calm lake of fluid. voir s, and are able to de co de the lent Aramco produces, its GHG data is the basis for developing and
low carbon oils. As is reser voir language. emissions — measured in terms of evaluating alternative reser voir
wisely maintained Instead, like honey in a sponge, it c arb o n diox id e e qui v alent (CO 2 e) management strategies.
infrastructure, and a tempestuously hides in porous un- Sometimes we reduce the off take — are among the lowest in the in-
derground rock spaces, behaving in from some older reser voirs so they dustr y. Many key reser voir management
futuristic helping hand
Sophisticated thinking
a complex manner. can take a rest, and increase it from te chnologies were developed in
from technology. the younger re s er voir s . This way, A ram co ’s ow n re s earch fa cili tie s ,
for ultimate recovery
H y d ro c a r b o n s , o n t h e ir w a y to the older reservoirs live longer, and such as the company ’s proprietar y
the surface, also alter bet ween liq- give more. A slow and steady pace re s er voir simulation pro gram Ter-
And, just like slow and uid and gaseous phases. avoids overstressing reservoirs, and Aramco uses leading te chnology a P O W ER S , G e o D R I V E fo r s ub s ur-
steady oil production is is more sustainable for both the en- and advanced innovation to discov- face mapping, and smar t flooding
best for mitigation, so is Before hydrocarbons are unlocked vironment and business. er, and model, the complex secrets for injec ting water.
Thoughtful crude slate
from an Aramco operated oil and of what lies beneath.
careful reservoir thinking. ga s re s e r voir, m a ny s m a r t min d s The Four th Indus trial Revolution
model the complex makeup of what In the early 19 9 0 s, international of fe re d n e w p o s sib ili ti e s to t a ke
Oil is needed by the lies beneath. Significantly knowing, The Kingdom’s Hydrocarbons Law oil co mp anie s s t a r te d to u s e 3 - D reser voir management to new hori-
and applying, a reser voir ’s deepest require s S audi Arabia ’s re s er voir s seismic technology to bet ter define zons levera ging new c ap abilitie s ,
modern world for the secrets before ex trac ting its hydro- to be managed for long-term value oil and gas fields, allowing smaller machine learning, and ar tificial
foreseeable future. carbons to the surface and beyond, and produc tivit y. fields to be efficiently produced us- intelligen ce in areas su ch as well
yields bet ter greenhouse gas (GHG) ing advanced systems such as hori- placement, water management,
management. Behind one of the world ’s l arg- zontal completions. and modeling.
Together, our people
Slow, steady, sustainable
est conventional proved liquids re-
and our oil, make us ser ves is an intricate mix of teams Aramco applies these technol- Using data analy tic s and simula-
unrivalled. in Aramco’s Dhahran headquarters. o gi e s to t h e l o n g - t e r m re s e r v o ir tion models to manage reservoirs —
Aram co work s it s re s er voir s dif- management of its giant fields. in combination with good old-fash-
ferently to the t ypic al indus tr y Their c areful thinking ab out the ion e d brainp ower from A ram co ’s
p r a c t i c e w h e r e p ro d u c t i o n r a t e s c o m p a ny ’s re s e r v o ir s in p u t s in to The combination of accurate geo- e x p e r t g e o p hy si cis t s , g e olo gis t s ,
per field are maximized. pro duc tion de cisions on the com - l o gi c a l m o d e l s , a n d w e ll p l a c e d petroleum engineers, and produc-
p any ’s “cr ude sl ate.” T h e sl ate is ex tended reach drilling with hori- tion operations s taf f — means Ar-
A r a p i d p a c e o f o il e x t r a c t i o n a summar y of an annual ex tensive zontal completions, led to fur ther amco reache s signific antly higher
risk s damaging the oil-b earing Aramco’s Upstream Development Strategy and Reserves Department’s Hasan A. Al-Ahmadi, who holds a doctorate in petroleum economics from Texas A&M lis t de ciding which of the compa- re duce d co s t s, le s s water pro duc- recovery factors than what is gener-
strata and exacerbating emissions. University, USA, works collaboratively with his counterparts across Petroleum Engineering & Development to develop and manage Aramco’s world-class reservoirs. n y ’s h u n d r e d s o f r e s e r v o i r s w il l tion, less emissions, and improved ally recovered by the industry.
