OREANDA-NEWS. June 27, 2014. Saudi Aramco strives to create cultural and health education programs that are responsive to a new generation of young Saudi males and females.  iExcel is one of these, offered together with the Ministry of Education (MOE).

Featuring numerous activities and events that combine education, awareness, recreation and sports, iExcel will be held daily for four weeks at 28 public schools in the Eastern Province for the fifth consecutive year. For the first time, it will also be offered in Tabuk and Jazan.

It is an opportunity for secondary school students, meeting their needs not only in the form of recreation, but also offering substantive programs that which encourage self-development and provide the skills to face the challenges of the future.

The inauguration ceremony of iExcel’s boys section was presided over by Mohammed Y. Al-Qahtani, Saudi Aramco acting senior vice president of Operations and Business Services, and Dr. Sami Bin Ghazi Al-Otaibi, Assistant Director General for Educational Affairs in the Eastern Province.

The ceremony was also attended by Mohammed G. Al-Zahrani, Saudi Aramco’s vice president of Safety and Industrial Security, and Nabeel Al-Dabal, general manager of Training and Development.

The inauguration ceremony of the girls section of the program was presided over by Huda M. Al-Ghoson, Saudi Aramco’s executive director of Human Resources, and Sanaa Al-Jaafari, the Assistant Director General of Education in the Eastern Province for Girls Educational Affairs. A number of officials from both the company and the Education Directorate also were present at the two events.

In his remarks, Al-Qahtani spoke about the efforts put forth by the company and the MOE to expand iExcel. “Following the program’s success in the previous cycles, the company decided this year to expand its scope to cover the Tabuk and Jazan areas. We are keen on the continuous development of young men and women of this age group,” he said. “They, especially the talented male and female students, represent the human capital for societies wishing to advance and prosper.

“This year, we and Mawhiba cooperated with Johns Hopkins University to tap into its world-scale scientific resources and attract more ideas that cater to talent development and innovation, with a view toward strengthening and sharpening student skills in scientific subjects. This will benefit them in their education and life, motivating them to provide positive contributions to society,” Al-Qahtani said.

“We are happy that we deepened and expanded the scope of the benefits of this program,” added Al-Dabal. “We expect a total of 5,600 male and female students to participate in this year’s iExcel program, bringing the cumulative number of students who benefited from this program since its inception in 2010 to 12,950 students.”

Speaking during the female iExcel inauguration, Al-Ghoson said this year’s program will be different from those of the previous years with the inclusion of the Passport to Success program.
Saudi Aramco and IYF held workshops for trainers with the goal of preparing them to train 15- to 18-year-old students. Al-Ghoson emphasized that iExcel will be overseen by specialists from Saudi Aramco’s Training and Development Department.

iExcel’s importance stems from the use of secondary school students’ time in a manner that benefits them and provides them with the skills they need in both education and life in general, all while urging them to make a positive contribution to society, she added.

Al-Jaafari pointed out the importance of Saudi Aramco’s role as MOE’s strategic partner. She praised the significant support provided by the company through various means and methods to improve the output of the education process.