OREANDA-NEWS. June 4, 2012. Speaking at the 7th National Oil Company (NOC) Forum held May 25-27 in Istanbul, Turkey, Amin H. Nasser, Saudi Aramco’s senior vice president of Upstream, said NOCs must balance commercial and social responsibilities, investing national resources wisely while serving the society in which they operate in, reaching out to all segments of communities and increasing their role in building and developing these communities.

Nasser, who spearheaded Saudi Aramco’s delegation to the forum, said NOCs can do this by creating direct and indirect job opportunities and attracting investments. He also emphasized the need for NOCs to diversify their operations and provided examples of that kind of diversification in Saudi Aramco’s joint ventures Petro Rabigh and Sadara.

The forum, which was founded in 2001 and convenes every two years, was created to provide a platform for NOCs to discuss common challenges and opportunities in light of the constantly changing dynamics of the oil and gas industry.

In his opening remarks, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan urged forum participants to change the dynamics of oil market and boost cooperation and coordination among themselves.

During the three-day event, Nasser emphasized the importance of developing human capital through training while simultaneously promoting and advancing new technologies used in the industry.

Nasser noted that Saudi Aramco sponsors more than 2,000 people to study at some of the world’s most prominent colleges and institutes of science, which is all part of the importance the company puts on its employees and their development.

He also cited the company’s world-class training and research centers that enable specialists and professionals to perform their roles in oil and gas industry in the best manner possible.