August 18, 2021 the arabian sun
6 company news
New technology breaks ground in Jazan
Ground softness problem leads to rigid solution at Jazan Refinery tank farm site
By Sami H. Al-Najrani, Zia U. Rehman, cussion, the Distribution and Terminal Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 Step 4
Percival P. Magali, and Bassam H. Dewan Projects Department (D&TPD) reported Positioning of Penetration to Installation of the Cutting the
that new “rigid inclusion” technology rig the final rigid inclusion by rigid inclusion
Workers at the Jazan Refinery tank was best to address the ground strength depth with pumping concrete at a certain
farm are employing a new soil improve- problem. Rigid inclusions are columns different with different level with
methods methods different
ment technique that claims to be saf- installed in weak soil to reduce settle- methods
er, cheaper, and faster than traditional ment and strengthen bearing capacity.
methods used by the company after
weak ground strength was discovered A working platform is installed and
at a site where massive kerosene tanks a rig machine fitted with a hollow
were to be built. displacement auger is moved to the
Concrete
Weak sand structure
site. The hollow auger penetrates the pump
ground to the required depth and con-
crete is pumped into the borehole while
The Jazan Refinery to Abha pipeline the auger is slowly pulled out. The
project will service the Southern Region concrete fill continues to the required
through a 92-kilometer long pipeline. height in a process that takes between
As part of the project, three 200,000 15 and 20 minutes, considerably faster
barrel kerosene tanks need to be con- than traditional techniques. A total of
structed in the Jazan tank farm area. A 705 boreholes were completed in three methods, such as stone columns, which ing rigs are used instead of cranes. The
geotechnical investigation report, how- weeks using two drilling rigs. require more columns to be produced former are sturdier and perform bet-
A faster concrete pour
ever, found that the ground strength at over a longer period of time. The tech- ter in high wind areas. Fewer concrete
the site is insufficient to carry the tank nology is also more efficient. mixer trucks are also required, adding
Safer rigs, fewer trucks
loads. to reduced traffic around the project.
Strengthening capacity
The D&TPD found that as a result of This was the first time the solution was
faster column pours, rigid inclusion implemented at Aramco at scale, mak-
technology is more cost-effective com- In addition, this technology is safer ing the project safer, cheaper, and faster
After much research and more dis- pared to other ground improvement than traditional methods because drill- than traditional solutions.
Memory Lane: A giant of the sea, new accommodations, and a surprise trip to
the Little League World Series
Ten years ago, a group of Dhahran-based ballplayers advanced again to the Little League World Series
after irregularities were identified in passports of players on the Ugandan regional championship team.
Here are some of the more interesting headlines over the past 70 years.
doctors Isha Hussayni and Nabih Faris single employees.
Aug. 15, 1951 from Beirut, and professor Rizk Girgis
from the University at Cairo. Offerings are being made now for fall
Three-week seminar occupancy of the soon-to-be-complet-
program gets under way The seminar series is a radical new ed first building, which will provide 45
program instituted by Aramco to further units for single males. An additional 135
understanding and supply advanced units, some of which will be designat-
training for its employees. Nightly semi- ed for female occupancy, are expected
nars and lectures to Saudi and other em- to become available by the end of this
ployees are designed to provide social, year. The 14-building complex, when
historical, cultural, education, econom- completed, will provide a total of 525
ic, and political background on Saudi units.
Arabia and the Middle East’s role in the
world. The construction of two additional
buildings, containing 45 and 24 units
respectively, has recently begun on Can- Aug. 19 in Williamsport, Pennsylvania,
Aug. 19, 1981 yon Road at the site of the former AA U.S.
Garage. These buildings will be identical
New units ready for to those in the King’s Court complex and Players and parents thought their sea-
fall occupancy are scheduled for completion in 1982. son had come to an end at the Regional
Finals in Kutno, Poland, when the team
An Open House was held recently at Similar buildings are currently under lost 6-4 to Uganda in the championship
the King’s Court Apartments on King’s construction in Abqaiq, Ras Tanura, and game. However, irregularities in many
Four prominent Middle Eastern edu- Road in Dhahran, to the delight of many ‘Udhailiyah. of the Ugandan players’ required U.S.
cators arrived in Dhahran on Aug. 11 as visa documents put them out of the run-
guest lecturers in a program of Middle ning.
