Remarks by Amin H. Nasser, President & CEO Young Leaders Advisory Board (YLAB) CEO Townhall, Ithra Theatre

Good afternoon. 

It is a pleasure to be here today.

I always enjoy having a discussion with the youngest generation of our Company.  

That said, prior to coming I was reminded of just how young all of you are. 

Someone pointed out that I had worked at Aramco for about eight years before the oldest among you was even born! 

Speaking of being young, I also remember being in the sixth or seventh grade and sneaking into Aramco with some friends just to watch a movie and eat a hamburger.

Fast forward several decades – and for me, getting into Aramco is no longer a challenge. 

Instead, my challenge is leaving the office on time to be with my family – and my two pet puppies!

Now, I was just 23 when I joined Saudi Aramco – which means I have more than four decades to draw from.

So given where you are in your career – and given where I have been in mine – my intention today is to share some learning from my own experience. 

Most of you have probably heard the expression: “You should live in the moment.”

To which I would add that you should also work in the moment. 

Let me explain what I mean by this... 

The tendency of some – particularly early in their career – is to focus far too much on reaching for the next step on the corporate ladder. 

I encourage you to take a more patient approach. 

This applies even when you find yourself in a role that does not seem to fit your preferred path. 

The reason is simple. 

The skills you gain in almost any role can be valuable later on. 

Let me give you an example from my own career.

Relatively early on with Aramco – I was sent to Midland, Texas, for a development assignment. 

Most of my time there was spent working on declining oil fields. 

To be honest, I did not see the relevance at first.

After all, the mature fields there were the opposite of what we had – and still have – here in Saudi Arabia.

When I got back to Aramco, I asked my supervisor – a gentleman named Roger Busby – why I was sent on this particular assignment. 

Roger told me he wanted me to see first-hand the importance of looking at the long-term.

And he added: “If you ever become Aramco’s chief petroleum engineer one day, this is the kind of thing you need to understand.” 

To tell you the truth, at that time, I did not understand what he meant by that.

But many years later, I did become Aramco’s Chief Petroleum Engineer.

And Roger was right. 

For me, that time in Texas proved very valuable. 

By the way, remaining resilient is a key part of working in the moment.

Learn from the good and the not so good – and move forward.  

Also, as you progress, continue to always be open to learning from everyone around you – including from people below you and those with much less experience. 

After all, knowledge does not come with grade codes alone.

As you grow in your career, also take pride in what you do.

During my time as the CEO of Aramco, I have attended more conferences and forums than I can remember.

Along the way I also have witnessed the oil and gas industry being openly criticized, protested against and called all sorts of names. 

Indeed, there has been tremendous pressure on companies in the energy space to ditch oil and gas and invest only in renewables. 

At Aramco, however, we have remained true to our belief that oil and gas are vital and essential. 

This is not to say we do not believe in sustainability. 

We do.

But our approach has always been balanced and rational. 

And we have advocated for years about the dangerous consequences of taking the narrow energy transition road. 

Today, more and more people are coming to realize this reality. 

Oil and gas cannot be simply cast aside.

The other reality is that no other industry has contributed as much to human progress – including modern-day essential activities like trade and transportation.

So be proud of what you do at Aramco and what Aramco is doing. 

Aramco has always been far more than just an oil producer.

Indeed, if you take time to read our history books you will see a rich selection of stories...

From what our predecessors did to help eradicate malaria and trachoma...

To the key role Aramco played in supporting the development of  the Saudi economy...

To the critical infrastructure our Company built, including public schools. 

And I am sure some of you have studied in some of these schools.   

I myself went to a university established with the support of Aramco. 

And I followed in my father’s footsteps by coming to work at Aramco. 

My father spent 42 years at the Company and took great pride in working here. 

Today, I am equally proud of what Aramco is doing as we rapidly approach a century in business. 

I am also immensely proud of what Saudi Arabia is doing. 

The transformation under Vision 2030 has been remarkable. 

And I look forward to the rest of the world seeing this firsthand when we host Expo 2030 and then the FIFA World Cup four years later.  

All of which brings me to my final point of learning to share with you – realize your responsibility.

Recently, I was asked in an interview what I would say to the young person who is now working at Aramco and who someday will be the Company’s CEO. 

While it is impossible to know exactly who will be an Aramco CEO in the future, it is quite possible that this person is here in this room today.

So let me summarize my answer to this question in that interview...

Namely, that as CEO you will need to have not only a passion for the job, but also a sense of purpose.

This actually applies to everyone here today – and not just to whoever among you might be the future CEO of our great Company.

Consider Aramco’s 2050 net-zero ambition.

Simple mathematics would show that it will be one of you from your generation – that ultimately turns this ambition into an achievement. 

Of course, you will face this and many other challenges in the years and the decades ahead. 

We already live and do business in a world with significant geopolitical turbulence and economic headwinds and a breakdown in globalization.

Going forward, you might also think that your generation will face more volatility and uncertainty than any previous generation at Aramco. 

And you may. 

But remember you also have access to more information, more tools and more technologies than ever before. 

Indeed, Artificial Intelligence and all the benefits it brings will enable you and our Company to be more agile. 

AI is truly transformative. 

And it seems almost limitless in terms of possibilities and in terms of potential.

AI is also developing and evolving at a pace that I have never witnessed with any other advancement during my career.

Plus, you should never forget that you will also be carrying forward the legacy of a company that has faced, and overcome, many challenges in its more than 90-year history.

A company that is increasingly diversified, including in areas like new energies and minerals as well as AI and digital technologies. 

In other words, you will be inheriting a company that is well-positioned to remain highly competitive in a challenging and changing and increasingly complex business environment. 

To conclude, I want to point out that the learnings I have shared with you today have one thing in common. 

They all involve you – taking the time – to see – the bigger picture.

Working in the moment means recognizing your career is not going to go in a straight line and experiences along the way will also prove valuable.

Taking pride in what you do means appreciating what Aramco does truly matters.

Realizing your responsibility means understanding you are not only delivering results today, but also building something better for tomorrow.

Of course, what I have said today is just what I have learned from my experience. 

And in the interests of disclosure, some of the same learning I have shared with my children.

With that, I thank you for your attention – and I look forward to our discussion as well as your contributions to Aramco for many years to come. 

Media contact information

All media enquiries are handled by Aramco's Media & Executive Communications Department, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia.

For media inquiries, please email us at media.inquiries@aramco.com