Aramco Expats

Jum'ah: Knowledge, Diversity Keys to Future

1. Pipeline
2. Saudi Aramco News
3. Dhahran Media

Author: Stephen L. Brundage (Saudi Aramco News)
Released 17 July 2008

BEIRUT, July 09, 2008 --  Cross-cultural diversity and knowledge are the keys to the future, Saudi Aramco president and CEO Abdallah S. Jum‘ah told alumni of American University of Beirut (AUB) during a reunion event held recently in Beirut.

The audience contained the alumni of 11 classes from 1953-2003, and Jum‘ah delivered the keynote speech for the three-day event. He said that quality higher education is particularly important in view of the global challenges society faces today.

Abdallah S. Jum‘ah at the American University of Beirut alumni reunion.

“A nation’s prosperity and potential for progress are directly tied to the quality of its educational system, including of course its universities and other institutions of higher learning. These academic institutions are incubators for new ideas and concepts in many different fields, and occupy the leading edge of the quest for a greater understanding of the world around us, of our societies, and indeed of ourselves,” he said.

He added: “Given the current state of our societies, creating future leaders who act ethically and responsibly, who balance the desire for economic development and prosperity with the need to protect and preserve the natural environment, and who bring a spirit of creativity and innovation to their vocation is not a luxury we should aspire to; rather, it is a necessity that we must achieve.”

Jum‘ah noted those are exactly the ideals being used to plan the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), which is being constructed near the Red Sea port of Rabigh.

“When it opens its doors in September of 2009, KAUST will be a graduate flagship university focused on scientific and technical research and development, but like AUB, it will attract students and faculty from all over the globe and will be a microcosm of our planet’s people,” he said.

He also detailed Saudi Aramco’s role in creation of the planned King Abdulaziz Center for Knowledge and Culture (Ithra).

“The Center is designed to better connect Saudis and other Arabs to their rich civilization and proud history, while also bringing world cultures to the Kingdom,” Jum‘ah said.

“I believe that Ithra will serve as a powerful stimulus for the development of new ideas, perspectives and relationships, and thus help promote social progress and intellectual achievement not just in the Kingdom, but in the entire Middle East region - and beyond,” he added.

Jum‘ah earned his degree in political science from AUB, and he says he uses the critical thinking skills he learned there every day as he presides over the world’s largest oil producer.

He said in the modern world, merely having data wasn’t enough without having the knowledge to truly understand the complexities of society and business.

“Such an understanding requires a firm grounding in national, regional and world history and culture; an ability to decipher current events, including separating truly significant developments from what basically amounts to static or noise; and a deeper appreciation for artistic and cultural expression,” Jum‘ah said, urging graduates to do their part to make a difference.

He added: “Universities have an essential role to play in providing that humanistic context, but I also believe that we as university graduates also must play our part in providing young people with a deeper and fuller comprehension of the world we live in.” 

(Article by Stephen L. Brundage)