Abdullah Al Rushud

RIYADH: On Dec. 29, Saudi Aramco gave a public recognition to Alfadhel Abdulrahman, the Chief of the Riyadh Refinery who is retiring, that was presented by the Executive Vice President of Aramco Global Manufacturing.

Chief Abdulrahman specialized in chemical engineering and worked for roughly 7 years at the “Ras Tanura” Refinery, taking charge of all tasks in each of the sectors of Engineering, Operations, and Maintenance, before being appointed as the Chief of the Riyadh Refinery in 2012.

Not only did he contribute to the increased production of oil derivatives, he also participated in over 50 international conferences in the United States, Europe and the rest of the world, including the 4^th Operational Safety Summit and the 36^th International Petroleum Challenge Conference that were held in Japan.

Chief Abdulrahman visited Japan several times and is known for having a positive connection with the Japanese community, both within and beyond his work relationships. He welcomed and offered his hospitality to many Japanese people in his home, which is located in “Shaqra” in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, in order to introduce them to Saudi Arabian culture and the depth of the historical relationship between the two countries.

Since the establishment of the Saudi-Japanese Joint Committee in 1975, the relationship between Saudi Arabia and Japan has been strengthened gradually, with the two countries currently in agreement with regard to their shared interest in many fields such as the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

In order to build a strategic economic partnership with a clear vision to pave the way for greater cooperation between the two nations, it was decided in March 2017 that “Saudi-Japan Vision 2030” would be announced during the visit of Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, King of Saudi Arabia and Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, to Japan. Since this announcement, the Saudi Arabia Partnership Project Task Team has coordinated with the “Saudi-Japan Vision 2030 Office,” which functions at the front line of the Government of Japan, to manage the project, support efforts, and start various projects to promote Japanese businesses in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Arabia is Japan’s most important strategic partner in the field of energy, as its share of Japan’s total petroleum imports soared to 38.6% in 2018, representing an increase of roughly 1.2 million barrels on average per day and making the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Japan’s biggest supplier of petroleum.

In order to allow Saudi Arabia to quickly and easily access important clients in East Asia while supplying Japan with energy, the two nations have concluded a pre-agreement with the general principle of renewing the contract for the joint venture scheme to store petroleum in Okinawa Island in Japan.

Recent activities include the “Saudi-Japan Vision 2030” business forum in Tokyo that was co-hosted by the JETRO Riyadh Office, the Japan Cooperation Center for the Middle East, and the Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority in June 2019 and attended by the Saudi Arabian Minister of Economic Planning, the Japanese Minister of Economy, Trade, and Industry, and the President of the Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority.