OREANDA-NEWS. April 10, 2014. The future Saudi workforce was the central theme of the recent Southern Area Oil Operations (SAOO) Saudization campaign held at an al-Hasa area hotel.

The two-day event had separate sessions for male and female participation and was hosted by SAOO vice president Zuhair Al-Hussain.

More than 900 people attended the event and were able to meet with more than 30 international and local contractors who, in turn, were able to interview and extend job offers to suitable candidates on the spot.

In his opening remarks, Al-Hussain said, “We are launching an aggressive campaign to increase Saudization in our contractor workforce in line with the company’s corporate citizenship value.”

He continued by saying that Saudization not only introduces new jobs for young Saudis but also contributes to the Kingdom’s gross domestic product growth.

“It is a compliance issue and, at the same time, a broader national cause, so we are partnering this campaign with all SAOO contractor companies and want to make sure that you take the lead on this initiative and introduce many more Saudis into your workforce,” Al-Hussain said.

Bader Al-Qadran, general manager of the Southern Area Producing Department, underscored that area management was taking the matter seriously “by reviving our momentum that began with the onset of the campaign to make an effective contribution to the company.”

He also thanked the owners, CEOs, presidents and vice presidents of the attending contractor companies who had made time to attend and contribute.

“You are all our important partners,” he said. “And we will support you in your efforts to bolster the Saudi economy. Therefore, this joint SAOO and contractor campaign is targeting a win-win situation for both parties.” 

After the opening remarks, a safety presentation was given by Abdullah Shahrani, which included a short film illustrating the leading causes of road accidents and fatalities such as breaking the speed limit and poorly conditioned cars.

The recognition ceremony was held first to recognize the heads of three charitable societies that had provided most of the job applicants, including the Abqaiq Charitable Society, the Al-Hasa Charitable Society and the Social Education Institute for Girls. Second, the owners, CEOs, presidents and vice presidents of the attending contractor companies who had made time to attend and physically support the employment drive were recognized.

One-hundred fifty candidates were offered positions at the event and more than 700 were screened.

More than 120 contractor representatives manned 30 booths, and were given full authority by their companies to offer positions to suitable candidates.