Four engineers from Saudi Aramco have been elected board members on the Saudi Council of Engineers (SCE) following a vote held by the national organization last month. The four employees are Jamil J. Al-Bagawi, manager of the Operational Excellence Department; Mishal Al-Zughaibi, head of the Technology Management Division in Engineering Services; Yousef A. Al-Furaidan, manager of the Southern Area Production Engineering Department; and Abdulrahman S. Al-Jarri, manager of the Production and Facilities Development Department. The four new members will serve a three-year term on the board, which has 10 members in total. This is the 5th elected board for the SCE. The main role of the SCE includes setting criteria and standards of best practice for the engineering profession in the Kingdom. The SCE also encourages the practice of conducting innovative, cutting-edge research and provides a viable platform for promoting the credentials of engineers in Saudi Arabia to international standards of excellence. “I strongly believe that the prosperity of any country is directly related to the strength and effective contributions of its engineers,” says Al-Bagawi. “Being selected for the SCE board represents an opportunity for me to contribute to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s engineering sector in many aspects such as building engineering capabilities, ensuring engineering standards remain at the highest level, and cultivating the engineering culture to help build a knowledge-based economy.” All four board members from Saudi Aramco have a long list of affiliations with a variety of engineering-related associations both on national and international levels. Al-Bagawi has published more than 25 papers in journals, and his work has also been featured at several international conferences. “Being elected to the board is just the start of a long journey to keep improving the engineering profession in Saudi Arabia,” says Al-Zughaibi, who joined Saudi Aramco in 2000. “It is a great opportunity to be on the Saudi Council of Engineers board of directors to help bridge the gap between the academia and the industry and introduce a culture of engineering innovation, where engineers can lead the national economy development.” Al-Furaidan, who joined the company in 1982, says he will support efforts to strengthen the engineering profession in Saudi Arabia by helping to ensure that SCE shares its insights and expertise on a national level. He says it’s important that engineers understand the roles and responsibilities associated with the profession, and would like to see those issues well documented and practiced throughout the Kingdom. “We need to cooperate with national and international engineering firms to establish engineering standards to enhance project execution in the country,” says Al-Furaidan. “It’s also important to encourage, and leverage technology advancements and establish a presence in the country to create more job opportunities and strengthen the local economy.” Al-Jarri, a member of the Saudi Aramco Board of Engineers, was the 2014 recipient of the MENA region’s Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) Award for Projects, Facilities and Construction in recognition of his contribution to the industry in the upstream facilities discipline. “The Saudi Council of Engineers presents a refined pathway to further the development of our Kingdom’s engineers through fueling a competitive environment, increasing job opportunities, and refining current legislations to meet the demands of an ever-changing global market,” said Al-Jarri. He has also been heavily involved in international conferences over his 30-year caree. Al-Jarri is currently serving as a member of the 2015 MEOS executive committee. He also served as technical co chairman of the 2013 SPE Middle East Oil & Gas Show and Conference. The Statute of the Saudi Council of Engineers, which was approved by Royal Decree, advocates a collaborative approach between industry and academia to create a talent pool from which the Kingdom can benefit.