Thread regarding Saudi Aramco layoffs

The video in question (commenter's link) has been made private now.

I personally knew Di Simone and he was a great asset to this organization. Unfortunately the video doesn't specify the reason he was fired, but Ican imagine he must have been mad at our Masters for hiding the truth or something. Or maybe he threatened with a lawsuit or some publication in the future. My speculation. Whatever the reason was, Aramco lost one of the best and hard-working sedimentologists almost impossible to replace. I pray for his kid to be cancer-free ​and a long life.

Some amount of exposure to benzene could be partly responsible; research it.

I have had a similar experience in Dhahran but my daughter was not so lucky.
To the guy who replied "there is nothing like a 100% environmental cancer, if she was really told that, then it didn't come from a medical professional" I can tell that the oncologists told the same to me, both in Saudi and in Canada. This doctor should spend his time reading serious scientific articles even though he doesn't sound like an oncologist, maybe is one of the GP working for Jh Ah?
Even a vet is a doctor, but only a wise man knows when is more decent not to comment.
This thread brought up so many sad, devastating memories.
I wish all the best to this family.

As a doctor, couple of points here, one, there is nothing like a 100% environmental cancer, if she was really told that, then it didn't come from a medical professional, second, if this was even a 50% environment related cancer, then for a camp of that size which has been around for 50+ years you would be seeing many many such cases and would have been all over the news, which didn't happen. Feel sorry for her situation, hope things work out.

Read the site rules, derogatory language towards individuals or groups is not allowed.

@1kto+1bZwAONu
Too late for me. But luckily been out of there for a year so we will see. What will be will be.

Not surprising at all. Many young Saudi operators/ technicians having various type of cancers, some kids as young as 35 have had their bowels removed, many local retirees pass away soon after leaving job. If you are working on operating sites, avoid going through computer gates, they are death traps.

There's something about the censors here. On one hand I see their intentions of keeping trolls at bay but on the other there are comments that do not merit being deleted.
I'm all for freedom of experssion unless this site is located in countries where this is a restricted right.

@mjw+1bZwAONu
Thanks for steering the conversation back to its course and stating your points clearly. Likewise I do miss the monthly apology letter and a some of my colleagues (local/expat). Although my investments might make me miss the former less and less over time.

The original post was a potential Aramco hire asking for advice. What happens next is predictable..... either a local or an expat (@xtv+1bZwAONu) decides to start berating others. As horrible as the environment is in Saudi (which gave me repetitive migraines due to the air quality), the reason not to work for Aramco is: (1) the company/company/management/culture will throw an expat under the bus at their whims and (2) the local/expat ( @xtv+1bZwAONu) who will go out of their way to berate his coworkers/neighbors. I feel bad for both of these tortured souls - much like the expats who spread unfounded rumors to amuse themselves (as what happened to the lovely Italian family in the video).

After eights years I was laid off and thank God. I walked a millionaire and my migraines have almost disappeared. I admit that I miss the camp life, work/life balance, the vacations/travel, a lot of my coworkers (mostly Saudi's), some of the work I was allowed to do, but mostly I miss the monthly apology letter.

To the person asking for advice, only go if you really need to pad your bank and retirement accounts. Do only the time needed and go. Go to Aramco knowing you will be there for a short time and that you are disposable. Go there with an open mind and a patient soul. And enjoy the ride!

Many wouldn't take it MC. Common sense is a hardsell in this region if you are not aware of it, unless you perhaps retired in the lovely dunes (wink, wink ;). I started trying to give sensible advice only to see that know how was futile it was. At the end I just ended up doing whatever I was asked as long as neither my integrity nor my health were compromised and collect my $200 as long as I could. So in that regard I'm thankful for the bump in my retirement fund.
The vast majority of these bipedals definitely spend countless hours in the time after time proven wasteful art of cephalic-rectal instrospection.
As stated before "E pluribus unum".

