No.9, February 2006


Responsible Editor: Mrs Renate HUSSEINI, member of the board.

For all questions and information requests, please contact our Coordinator:

Mrs. Najwa Malik, najwa-sgbg@eajb.com.sa
Tel. 667 2222 ext. 1119

Editorial

Dear member of SGBGJ,


We are back to every day life after the exciting events behind us linked to the Jeddah Economic Forum. As you all probably know, the German community in Jeddah has been honoured this year by the visit of outstanding members of the German political, economic and scientific community: First of all, Ex-Chancellor (Bundeskanzler a.D.) Gerhard Schröder, who had visited Saudi Arabia in the past but had never come to Jeddah, Dr. Heinrich von Pierer, president of Siemens representing the German economy and last but not least Prof. Dr. Udo Steinbach, eminent arabic scholar and director of the German Institute for Oriental Studies (Deutsches Orientinstitut).  Their speeches at the Forum have been very much appreciated by the Jeddah public and we hope that we will have every year from now on an equally impressive German delegation.

Unfortunately after the good, I have to announce some bad news concerning the
SGS Geological Fieldtrip to the Gulf of Aqaba Region planned for 18th - 24th of February 2006
To our deep regret this most promising project has been cancelled by the SGS management  and actually all the participants were very disappointed. We hope that we will be able to reschedule this trip at another moment.

Gentle reminder :  Do not forget to renew your membership for 2006 as soon as possible and please do inform our coordinator of all changes in your telephone numbers, e-mail addresses etc.  We had several complaints from people about not receiving any information from SGBGJ and generally the reason turned out to be an obsolete e-mail address!


Future Events

Ladies' event : Visit to the production site of 'Western Bakeries', planned for the 1st of March.
We plan to visit this very important industrial bakery which - according to its Website - has an output of 25 000 units of bread and 8000 units of pastry per hour.

Social Gathering : during March 2006 in the Garden of the Residence of the German Consul General. Exact date not yet available.
After the very interesting but more formal reception with the German delegation and many high ranking Saudi partners and friends, we plan our next informal get-together during the month of March. These so called 'Social Gatherings'  are at the very core of SGBGJ's mission, which is to bring Saudis and Germans together in a friendly and relaxed atmosphere which allows people to know each other and eventually create business partnerships. Detailed information will be sent out in due time.

Classical Music Concert :  Duo C. Schmaderer (Cello) and K. de Domenico (piano),  31st of March and 1st of April 2006.
The German Consul General and SGBGJ are very happy to announce this upcoming concert of classical music. The two musicians are in the middle of a successful career as a duo and perform all over the world.

Highlights of the Past

As mentioned already in the 'Editorial' the outstanding 'highlight' of the past weeks has been the Jeddah Economic Forum (11. - 13. of February 2006) and more particularly the reception in the garden of the residence of the German Consul General honouring our distinguished guests from Germany. Ex-Chancellor of the Federal Republic, Gerhard Schröder, had  very  lively  conversations with  local businessmen  and seemed delighted by his visit to Jeddah.

Members' Corner: membership card and discounts

Business News

Some upcoming events listed by AME Info :

• Middle East Education & Training Exhibition & Symposium - MEETES

• Saudi Arabia's 12th International Event for Education, Training, Human Resources, Equipment, Aid and Services.
• Venue:  Jeddah International Exhibition & Convention Centre
• Country:  Saudi Arabia
• Start date:  Sunday, March 05 - 2006
• Website :  http://www.acexpos.com/

Saudi Building and Interiors Exhibition - SBIE

Venue:  Jeddah International Exhibition & Convention Centre

Country: Saudi Arabia
Start date: Monday, April 17 - 2006
End date: Friday, April 21 - 2006
Website :  http://www.acexpos.com

German Language Center

DEUTSCHE SPRACHKURSE            GERMAN LANGUAGE COURSES
 Sprechen Sie Deutsch? Our new German Courses start on

 
The courses are held on Sundays + Tuesdays, from  7.00 pm to 8.30 pm

The term ends on the 5th of April 2006.

Highly qualified native German teachers only! Small classes provide intensive tuition!
Our students should be over 16 years old and have a reasonable knowledge of the English language to be able to follow the lessons.

Enrolment and information :  Please contact the office at the German International School  in Jeddah.
Phone : 02 691 35 84
E-mail : office@German-School-Jeddah.org

Office hours: Saturday to Wednesday from 8.00 a.m. to 1.00 p.m.

