The 2007–2008 term for the SPE Saudi Arabian Section was nothing but outstanding. The same goes for the local Young Professionals and Student Outreach subsection (YPSO). The YPSO won the Program Excellence Award during the SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition (ATCE) in Denver. The award was accepted on behalf of the committee by YPSO Vice Chairperson AbdulLatif Al-Omair. Moreover, last year’s YPSO Vice Chairperson HusamAdDeen S. Madani and Karam Sami Al-Yateem received Young Member Outstanding Service Awards. This marks a huge leap for the local YP section in proving an international presence in the global SPE map.
Also at the ATCE, a workshop was conducted to discuss the career needs of young professionals (YPs). YPs were split into work groups and created a development plan based on a predetermined data set. The session concluded with the work groups defending their plans in front of a mock board of directors. After the workshop, a special roundtable discussion featuring several YP leaders took place to discuss two important issues of concern for YP committees: membership and sustainability.
In addition to these activities, the YPSO coordinated a blood donation drive in response to an urgent call for blood donation from the Saudi Aramco Medical Service in September. Several YPs volunteered and participated.
For more information about the SPE Saudi Arabian Section and its activities, please visit our website at www.speksa.org.
—Rabea Ahyed, Saudi Aramco