Gaining knowledge, building friendships

Twelve Saudi students visit an oil engineering platform in the Bohai Sea. When Jaghami Nawaf Hussain A, from Saudi Arabia, first stepped into the Tianjin Intelligent Manufacturing Base of the Offshore Oil Engineering Co, the 22-year-old was taken aback by how "intelligent" it really was. Nawaf got the chance to gain such insights through participating in the 2023 Summer Training Program for Saudi Students, jointly organized by the COOEC under the China National Offshore Oil Corp and Saudi Aramco, two leading oil companies in the two countries. Running from July 28 to Aug 23, the program invited 12 Saudi students in China to travel to Qingdao in Shandong province and then to Tianjin, offering them oil engineering technology training and an immersive cultural experience, such as kung fu lessons, calligraphy workshops and dumpling-making sessions. "The program not only provides professional and vocational education for the students — who all study engineering-related majors — but also helps foster stronger friendships and exchanges between the two countries," Guo said.