ARAMCO

Aramco Gives Back

by Victoria Uwemedimo

Saudi Aramco is a Saudi Arabian state-owned national company and the world's largest oil corporation. The company produces on average 8.9 million barrels of crude oil per day (www.saudiaramco. com), employing tens of thousands of workers and having an estimated worth of billions of USD. Perhaps most importantly, Aramco strives in every way to make a positive impact, both on education and on the environment.

Aramco's proposal of sponsorship for this year's THIMUN conference was met with genuine enthusiasm and delight on the part of the THIMUN Board of Directors. The Board's Chair, Ms. Linda Dubock, explained that "Aramco thought it was a worthy cause to invest money in education. They thought THIMUN, being global and an accredited NGO, would be a great investment."

Indeed, the Saudi Arabian Oil Company's investment has ensured significant financial aid for the conference. Aramco donated money to THIMUN with 'no strings attached', wishing to invest in a good cause. And with that said, the THIMUN Board of Director's chose to use the money in different ways, including the financial sponsorship of seven students so that they could attend the conference. These students are from the United World College of South East Asia (UWCEA) in Singapore. One of the fortunate students, Guatemalan Jorge Rivera, said "I would like to thank Aramco for the opportunity it has given to students from UWCEA to attend THIMUN. It's a great opportunity to experience what it is to come together as a whole world for a common goal."

Additionally, Aramco is committed to "[operating] in an environmentally responsible manner". The oil company has put into place numerous requirements for itself, such as "waste management procedures and vital oil spill contingency plans" which ensure an effective way of counteracting any negative effect that the corporation may have on our eco-system.

Aramco's interest in world affairs and the environment can be said to be inspiring at the very least. Unquestionably, we are grateful to Aramco for their generosity, which is matched with the same desire we share: to give back.