KFUPM and Huawei sign MoU

With the advent of Saudi Arabia’s knowledge economy, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM) and Huawei, a global leader of ICT solutions provider, have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for technology cooperation, project funding, knowledge transfer and talent training across Saudi Arabia, to demonstrate how ICT can benefit the oil and gas industry.
Khalid S. Al-Sultan, rector and CEO of KFUPM, and Ramadan Ding, CEO of Huawei Saudi Arabia, signed the MoU in the Kingdom.
The oil and gas technology cooperation and education alliance between Huawei and KFUPM will cover the digital and intelligent oil fields, high performance computing, mobility, safety and security, among other technology solutions.
The collaboration supports Huawei’s annual Seeds for the Future education program in the Kingdom, which offers selected students each year the opportunity to develop practical skills that will prepare them for a career in the oil and gas industry.
As part of the MoU, Huawei has committed to help fund the students’ programs, by providing them the technical environment, guidance and funding to develop new ICT proof of concepts (PoCs), which will expedite new oil and gas sector technology development.
In addition, each year 100 students from KFUPM will be selected and trained at the Huawei O&G Joint Innovation Center located in Dhahran Techno Valley.
KFUPM has already sent five of its best and brightest students to begin a seven-month internship program in Huawei.
Ding said: “Based on Huawei’s successful experience globally, we have learned that it’s important to understand the specific requirements for our clients in the oil and gas industry. This is why Huawei built the oil and gas R&D joint innovation center in Dhahran Techno Valley and continues to invest there, supporting the young talents of the future and their sustainable growth.”