Human capital development

Sustainable business operations

Turning great aspirations into reality requires great capabilities. We emphasize continuous development and skill building to drive performance through a wealth of courses, training centers, internships, and mentorship programs.

From our newest recruits to our experienced professionals and senior leadership, we offer capacity building programs tailored to help them meet the growing responsibilities linked to our evolving business.

Upstream Professional Development Center

Meeting the energy challenges of tomorrow requires investing in our people today. Our Upstream Professional Development Center (UPDC) is designed to accelerated skill building and knowledge transfer to our young men and women entering the exploration and petroleum engineering fields. Through its broad suite of interactive programs, UPDC compresses the time required for new engineers and geoscientists to contribute in their jobs, while capturing the knowledge and experience of more senior professionals.

Its facilities include cutting-edge 4-D imaging environments that virtually immerse students inside oil and gas reservoirs deep underground, realistic drilling simulators, and computerized core sample analysis tools. Combining interactive classroom instruction with practical problem solving, the Center’s instructors prepare young employees for future challenges and keep senior employees current with the latest advances in their field, underscoring our commitment to managing the Kingdom’s hydrocarbon resources for the benefit of generations to come.


In 2017, 5,700 participants attended more than 350 Upstream Professional Development Center training sessions.

Industrial Sponsorship Program

In addition to supporting our incumbent workforce, we prepare new generations to be “job ready.” Our Industrial Sponsorship Program prepares Saudi high school graduates and vocational college students for jobs in administration, operations, security, fabrication, and maintenance. In 2017, more than 3,200 apprentices graduated from the program and joined the workforce. 

College Degree Programs

To ensure we maintain a steady stream of entry-level Saudi professionals, we offer the College Degree Program for Non-Employees (CDPNE), a highly selective scholarship program for male and female Saudi high school graduates. Participants who successfully complete the 10-month College Preparatory Program in Dhahran are sponsored to study for a bachelor's degree at KFUPM or at an international university in a discipline aligned with our strategic needs.

In 2017, 308 CDPNE graduates joined the workforce. Overall, nearly 2,500 company sponsored students were enrolled at colleges and universities in North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia in 2017. These program graduates, and employees returning from internships with global companies, bring with them new ideas and a broader understanding of international business, benefiting our company and the Kingdom. 

Hosted University Program

Our Hosted University Program expands advanced degree opportunities for our employees. This cost-effective approach brings the knowledge and expertise of leading global universities and institutions to the Kingdom to deliver customized, business centered academic degrees. Since the program's inception in 2009, more than 10 international universities have participated and more than 400 employees have earned degrees.

Leadership Series

To maximize the value from Saudi Aramco's move into new businesses and new geographies, our next generation needs a new set of leadership skills. Our Leadership Series imparts these skills through programs that address critical challenges at each level of responsibility, ensuring that core leadership skills are developed early and are enhanced at each successive level.