OREANDA-NEWS. September 11, 2014. The achievements of the iThra Knowledge Program demonstrate Saudi Aramco’s ambition to be more than just a leader in the oil and gas field.

The program’s success may be evident by the impressive number of visitors, but the buzz it has generated in the capital city recently shows Saudi Aramco’s support of the Kingdom’s efforts to become a knowledge-based society.

“The program was the talk of the town,” Khalid A. Al-Falih, president and CEO, said to iThra Knowledge Program organizers and members of management in Riyadh on Tuesday. Al-Falih noted, however, that the program is connecting not only on a local level, but on a national level and beyond, too.

The conclusion of the program in Riyadh on Aug. 29 marked the fourth city at which the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture has hosted the program, with previous stops in Dhahran, al-Hasa and Jiddah.

The CEO expressed pride in the role the iThra Knowledge team and volunteers played in making the event a success, noting that through such efforts, “We are living our values and sharing them with our community.”

Al-Falih noted that although community expectations continue to rise with every stop, the program team is not only meeting the challenge, but exceeding expectations. “It demonstrates that the company is not just a leader in the oil and gas field; it is also a leader in supporting the Kingdom’s drive toward a knowledge society.”

“The program offered a great deal of substance to our communities and families in a very innovative way. iThra shows the connection to our heritage and culture with a pride in our identity,” the CEO added.