East seminars initiated by Aramco for its Aug. 17, 2011
staff and senior staff employees. On Aug. 2, the president of the Little
Little leaguers seize second League extended an invitation to the
The professors — three from the chance for shot at series Saudi squad to play in the 2011 World
American University of Beirut and one Series.
from the American University at Cairo — An unusual twist of fate has the Ara-
will spend three weeks in Saudi Arabia. bian-American Little League All-Star “We think we will represent the
Baseball Team representing the Middle MENA region well,” said travel team
They are professor Albert Badrea and East-Africa Region at the World Series manager Neil Wilkey.
The Arabian Sun is a North Admin Building, Room AN-1080, Publishing administrator: Meteb F. Al-Qahtani Articles and coverage can be Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Saudi
weekly publication issued C-05A, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia Supervisor Content Creation: Jamsheed Din requested through CRM. Aramco) is a joint stock company, with
free of charge by the Telephone (013) 876-0374 Editors: William Bradshaw and Todd Williams Correspondence may be addressed to certificate of registration number
Corporate Communication Email: publishing@aramco.com Editorial staff: Musherf Alamri, Eamonn the editor, North Admin Building, 2052101105, having its principal office
Support Department for ISSN: 1319-156X Houston, Scott Baldauf, Dalia Darweesh and Room AN-1080, C-05A. at P.O. Box 5000, Dhahran, Postal Code
Saudi Aramco employees. Articles may be reproduced provided Rawan Nasser. 31311, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and
The Arabian Sun is credited. Designer: Husam Nasr. with fully paid capital of SAR
60,000,000,000.the arabian sun August 18, 2021
community 7
A tale of two realities in the ancient
Bahraini capital of al Muharraq
Images & article by Chiara Ciampricotti Iacoangeli
Exploring the island nation of Bah-
rain means venturing between two
contrasting realities: The futuristic
modern architecture and the ancient
fortresses by the sea. On an island so
attentive to modernity you would never
expect to find in the downtown alleys
the beauty of dwellings from the past.
You need to reach the ancient capi-
tal of al Muharraq, the third largest
city, which at the beginning of the last
century was the center of major public
projects. Its history is strewn with differ-
ent civilizations.
Over the past decade, the Shaikha
Mai bint Mohammed Al Khalifa resto-
ration project has brought back to life
the district’s traditional houses, each
dedicated to an aspect of the country’s
cultural heritage. Some of them have
retained their original functionality,
while others have been converted to
new purposes.
Houses hide in narrow,
winding lanes
Reaching the area of al Muharraq,
traditional Islamic houses hide in nar-
row, winding lanes where the color
white dominates all around. Check out porticoes and wall carvings. The chief hosts the archival collection of sketch- brass wall that glistens under a modern
these houses, which are also part of the sitting room downstairs was kept cool in es and drawings by the architect John skylight. The effect is inspiring.
The dying art of Kurar
Pearling Path, a U.N. World Heritage the summer by the downdraft from the Yarwood, as well as serving as an exhi-
site, and worth exploring on foot. It has badqeer, or wind tower, the shutters on bition space. Rather than imitating the
embroidery
become an ideal setting for a break, which could be closed in the winter. local vernacular, the project team de-
A mission of conservation,
where you can spend time chatting or cided to introduce a contemporary ar-
enjoy a good cup of coffee. But, above chitectural expression that reflects the The Kurar House was established to
interpretation
all, the area has acquired a leading role city’s constant evolution. preserve the unique but dying Bahraini
A magnificently
in the cultural life of the country. art of Kurar embroidery. Kurar is a form
The House of Architectural Heritage of embroidery using a golden thread.
renovated house
The descriptions of some buildings combines a mission of conservation The building provides a venue for el-
belonging to the Muharraq project are and interpretation of architectural her- derly Bahraini ladies to pass on the art
interesting, because they tell individual itage with a new inclusive approach The Abdulla Al Zayed Press Heritage of the Kurar to younger generations.
