An ecological survey at Shaybah helped make way for a wildlife reserve 10 years ago.

Memory Lane: Busy Piers, Growing Rice, A King’s Passing, and Shaybah Wildlife
The oryx, once on the verge of extinction, are one of the rare desert animals found near Shaybah in the Rub’ al-Khali.

Here are some interesting headlines over the past 70 years at Aramco.

Memory Lane: Busy Piers, Growing Rice, A King’s Passing, and Shaybah Wildlife
On June 7, 1952, 13 ships were offloading or waiting to off load in Ras Tanura. A year ago, 13 freighters was the record for the month.

June 11, 1952

Dammam Pier Active: Record Cargo, Maritime Traffic

Twenty-two vessels unloaded 40,000 tons of cargo at Dammam port last May. Both the tonnage and the number of ships broke all previous records.

Already, new records are being made. On June 7, 13 ships were offloading or waiting to off load. A year ago, 13 freighters was the record for the month.

The giant growth in the port’s activity indicates the ever-increasing influence of Dammam pier to both Aramco and other business concerns in Saudi Arabia.

Memory Lane: Busy Piers, Growing Rice, A King’s Passing, and Shaybah Wildlife

 

Memory Lane: Busy Piers, Growing Rice, A King’s Passing, and Shaybah Wildlife

June 28, 1967

Rice Growing Experiments Read Success

The Saudi Economic Survey, a weekly review of Saudi Arabian economic and business activity published in Jiddah, recently reported the successful outcome of experiments in rice culture conducted during the past two years near Hofuf.

These experiments were run under an Agricultural Cooperation Agreement between the Saudi Arabia Government Ministry of Agriculture and the Republic of China (Taiwan) and came into force in March 1965 following a visit to the Kingdom by a Chinese agricultural mission headed by Fu Hui-Chin.

Although al-Hasa has grown rice for more than a century, production has been small.

Memory Lane: Busy Piers, Growing Rice, A King’s Passing, and Shaybah Wildlife

 

Memory Lane: Busy Piers, Growing Rice, A King’s Passing, and Shaybah Wildlife
King Khalid, center, passed away in 1982. Pictured to the left was HH King Faisal; to his left was HRH Crown Prince Abdullah.

June 16, 1982

His Majesty King Khalid Mourned

His Majesty King Khalid died on Sunday, June 13, of a heart attack while visiting Tayif. A deeply religious man, he was known and loved for his gentle ways and qualities of statesmanship. His devotion to the cause of peace will be remembered by a world that mourns his passing.

Acting in accordance with Saudi tradition, senior members of the Royal Family gave their allegiance to HRH Amir Fahd ibn ‘Abd al-‘Aziz as the new King on Sunday, June 13, in Riyadh, following the death of His Majesty King Khalid. On the same day, they concurred with His Majesty King Fahd’s nomination of HRH Amir ‘Abd Allah ibn ‘Abd al-‘Aziz as Crown Prince.

Memory Lane: Busy Piers, Growing Rice, A King’s Passing, and Shaybah Wildlife

 

Memory Lane: Busy Piers, Growing Rice, A King’s Passing, and Shaybah Wildlife
Signing the letter of intent for crude oil exports and possible future joint ventures in China, are HE Sheng Huaren, seated left, president of the China Petro-Chemical Corporation (SINOPEC) and Abdallah S. Jum’ah, Saudi Aramco president and CEO. Saud A. Al-Ashgar, senior vice president of Operations, and SINOPEC delegation members look on.

June 18, 1997

Saudi Aramco, SINOPEC Sign Letter of Intent to Export Oil to China

Saudi Aramco signed a letter of intent June 10 with the China Petro-Chemical Corporation (SINOPEC) to export Saudi crude oil to the People’s Republic of China and to study the possibility of participating in refining and marketing joint ventures there.

After the signing ceremony, Saudi Aramco president and CEO Abdallah S. Jum’ah expressed his pleasure with the level of mutual understanding reflected in the letter of intent.

“The signing of this letter reflects Saudi Aramco’s determination to expand its base as a fully integrated international oil company,” Ju’mah said.

Memory Lane: Busy Piers, Growing Rice, A King’s Passing, and Shaybah Wildlife

 

May 30, 2012

In The Wild: Ecological Survey of Shaybah Signals A Biodiversity Treasure

Deep in the Rub’ al-Khali, a sand fox searches for food. Unbeknown to the scavenger, his moves are being captured by strategically placed remote sensoring cameras.

The fox was just one of many species observed during a recent ecological survey in Shaybah, carried out by Saudi Aramco’s Environmental Protection Department.

The survey, a first for Shaybah, was designed to help determine the biodiversity of the area, and was part of the groundwork for a wider plan to create a wildlife reserve.

Memory Lane: Busy Piers, Growing Rice, A King’s Passing, and Shaybah Wildlife

 

— The Arabian Sun: June 13, 2022