‘Aramcorama' at Ithra: A living archive of energy, culture, memory
DHAHRAN: 'Aramcorama,' within Ithra's museum, reimagines the exhibition experience, turning the Kingdom's industrial history into a personal and immersive journey.
Rather than simply documenting the rise of the country's oil industry, the exhibition explores how it shaped cities, communities, and modern life.
The Aramcorama exhibition at Ithra explores how the oil industry helped shape cities, communities and modern life in Saudi Arabia. (AN photo)
It encourages visitors to reflect on how past events changed people's sense of identity.
'Aramcorama' tells the story through a rich selection of visuals. Geological maps, handwritten notes, internal messages, and photographs trace nearly a century of growth and change.
• At 'Aramcorama' exhibition, Geological maps, handwritten notes, internal messages, and photographs trace nearly a century of growth and change.
• Visitors can explore how Aramco's global outlook has influenced not only individual lives but also the nation's perspective.
Visitors can explore a timeline highlighting each decade and framed by hanging prints and illuminated media displays. This setup creates an engaging environment that feels dynamic and full of discovery.
The Aramcorama exhibition at Ithra explores how the oil industry helped shape cities, communities and modern life in Saudi Arabia. (AN photo)
Abdullah Alshammasi, a longtime engineer at Aramco, spoke to Arab News about how the company influenced more than just the oil and gas industry and impacted generations of employees and locals.
He said: 'The company certainly had lasting consequences on the earliest generations that worked in it.
Aramco's history is the modern history of the communities that lived in the Eastern Province.
Abdullah Alshammasi, Aramco engineer
'The fact is, since the company was established it needed a knowledgeable workforce, so a campaign of education was also established, and it steadily increased in depth from manual skills to softer, more intellectual skills.'
The exhibition also showcases vintage safety posters that were originally used to display workplace rules. These posters show how design and language have changed over the years, highlighting the changes in style and communication.
The Aramcorama exhibition at Ithra explores how the oil industry helped shape cities, communities and modern life in Saudi Arabia. (AN photo)
This section of the exhibition captures the story's understated honesty, letting ordinary items like posters, letters, and tools tell the story of values, habits, and shifting responsibilities.
As visitors explore the exhibition, they can see how the company's global outlook has influenced not only individual lives but also the nation's perspective.
Alshammasi explained: 'Generations have now been everywhere around the globe, studying at the best institutions, bringing back with them a better sense of the world, widening their horizons and, therefore, our societies and culture.'
'Aramcorama' ultimately reflects how modern Saudi society was built; not just through buildings and oil fields, but also through education, progress, and mindset.
Alshammasi said: 'It tells me that Aramco is as old as our modern lives.'
This fact is especially evident in the Eastern Province, where the company's presence reshaped daily life, and Alshammasi added: 'Aramco's history is the modern history of the communities that lived in the Eastern Province. Their lives were directly affected by the company, for good and for ill.'
The exhibition does not hide that tension, but invites reflection on both progress and its costs, what was gained and what may have been lost.
'Aramcorama' does not ask visitors to celebrate or criticize, but to notice, reflect, and form their own opinions.
It respects the complexity of history and shows how innovation, labor, infrastructure, and community are all deeply connected.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Arab News
2 hours ago
- Arab News
Beijing, a longtime friend of Tehran, turns to cautious diplomacy in Iran's war with Israel
BEIJING: When Israel attacked Iran nearly two weeks ago, the Chinese government, a longtime friend of Iran, jumped into action — at least, when it came to words. It condemned the attacks. Its leader, Xi Jinping, got on the phone with the Russian leader and urged a ceasefire. Its foreign minister spoke with his counterpart in Iran. But that's where China stopped. The usual rhetoric was delivered. De-escalation and dialogue were trumpeted. Yet China offered no material support. Despite Beijing's clout as a near-peer rival to the United States and its ambition to play a bigger role on the world stage, Beijing refrained from offering military support to Iran, let alone getting directly involved in the conflict. The decision underscored the limitations it faces in the Middle East. 