A place of dialogue with culture
stories. to the idea of exhibition space. Leop- House is the house of the founder of
A fine example of
old Banchini Architects gave it retract- the first weekly newspaper in Bahrain
able glass walls that open up to the and the Gulf, Al Bahrain, which was
Gulf architecture
surroundings. Noura Al Sayeh Hol- launched in 1934. This magnificently Nestled in the heart of al Muharraq
trop and Leopold Banchini designed renovated house contains old copies is the Shaikh Ebrahim bin Mohammed
The former residence of ruler Sheikh the architectural archive and exhibi- of magazines, newspapers, and some Al Khalifa Center for Culture and Re-
Isa bin Ali Al Khalifa is a fine example tion space for an empty site in the city interesting correspondence. An annex search. The Center was founded by
of Gulf Islamic architecture, where you known for its dense urban fabric and housing books and other documents Shaikha Mai Al Khalifa as a place of
can see inner courtyards, traditional traditional Bahraini houses. The house features a spectacular triple-volume dialogue with Bahraini culture. Shaikh
Ebrahim was the first intellectual to es-
tablish a cultural majlis, or council, in al
Muharraq. On Monday nights, you can
see artists and intellectuals gathered
here for lectures and performances in a
state-of-the-art auditorium.
A visit to al Muharraq gives the tour-
ist the opportunity to dive into a past
that is not only elegantly revived in
new architecture, but also present in
the story that speaks of the view lived
by and in the buildings.the arabian sun August 18, 2021
Memory Lane: A giant
8
of the sea, new
accommodations,
and a surprise trip to
the Little League
World Series
see page 6
JHAH launches its 2021 program of on-site rotations with
expert physicians from Johns Hopkins Medicine (JHM)
Johns Hopkins Medicine U.S. urology expert,
Dr. Brian Matlaga, on medical rotation at JHAH
Aug. 29 to Sept. 2, 2021
If you are JHAH registered, have ex-
perienced kidney stones, and wish to
request a consultation with Dr. Matla-
ga, please speak with your Primary Care
physician by Aug. 29 by calling 800-305-
4444, or log in to MyChart.
Dr. Matlaga is an internationally rec-
ognized expert in the medical and sur-
gical management of patients with
urinary stone disease. This expertise is
built on his academic investigations of
the pathophysiology and epidemiology
of stone formation, as well as the ad-
vancement of minimally invasive surgi-
On Aug. 15, 2021, Johns Hopkins Ar- The first physician in the 2021 cycle cal techniques.
amco Healthcare (JHAH) began the 2021 is Dr. Haitham Al Grain. Dr. Al Grain is
“JHM On-site” program, consisting of an assistant professor of Anesthesiology Visit Johns Hopkins Medicine On-site
medical rotations with expert physicians and Critical Care Medicine at the Johns to discover more about JHM On-site pro-
from our partner health care system Hopkins University School of Medicine. gram, including:
Johns Hopkins Medicine (JHM). From Aug. 15 to 26, Dr. Al Grain will • Physician profiles
work alongside his JHAH counterparts to • How to make an appointment
Throughout the program we are wel- provide our patients with pain manage- • The schedule of upcoming visits
coming doctors from a wide range of ment and anesthesia services. While Dr.
Brian Matlaga, M.D., M.P.H.
specialties. These high-caliber physicians Al Grain’s visit was allotted for presched- Director, the Stephens
will share their expertise on the ground uled complex cases and procedures, up- Scan the QR Center for Stone Disease,
at JHAH facilities, taking part in review- coming specialists, including Dr. Brian
ing cases, providing face-to-face patient Matlaga, Urologist, and Dr. Uma Sriku-
code to visit the professor of Urology
JHM On-site
consultations, and performing surgeries maran, Orthopedic Surgeon, and Dr. Mi- webpage.
for our JHAH patients. chael Schweitzer, Bariatric Surgeon, will
be available for patient consultations.
Together we can end the pandemic: Important COVID-19 vaccination update
In line with the Ministry of Health (MOH) directives, Johns Hopkins Aramco Healthcare (JHAH) is pleased to offer
second dose vaccinations to all vaccine eligible age groups of Aramco employees and their eligible dependents
who have received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine at JHAH.
Information about the second dose
How do I book an appointment for the second dose of the vaccine?
You can book your appointment using MyChart if you are registered for care at
JHAH. You can also contact our call center at
800-305-4444 to book an appointment.
I want to know more
You can learn more about the COVID-19 vaccination
and second dose appointments at: JHAH.com/CV19-Vax.You can also read