Very well Mr. MC, if that's OK with you.
So you never saw blatant lying or forging of documents and data at the request of management so they could either avoid getting slapped on the wrist by the higher ups or just get a shiny certification diploma or trophy (Oh boy! how they love their shiny things) Not to mention the King this or King that awards.
Emissions or spills that I saw along with some colleagues on the ground but wait, no it was just an illusion. Fires in substations and Master Control Buildings that turned out to be...oh! only smoke.
I can tell you about some audits in the facilities I was in, they had 3 years to prepare and then call me in before the audit only to see that the previous people in charge (local BTW) had done diddley squat in that time. So what to do? Well, produce backdated documentation signed by management. An Oh lo and behold! Shiny diplomas and ISO certfications, all passed with flying colors.
I know Ras Tanura is one of the higher rated facilities out there, but I am sure that if someone with a medium degree of competency starts digging, skeletons will pop up from some closets and hills of dirt will show up from under the rugs.
I can go on and on...but in any case it seems you either spent your time in Narnia or had too much Saddiqi. Or maybe you were just smart enough to let everything slide and just get along with the locals regardless of the business.
On another note out of every 10 bipedals that I got to train, maybe only one was worth my while. The other ones were just focused on getting to the next level on whatever game they were playing on their supercharged phones.

Full of nonsense, Mr Six year man. Complete fabrication. 12 of 27 years in Ras Tanura. Your story is baloney, like your worldwide experience.

Oh I see Internal Management Consultant. Trés intérésant!
Well Mr. Internal Management Consultant how many of your 27 years did you spend on the ground or in any facility for that matter?
Just checking that the operational excellence or process safety management paper work is spot on? Let me give you a hint of what reality looks like. It's all pure....how do we say? Ah, Manure.
Let me guess you were probably in Dhahran compiling the reports from the facilities with all the figures while not bothering to take a look around, probably some Arabic coffee with the facility management team and everything is sp-c n' span.
I have more than 30 years in the business, 6 of which I spent in Aramco and the rest worldwide and I can tell you something, I have seen worse only in few other places.
How many inefficiencies and blatant health and safety violations dismissed or attenuated in the official investigation reports by the managers, or simply swept under the carpet? I can tell you my fingers and toes are not enough to count them.
Oh, by the way the case in question was reported in Dhahran

The fact is that I worked for the company for twenty seven years and retired. I know junk and misinformation when I see it. I was an internal management consultant. Pure nonsense on this site.

@cwe+1bZwAONu
Would you care to elaborate on the facts?

Looks like the main post and the responses are from people who have never been to the Middle East, let alone a current or past US expat. Complete nonsense from young people who usually don’t know the facts.

I wish their son recovers soon. Any other country they'd gone to a Law firm sue and win big time. I feel sorry for those still in there believing the place is worth.

The camp house I lived in had a bit of a mold problem due to water leaking from pipes in the attic. Plus, one time the sewer backed up and over flowed into a neighbors yard. Talk about stink. Did produce a superior lawn though.

So sad, for sure. I always felt as if I were immersed in a contaminated environment. Think about it. You are living right on top of an oil producing property. Been producing since the thirties. And you see how things are handled with your own eyes. But the way some families are treated after the fact...very sad.

I have a few personal close experiences where two of my colleagues died. One luckily enough the family was in kingdom and they had a tight support group so they were able to manage and get all the benefits.

In the other case since my colleague's family was out of kingdom, I know for a fact that the company HR reps were haggling with the wife instead of giving them the benefits per HR policy.

My heart goes out to Di Simone & family. He is a good scientist and didn't deserve to be fire.

We had a neighbor who died while his family was out of kingdom. The banks froze his accounts, his family’s entry/exit permits were cancelled, and the company cut them off.
A year and a half later they cleared their house and hauled everything away. Car on four flats in the garage, clothes, personal belongings. They busted the window on the car to get into in.
You think this company cares about you and you’re a numb idjit. You’re a worker. Your health, your family, your well-being are up to you and if it becomes a burden they’ll cut you off.

With that said the water you shower with has an oily sheen and you buy drinking and cooking water at the store. Their water is contaminated, not surprised that their cancer rates are high. High reward = high risk.

This has to do with the ground's watertable not with the air I know this for a fact

The air quality in Saudi is bad. Just google AQI Saudi Arabia. At least they are publishing that info now, so you can check it before you go outside. Those small particles are a combination of smashed up sand and pollution, mostly pollution, but the sand helps carry it. No one knows which areas are contaminated, so they can be cleaned up, because the Saudi government hides everything. This was why I didn't go outside the camp much. If you have small children, think twice before bringing them!

I just watched the video...my heart goes out to the family. This is a scandal.

They should go to The Guardian or NJT instead