'Beijing lacks both the diplomatic capabilities and the risk appetite to quickly intervene in, and to think it can successfully navigate, this fast-moving and volatile situation,' said Jude Blanchette, director of the China Research Center at RAND. Given the tangled politics of the Middle East, where China holds substantial economic and energy stakes yet wields minimal military influence, Beijing 'isn't inclined to stick its neck out,' Blanchette added. Instead, the Chinese government opts to remain 'a measured, risk‑averse actor.' China weighs commercial interests Zhu Feng, dean of the School of International Relations at Nanjing University in eastern China, said volatility in the Middle East is not in China's interests. 'From China's point of view, the Israel-Iran conflicts challenge and impact China's business interests and economic security,' Zhu said. 'This is something China absolutely does not want to see.' After the Iranian parliament floated a plan to shut down the strategically located Strait of Hormuz over the weekend, China spoke against it. 'China calls on the international community to step up efforts to de-escalate conflicts and prevent regional turmoil from having a greater impact on global economic development,' said Guo Jiakun, a spokesman for the Chinese foreign ministry. On Tuesday, following the ceasefire announcement, US President Donald Trump wrote in a social media post: 'China can now continue to purchase Oil from Iran,' suggesting the ceasefire would prevent the disruption of Iranian oil production. A 2024 report by the US Energy Information Administration contained estimates suggesting that roughly 80 percent to 90 percent of the oil exported by Iran went to China. The Chinese economy could struggle to preserve its industrial production without the roughly 1.2 million barrels of oil and other fossil fuels provided by Iran. Craig Singleton, senior China fellow at the Washington-based think tank Foundation for Defense of Democracies, summed up Beijing's responses as 'steady oil buys and ritual calls for 'dialogue'.' 'That's about it,' Singleton said. 'No drones or missile parts, no emergency credit line. Just words calibrated to placate Tehran without rattling Riyadh or inviting US sanctions.' Beijing's muted responses also expose the gap between China's great-power rhetoric and its real reach in the region. Said Singleton: 'China's Gulf footprint is commercial, not combat-ready. When missiles fly, its much-touted strategic partnership with Iran shrinks to statements. Beijing wants discounted Iranian oil and a 'peace-broker' headline, while letting Washington shoulder the hard-power risks.' In statements, China sides with Iran and pledges to mediate At the United Nations, China, a permanent member of the Security Council, teamed up with Russia and Pakistan in putting forward a draft resolution condemning 'in the strongest terms' the attacks against peaceful nuclear sites and facilities in Iran. They called for 'an immediate and unconditional ceasefire' even though the United States, another permanent member on the council, is almost certain to veto the proposal. Shortly after Israel attacked Iran, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi had a phone call with his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, and told him that 'China explicitly condemned Israel's violation of Iran's sovereignty, security and territorial integrity.' Wang, using common diplomatic language, said China was 'ready to maintain communication with Iran and other relevant parties to continue playing a constructive role in de-escalating the situation.' Wang later spoke with foreign ministers of Oman and Egypt; both nations are key mediators in the region. And late last week, before the US got involved militarily, Xi spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin; the two agreed to stay in closer contact over Iran and work toward de-escalation. But China stayed away from any direct involvement, and Russia also had muted responses to the Israel-Iran conflict. Iran is an important link in Xi's ambitious global project Belt and Road Initiative, and in 2023 joined the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, a security group by Russia and China to counter the US-led NATO. It has conducted joint exercises with China, including this year's 'Maritime Security Belt 2025' in the Gulf of Oman, in which Russia also took part. On Wednesday, Beijing will convene a meeting of defense ministers of SCO member nations. As important as Iran is to China, it is only part of Beijing's calculus, according to an analysis by the Soufan Center, a New York-based organization that focuses on global security challenges. In an intel brief, the center said the conflict has revealed that Beijing's support for its partners, especially those in confrontation with the United States, 'is limited by a complex matrix of interests, including its desire to avoid alienating major economic partners and escalating tensions with the West.'
