Mohammed I. Al-Sowayigh, center, is recognized at a recent ceremony in Dhahran by Nasr K. Al-Naimi, acting head of the Upstream business line, and Khaled A. Al Buraik, vice president of Southern Area Oil Operations. Al-Sowayigh is leaving Aramco after 36 years of service. (Photo: Abdulaziz Al- Moaiweed/MPD)
Dhahran — After 36 years, Mohammed I. Al-Sowayigh has stepped down from Aramco.
He along with his team excelled in meeting challenges, helping lead the restoration of Khurais in 2019, and responding to the company’s call for Khurais to reach maximum sustained capacity levels, despite structural challenges and lockdown restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Graduating from King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals in 1984 with a bachelor’s degree in petroleum engineering, he began his professional career with Aramco the same year with ‘Udhailiyah Production Engineering.
Through the years, he had assignments in the Southern Area and in the U.S., returning to ‘Udhailiyah from Abqaiq (with the reopening of ‘Udhailiyah) in 1990 to work over the next decade with the Southern Area Production Engineering Department (SAPED). This included stints as an acting supervisor beginning in 1994, launching his management career, which included roles in ‘Udhailiyah, ‘Uthmaniyah, and Ghawar.
In March 2006, he was named manager of SAPED. From July 2010 to January 2013, he worked as manager of the Sea Water Injection Department before taking the reins of the Khurais Producing Department, which he helped lead to a number of prestigious awards in the company and around the world.
A strong voice in the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE), he often delivered major keynote speeches and was the recipient of the SPE Middle East Regional Award in 2009. He was recognized by the Saudi Council of Engineers in 2016.
— The Arabian Sun: January 6, 2021 | Vol. LXXVI, No. 1