<>Please bring the course fee of SR 1200 (includes text book and CDs) in cash to the enrolment plus a copy of your Iqama/or passport and one passport photograph.

Miscellaneous: Found on the Internet

Saudi Aramco : http:// www.saudiaramco.com

Oil and oil prices are actually at the center of  the global economy and the reason behind several military conflicts in the last decades. It therefore seemed logical to have a closer look at the Website of one of the most important petroleum companies in the World : Saudi Aramco.

Let me quote some paragraphs from the Saudi Aramco Website :
Beginnings of Saudi Aramco The roots of Saudi Aramco go back nearly seven decades. In 1933, shortly after Saudi Arabia was unified, the Government granted a concession to Standard Oil of California who recognized the potential of oil as a valuable export commodity and a source of revenue to begin building our nation. Standard Oil of California, the parent company of Chevron, was joined later by several other major oil companies and the venture became known as Aramco - the Arabian American Oil Company. In 1938, after five long years of exploration, oil was discovered in commercial volume when a well named Dammam Number 7, near today's headquarters in Dhahran, began to flow -- and ushered in a new era for Saudi Arabia. Things moved quickly, and in 1939 King 'Abd al-'Aziz visited Ras Tanura to inaugurate the first shipload of Saudi crude oil ever exported. The young Kingdom was now officially launched into the international petroleum industry.
Saudi Aramco's operations span the globe and the energy industry. The world leader in crude oil production, Saudi Aramco also owns and operates an extensive network of refining and distribution facilities, and is responsible for the gas processing and transportation installations that fuel Saudi Arabia's industrial sector. The company has discovered and holds about one-quarter of the world’s proven conventional oil reserves - approximately 261.8 billion barrels. Saudi Aramco is a fully integrated oil company with operations in exploration, production, refining, marketing and international shipping. Saudi Aramco employs more than 54,000 workers and is headquartered in Dhahran in the Eastern Province. Operations span the Kingdom, with production and product distribution facilities linking all market areas. Major export shipping terminals are located at ports on the Arabian Gulf and Red Sea, while domestic demand for automotive and aviation products are met through strategic refineries.

Succint description of this impressive Website:
Apart from the typical sections you would expect for the Website of a big company, like the history, achievements, missions of the company, the different fields of its activity (in this case exploration, refining and distributing, shipping etc. of oil and gas), some figures about the management, workforce, the clients, tecnical research  and many more, there are some special  and very interesting features to this website.
1. Environment
A chapter on Saudi Aramco's environmental concerns, where we learn that besides monitoring closely air and water quality in and around all of its facilities, SA  for instance also works with the Kingdom's National Commission for Wildlife Conservation and Development to establish mangrove transplantation sites to expand the range of mangrove habitats along the Arabian Gulf coastline. These habitats are essential nursery grounds for fish and shrimp.
Concerning waste treatment and recycling, Saudi Aramco seems to have developed an internationally acclaimed program. The company utilizes several environmentally acceptable methods for treating industrial waste. Sanitary landfills are used for the disposal of municipal solid waste, while industrial wastes are segregated and handled according to their hazard risk following approved industry practices. Rotary autoclaves sterilize medical waste before disposal. Saudi Aramco has constructed several industrial waste treatment plants, which include separators to treat oily water, landfarms to treat oily sludge, dedicated asbestos disposal areas, and on-site oxidation of pyrophoric waste. Saudi Aramco aggressively recycles through reclamation and recovery of reclaimed materials.

2. Culture and science
Saudi Aramco is currently publishing 3 journals, one technical, the other corporate and the third featuring articles on art, history and cultural issues. All three are distributed free of charge worldwide and / or available as pdf files from the website.

SA Journal of Technology
		The Saudi Aramco Journal of Technology is published quarterly by Saudi Aramco to provide the company's scientific and engineering communities with a forum for the exchange of ideas. Articles present technical information aimed at advancing the hydrocarbon industry.

SA Dimensions
		Saudi Aramco Dimensions, published quarterly by Saudi Aramco, provides coverage of important corporate developments in the Kingdom and abroad. The magazine is circulated throughout the company and its affiliates.

Saudi Aramco World
		Saudi Aramco World is published by Saudi Aramco to increase cross-cultural understanding. The bimonthly magazine's mission is to broaden knowledge of the culture of the Arab and Muslim worlds and the history, geography and economy of Saudi Arabia.