Sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility at Saudi Aramco

At Saudi Aramco, sustainability is an ethos that permeates all aspects of our company. It spurs us to push the limits of creativity and technology to develop and implement meaningful solutions to global energy and climate challenges — all while being a steadfast contributor to the world’s energy security.

Environmental Sustainability

The growing global demands for energy and environmental sustainability pose tremendous challenges and opportunities for the combustion research community.

“There is no one-fit-for-all solution to address these challenges,” said Hong Im, professor at KAUST and chairman of the Saudi Arabian Section.

Instead, synergistic integration of conventional and emerging technologies, including renewables, will be essential in delivering solutions that are both environmentally and socially sustainable. “I am proud to be part of the many world-class researchers in the Kingdom who will lead these efforts,” said Im.

Sustainability was the recurring theme in the three invited lectures at this year’s meeting. Sylvain Côté, program director for Energy Demand, Efficiency, and Productivity at KAPSARC, discussed the challenges and opportunities associated with the transition to renewable energy in the Kingdom. Among these, Côté highlighted the need for targeted policy action by the government to help alleviate an anticipated skills gap.

“Although the emerging renewable energy sector is expected to provide new jobs, it is equally important to recognize the limitation and reflect on the adjustment and reform efforts needed. If not, the current labor mismatch could represent a lost opportunity for the upcoming young Saudi population,” said Côté.

Anvita Arora, program director for Transport and Urban Infrastructure at KAPSARC, discussed strategies for environmentally and socially sustainable urban transport systems.

“Our research is closely aligned with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 and the National Transportation Strategy, which seeks to reduce domestic dependence on oil while creating smart and sustainable cities throughout the Kingdom,” said Arora.

The final invited lecture was delivered by Dimitrios Kyritsis, professor and chairman of the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Khalifa University in the UAE. His lecture highlighted the role of carbon capture in addressing the climate challenge, while also unlocking additional petroleum resources when used for enhanced oil recovery.

“This technology has already been deployed in the Kingdom, with approximately 800,000 tons of carbon dioxide captured and stored each year,” said Kyritsis. “Carbon capture and storage can enhance sustainability on a large-scale.”