American team tours Aramco’s Shaybah plant

SHAYBAH, the Empty Quarter, 15 January 2003 — Members of the Saudi-American Exchange toured some of the Saudi Aramco facilities in the Eastern Province yesterday.

The tour began at Aramco’s main complex in Dammam, where the group met with Muhammad Al-Tahlawi, senior member of Saudi Aramco Affairs Policy and Planning Group. They then had lunch with Dr. Soraya Al-Oraid of The Arabian Sun, an Aramco publication.

The highlight of the day was a visit to the Shaybah plant in the Empty Quarter. The group boarded an Aramco flight from Dammam, which arrived just before dusk to watch the sunset over the sand dunes. Members of the group climbed the sand dunes and collected sand to take back to the United States. After a dinner overlooking the Shaybah plant, the group flew back to Dammam. — Essam Al-Ghalib