Arab News
8 hours ago
- Arab News
Saudi Arabia's transformation boosts investor confidence
More than 300 global institutional investors met with all seven bourses from the GCC and over 100 GCC corporates at HSBC's GCC Exchanges Conference in London last week. The event comes as global economic uncertainty reshapes capital flows, with global investors exploring new opportunities in the Gulf for long-term, reform-driven growth, and maturing capital markets. Now in its fourth year, the conference focused on the region's resilience. Saudi Arabia was a main feature of the first two days of the conference, where guest speakers included Minister of Investment of Saudi Arabia Khalid bin Abdulaziz Al-Falih, and Deputy Market Institutions at Saudi Arabia's Capital Market Authority Raed Alrashed Alhumaid. Having registered a 3.4 percent year-on-year increase in GDP in Q1, Saudi Arabia's non-oil growth is tracking ahead of already strong initial estimates. Discussions focused on plans for the Kingdom's services and non-oil manufacturing sectors, as well as efforts to continue liberalizing financial market infrastructure. Faris AlGhannam, chief executive and board member, HSBC Saudi Arabia, said: 'The resilient activity in Saudi Arabia's private and public markets, as well as the breadth of sectors coming to market, is a reflection of investors' confidence in the Kingdom's long-term potential despite testing markets.' Mohammed Al-Rumaih, chief executive, Saudi Exchange, said: 'The global investor appetite for the Saudi capital market continues to deepen, driven by the Kingdom's ongoing economic transformation. At the Saudi Exchange, we remain committed to enabling access, enhancing market infrastructure, and fostering transparency to support diversified capital formation across sectors. The strong engagement witnessed this year at the GCC Exchanges Conference further reflects the growing international confidence in the Saudi market and its central role in the Kingdom's national transformation roadmap.' Although domestic market liquidity and oil-dependency have been traditional constraints for equity investors, HSBC analysts predict that the combination of IPOs and secondary listings from the Kingdom as well as the removal of foreign ownership limits could lift Saudi Arabia's weight in emerging market benchmarks. Saudi Arabia led listing activity in the region during the first quarter, despite a slowdown in issuances globally, with 12 IPOs across sectors such as real estate, healthcare, financial services, and retail. AlGhannam added: 'Global investors are recalibrating for resilience and the GCC's balance sheet strength and sophisticated financial markets ecosystem make it a capital magnet.' This year, for the first time, HSBC brought together emerging markets macro strategists with GCC attendees, as EM investors dial up their exposure to the Gulf's capital markets driven by strong GDP projections relative to the broader EM pool.
Arab News
8 hours ago
- Arab News
‘Aramcorama' at Ithra: A living archive of energy, culture, memory
DHAHRAN: 'Aramcorama,' within Ithra's museum, reimagines the exhibition experience, turning the Kingdom's industrial history into a personal and immersive journey. Rather than simply documenting the rise of the country's oil industry, the exhibition explores how it shaped cities, communities, and modern life. The Aramcorama exhibition at Ithra explores how the oil industry helped shape cities, communities and modern life in Saudi Arabia. (AN photo) It encourages visitors to reflect on how past events changed people's sense of identity. 'Aramcorama' tells the story through a rich selection of visuals. Geological maps, handwritten notes, internal messages, and photographs trace nearly a century of growth and change. • At 'Aramcorama' exhibition, Geological maps, handwritten notes, internal messages, and photographs trace nearly a century of growth and change. • Visitors can explore how Aramco's global outlook has influenced not only individual lives but also the nation's perspective. Visitors can explore a timeline highlighting each decade and framed by hanging prints and illuminated media displays. This setup creates an engaging environment that feels dynamic and full of discovery. The Aramcorama exhibition at Ithra explores how the oil industry helped shape cities, communities and modern life in Saudi Arabia. (AN photo) Abdullah Alshammasi, a longtime engineer at Aramco, spoke to Arab News about how the company influenced more than just the oil and gas industry and impacted generations of employees and locals. He said: 'The company certainly had lasting consequences on the earliest generations that worked in it. Aramco's history is the modern history of the communities that lived in the Eastern Province. Abdullah Alshammasi, Aramco engineer 'The fact is, since the company was established it needed a knowledgeable workforce, so a campaign of education was also established, and it steadily increased in depth from manual skills to softer, more intellectual skills.' The exhibition also showcases vintage safety posters that were originally used to display workplace rules. These posters show how design and language have changed over the years, highlighting the changes in style and communication. The Aramcorama exhibition at Ithra explores how the oil industry helped shape cities, communities and modern life in Saudi Arabia. (AN photo) This section of the exhibition captures the story's understated honesty, letting ordinary items like posters, letters, and tools tell the story of values, habits, and shifting responsibilities. As visitors explore the exhibition, they can see how the company's global outlook has influenced not only individual lives but also the nation's perspective. Alshammasi explained: 'Generations have now been everywhere around the globe, studying at the best institutions, bringing back with them a better sense of the world, widening their horizons and, therefore, our societies and culture.' 'Aramcorama' ultimately reflects how modern Saudi society was built; not just through buildings and oil fields, but also through education, progress, and mindset. Alshammasi said: 'It tells me that Aramco is as old as our modern lives.' This fact is especially evident in the Eastern Province, where the company's presence reshaped daily life, and Alshammasi added: 'Aramco's history is the modern history of the communities that lived in the Eastern Province. Their lives were directly affected by the company, for good and for ill.' The exhibition does not hide that tension, but invites reflection on both progress and its costs, what was gained and what may have been lost. 'Aramcorama' does not ask visitors to celebrate or criticize, but to notice, reflect, and form their own opinions. It respects the complexity of history and shows how innovation, labor, infrastructure, and community are all deeply connected.
