Aramco Warns Employees Against Taking Pictures of Sites

A metal part of a damaged tank is seen at the damaged site of Saudi Aramco oil facility in Abqaiq, Saudi Arabia, September 20, 2019. (Reuters)
A metal part of a damaged tank is seen at the damaged site of Saudi Aramco oil facility in Abqaiq, Saudi Arabia, September 20, 2019. (Reuters)
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Aramco Warns Employees Against Taking Pictures of Sites

A metal part of a damaged tank is seen at the damaged site of Saudi Aramco oil facility in Abqaiq, Saudi Arabia, September 20, 2019. (Reuters)
A metal part of a damaged tank is seen at the damaged site of Saudi Aramco oil facility in Abqaiq, Saudi Arabia, September 20, 2019. (Reuters)

Saudi Aramco has renewed its work on banned facilities and operating sites, as well as sites under construction in the company.

The company issued a statement warning its employees against uploading, sending, or exchanging any photographs or videos of the restricted and under construction areas on social media.

The statement indicated that this action is strictly prohibited unless the required approval is taken.

Aramco cautioned its employees that in the event of non-compliance, the company will take firm disciplinary action.

The company’s reminder comes just days after Saudi Aramco's Abqaiq plant was hit by a terrorist attack that caused a major fire at the plant, the world's largest oil refinery, as well as another attack on an oil facility in Khurais located on the road between al-Ihsa and Riyadh.

Although Saudi Aramco has been able to control the attacks, the company's industrial security department preferred to be careful by reminding its employees of the ban and tightening security in this regard.

Meanwhile, Aramco hired UBS Group and Deutsche Bank as book-runners for its initial public offering, two sources familiar with the matter said.

This is an indication that the deal is moving ahead despite the recent attack on Aramco’s oil facilities.

The company started informing banks about the bookrunners’ roles, one of the sources said.

Reuters revealed that Aramco finalized nine banks for top roles as global coordinators in recent weeks, and more banks are expected to be named in junior roles, the sources said.

Aramco has also added Barclays and BNP Paribas as bookrunners, Bloomberg cited people familiar with the matter.

Doubts had emerged about the timeline of the potentially $20 billion domestic leg of the IPO among investors after last Saturday’s attacks on two sites that usually process and clean up about 5.7 million barrels per day (bpd).

Aramco said that by the end of September it will resume full crude output at Abqaiq and Khurais.

The company’s meeting with analysts, ahead of the expected IPO in late November, is also scheduled for early next week, two other sources said.

Aramco’s listing is the first step toward an eventual sale of up to 5 percent, with another 1 percent expected to be sold domestically next year, followed by an international listing.

Initial hopes for an international listing dissipated when the share sale was halted last year amid a debate over an overseas venue and valuation.

Aramco had said the delay was due to its deal to acquire a 70 percent stake in petrochemicals maker Saudi Basic Industries Corp. Crown Prince Mohammed put a $2 trillion valuation on the company in early 2016.



Gulf Remembers Pope as a Symbol of Tolerance, Dialogue

The grand mass led by Pope Francis at the Bahrain National Stadium was attended by 28,000 people from 111 nationalities (BNA)
The grand mass led by Pope Francis at the Bahrain National Stadium was attended by 28,000 people from 111 nationalities (BNA)
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Gulf Remembers Pope as a Symbol of Tolerance, Dialogue

The grand mass led by Pope Francis at the Bahrain National Stadium was attended by 28,000 people from 111 nationalities (BNA)
The grand mass led by Pope Francis at the Bahrain National Stadium was attended by 28,000 people from 111 nationalities (BNA)

Gulf nations remember Pope Francis, the head of the Catholic Church, who passed away at the age of 88, as a global symbol of tolerance and dialogue between civilizations.

Due to his spiritual stature and worldwide influence, Dr. Mohammad Al-Issa, Secretary General of the Muslim World League and Chairman of the Association of Muslim Scholars, met with Pope Francis twice.

Their first meeting took place on May 28, 2023, at the pope's residence in Santa Marta, in a landmark encounter reflecting the Muslim World League's role in promoting effective dialogue, transparent understanding, and positive cooperation among followers of different religions and cultures.

The meeting included discussions on shared values and building bridges between civilizations, as well as addressing the challenges of religious and ideological extremism in all its forms, including hate, racism, marginalization, and exclusion.

The second meeting between Al-Issa and the Pope took place on December 23, 2024, with the same objective in mind.

The most significant event in the Gulf's relationship with the late Pope Francis was his historic visit to the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.

On February 3, 2019, Pope Francis became the first pontiff to visit the Arabian Peninsula, following an invitation from Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to participate in an interfaith dialogue conference.

During his visit to the UAE, the Pope led a mass at Zayed Sports City in Abu Dhabi on February 5, attended by approximately 120,000 people.

For the UAE, which is home to more than one million Christians, the majority of whom are Catholics, the visit underscored the nation's commitment to tolerance and cultural diversity. Christians in the UAE make up about one-ninth of the population, and they enjoy a life of dignity, respect, and equality in a country that has become a model of inclusivity.

Abu Dhabi saw the establishment of the first church in the UAE in 1965, a Catholic church named “St. Joseph's.” The first mass in Abu Dhabi was held in 1958 at the Al Hosn Palace. In the neighboring Emirate of Dubai, the first church, “St. Mary’s,” was built in 1967.

Today, the UAE is home to 45 churches.

Pope's Visit to Bahrain

From November 3 to 6, 2022, the late Pope Francis visited Bahrain, where he met with King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and senior officials.

The Pope’s visit was part of his ongoing efforts to strengthen ties with the Islamic world, following his historic trip to the UAE in 2019.

During his time in Bahrain, Pope Francis addressed a dialogue forum on coexistence, organized by the Muslim Council of Elders, based in the UAE.

He also met with Sheikh Ahmed El-Tayeb of Al-Azhar, with whom he had signed a joint document on interfaith coexistence during his visit to the UAE.

The Pope led a grand mass at the Bahrain National Stadium, attended by Christian church leaders from Bahrain and the region, as well as more than 28,000 people representing 111 nationalities.

In his address, the Pope emphasized the principles of peace and love for all.

Bahrain is home to 18 churches representing various Christian denominations.

The country witnessed the construction of its first Christian church in 1906, the National Evangelical Church, which is the oldest church in Bahrain and the Gulf. In 1939, the first Catholic church in Bahrain and the Gulf was built, the Sacred Heart Church.

In 2021, the largest Catholic church in the region, Our Lady of Arabia Cathedral, was inaugurated. Located in Al A'ali, the cathedral covers 9,000 square meters and can accommodate more than 2,300 people, with its outdoor plaza holding over 6,000 visitors and worshippers.

The final stop of the Pope’s four-day visit to Bahrain was at the Sacred Heart Church, built in 1939 on land donated by the ruler at the time.

Christians in Kuwait

Kuwait is the second Gulf state, after Bahrain, with a Christian community comprising 262 individuals. The majority of Christians in both Kuwait and Bahrain trace their origins to southeastern Türkiye, Iraq, and Palestine.

On January 8, 1999, Emmanuel Gharib was ordained as a priest and pastor of the National Evangelical Church, making him the first Gulf national to attain this position.

Pastor Emmanuel founded the “National Evangelical Church” diwaniya in Kuwait, a space for discussions on the latest social, political, and economic developments. The church was built on land purchased by the US mission in 1914 to construct a men’s hospital.

According to a 2014 US State Department report on religious freedoms, there are over 200 Kuwaiti Christians spread across eight families, in addition to around 450,000 expatriate Christians residing in the country.