High school students from across the Kingdom took part in the Saudi Aramco Summer Gifted Student Program, which was designed to help the young people develop critical-thinking skills. (AN photo by Stephen Brundage)

DHAHRAN: With the energy of a pep rally and the emotion of a family farewell, students from Saudi Aramco’s Summer Gifted Program celebrated their achievements and demonstrated their newfound abilities on July 30 during an evening event in Dhahran.

The young Saudis ran the show and shared their experiences through speeches and sometimes-impassioned poems about the program and the new friends — and new directions — they had discovered.

“I’ve had a lot of good times over the last few weeks. I’ve learned about mechanical engineering, electrical engineering and computer science,” said Luai Al-Oumi, a 17-year-old 11th grader at Noor Al-Islam School in Dammam. “This program was really interesting, and it made college seem a lot more appealing to me.”

Al-Oumi was one of many students who got a better understanding of the importance of education through the program.

“Before this program, I really didn’t know what I wanted to do,” he said. “Now, I’m thinking about mechanical engineering. It’s made me want to improve my grades and study harder. I want to get good grades, so I can get into a good college. I never thought it would be like this, but it has been very nice.”

The intensive, monthlong summer program was conducted under the auspices of King Abdulaziz and His Companions’ Foundation for the Gifted (Mawhiba) along with the Talents Center of Alkhobar. Saudi Aramco provided increased support this year, including sponsoring some of the key training courses.

“The first week of the program, kids got information applicable to engineering and science; the second week, they got to choose the field they would like to explore more,” said Saeed A. Al-Saeed, Talents Center founder and a former Saudi Aramco engineer. “Saudi Aramco provided all the logistical support; Mawhiba provided the quality assurance, the majority of funding for the program as well as student selection, and the Talents Center took care of the science. What it means is that we have created a very stable platform to conduct more programs over the next two years.”

Al-Saeed said that for many of the young Saudis, it was a unique experience to learn how to view the world in a different way. “It was a great opportunity for the kids to see the practical applications of science and theory,” he said. “The whole idea is to show these kids how to think like scientists and researchers — how to question things in an appropriate manner and how to conduct experiments.”

He said the goal was to make sure that none of the students either would be left behind or bored by the pace.

“One of the major challenges was to design the program so it would suit the needs of all the students and still be expandable for those who progressed rapidly,” Al-Saeed said. “When the students selected their fields of study, then we really went deep into the subject. I believe that the students were getting information you ordinarily would get in the second year of college.”

Al-Saeed said the company tours made a big impression on the students. “When the students went on the tours of Saudi Aramco facilities, they got to see the practical applications of science and technology,” Al-Saeed said. “In a way, what I think the students really got was a peek into their own futures. They saw the challenges scientists and engineers are facing now, and from that they can get an idea of what challenges they may face in the future.”

“The Research and Development Center really caught my attention,” said. Faisal Y. Al-Mansour, a 17-year-old 11th grader at KFUPM School. “I’m beginning to think about electrical engineering and process controls. Before this program, I was thinking about a career in medicine. I wanted to be a surgeon before this program, but now I’ve changed my point of view about this.”

Al-Mansour was giving a lot of thought to his career. “I’m going to apply to Saudi Aramco’s College Degree Program, and I’m hoping to apply to some good schools in the United States, like Stanford or MIT, for electrical engineering.”

Parents also expressed appreciation that Saudi Aramco was part of the educational effort.

“When I heard that Saudi Aramco was involved, I knew my son would be in good hands and that he would really gain a lot from the program,” said Yousef A. Al-Mansour, pipeline chief for the Eastern Province desalination plant and Faisal’s father.

“He was interested in medicine, but now he’s gotten a lot of exposure to other sciences. Medicine would be a good career, but I will support him for any major he wants to go after.”

The elder Al-Mansour said he hoped the program grows. “I think these programs are really important for the kids,” he said. “It’s a great opportunity for them to learn about Saudi Aramco, and I hope they expand this program next year to handle a thousand kids. I’m really happy that my son got to take part, and I’m very proud of him, too. These are great programs for our young people.”

Al-Saeed, who organized the program along with his Talents Center partner and former Saudi Aramco engineer Amr Al-Madani, said Saudi Aramco’s enthusiastic support was priceless.

The program was designed by company employees Jamal K. Al-Dabal, Mohammed N. Ansari and Mustafa M. Almahdi based on their many years of experience with similar programs.

A very capable company employee, Aiman H. Mufti was responsible for chairing the program. “I think the company’s commitment to the youth of Saudi Arabia was demonstrated by the fact that Khalid A. Al-Falih, executive vice president of operations, and a number of executives from senior management took time out to attend the students’ awards celebration so they could meet and talk to these kids and find out how special they really are,” he said.

For the students, it has given them a life-changing experience and a summer they’ll always remember. “I’m going to tell my friends everything I did in this program, and they will be amazed,” said the younger Al-Mansour. “It amazed me.”

“I will tell my friends they should get involved in this program if they get the chance,” Al-Oumi said. “It will widen your imagination.”