Aramco Wins Global Infrastructure Award

The company has made a technological revolution in the management of residential and commercial facilities and services at its main headquarters. (Aramco)
The company has made a technological revolution in the management of residential and commercial facilities and services at its main headquarters. (Aramco)
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Aramco Wins Global Infrastructure Award

The company has made a technological revolution in the management of residential and commercial facilities and services at its main headquarters. (Aramco)
The company has made a technological revolution in the management of residential and commercial facilities and services at its main headquarters. (Aramco)

Saudi Aramco has been recognized on the world stage for its adoption of Internet of Things (IoT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology.

An awards event took place at the Smart City Expo World Congress on Wednesday in Barcelona.

The company's A'amer platform was granted the Infrastructure & Building Award for making a revolution in the management of residential and commercial facilities and services at Aramco’s main headquarters.

A'amer elevates urban living through integrated services across the city of Dhahran (eastern Saudi Arabia).

“We are thrilled to be recognized on the world stage for our work in smart city development, which is essential to meet the changing needs and expectations of urban communities,” said Talal Al Marri, Aramco Senior Vice President of Community Services.

“Our aim is to provide not only basic services like transportation and utilities but also a range of amenities and services that enhance people’s quality of life. As our understanding of cities evolves, so too must their infrastructure reflect an increasingly interconnected, technology-driven, and more sustainable way of living,” he added.

Nabil Al Nuaim, Aramco Senior Vice President of Digital and Information Technology, commented: “This award is a proud moment for us and a recognition of the positive impact we are making through the deployment of cutting-edge digital technologies, such as IoT and AI.”

“The A’amer platform is a prime example of how Aramco is harnessing the Fourth Industrial Revolution to positively shape its operations and enhance the lives of its employees, both inside and outside the workplace.”

A’amer optimizes building operations, space planning, and asset management across Aramco’s Dhahran facilities, using centralized data to predict, detect, and solve issues. It enables predictive, data-led maintenance and operation of all city services with an accessible, unified public service interface.

The platform provides substantial efficiency and sustainability-focused benefits, including annual savings of 1.7 billion gallons of water and 20.5GWh of annual energy. The platform has also resulted in a 31% increase in process optimization, a 40% increase in steps automation, and over a 30% increase in efficiency.



Oil Rises on Upbeat China Data, Shaky Israel-Lebanon Ceasefire

FILE - Pump jacks work in a field near Lovington, N.M., April 24, 2015. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel, File)
FILE - Pump jacks work in a field near Lovington, N.M., April 24, 2015. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel, File)
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Oil Rises on Upbeat China Data, Shaky Israel-Lebanon Ceasefire

FILE - Pump jacks work in a field near Lovington, N.M., April 24, 2015. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel, File)
FILE - Pump jacks work in a field near Lovington, N.M., April 24, 2015. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel, File)

Oil prices rose on Monday, supported by strong factory activity in China, the world's second-largest oil consumer, and heightened tensions in the Middle East as Israel resumed attacks on Lebanon despite a ceasefire agreement.
Brent crude futures climbed 57 cents, or 0.79%, to $72.41 a barrel by 0700 GMT while US West Texas Intermediate crude was at $68.58 a barrel, up 58 cents, or 0.85%.
"Oil prices have managed to stabilize into the new week, with the continued expansion in China's manufacturing activities reflecting some degree of policy success from recent stimulus efforts," said Yeap Jun Rong, market strategist at IG.
This offered slight relief that oil demand from China may hold for now, he added.
A private-sector survey showed China's factory activity expanded at the fastest pace in five months in November, boosting Chinese firms' optimism just as US President-elect Donald Trump ramps up his trade threats.
Still, traders are eyeing developments in Syria, weighing if they could widen tension across the Middle East, Yeap said.
A truce between Israel and Lebanon took effect on Wednesday, but each side accused the other of breaching the ceasefire.
In a statement, the Lebanese health ministry said several people were wounded in two Israeli strikes in south Lebanon. Air strikes also intensified in Syria, as President Bashar al-Assad vowed to crush insurgents who had swept into the city of Aleppo.
Last week, both benchmarks suffered a weekly decline of more than 3%, on easing concerns over supply risks from the Israel-Hezbollah conflict and forecasts of surplus supply in 2025, even as OPEC+ is expected to extend output cuts.
The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and their allies, known as OPEC+, postponed its meeting to Dec. 5, sources told Reuters last week.
This week's meeting will decide policy for the early months of 2025.
Since the group's production hike had been widely expected, the market's focus may be on the extent of delay to sway crude prices, said IG's Yeap.
"An indefinite delay may be the best case for oil prices, given that earlier rounds of delays by a month or so have failed to drive higher oil prices in line with what OPEC+ intended."
Brent is expected to average $74.53 per barrel in 2025 as economic weakness in China clouds the demand picture and ample global supplies outweigh support from an expected delay to a planned OPEC+ output hike, a Reuters monthly oil price poll showed on Friday.
That is the seventh straight downward revision in the 2025 consensus for the global benchmark, which has averaged $80 per barrel so far in 2024.