Saudi PMV show

It is the biggest show in our calendar, and it will act as a barometer for the industry. Here is a little about just some of the firms at the Saudi PMV Show.

The time is on us for our most significant event of the year - and one in which all the world will have its eyes on. As construction sites grind to a halt all around the world, Saudi Arabia remains reasonably strong - but it's ups and downs can be seen as a barometer for the rest of the GCC states, as its fortunes are closely mirrored by the rest of the Gulf.

Apart from this, a huge number of commercial and infrastructure projects in the region mean that even in these tough times there is still a demand for machines, and a thirst to know how to operate them safely. Here follows a bit about out host, and a few of the companies that are supporting the event.

Saudi Aramco

Saudi Aramco is the state-owned national oil company of Saudi Arabia. It is the largest oil corporation in the world with the largest proven crude oil reserves and production. Headquartered in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, Saudi Aramco also operates the world's largest single hydrocarbon network, the Master Gas System. It was known as just Aramco between the years of 1933-1988, an acronym for Arabian American Oil Company.

As of the end of 2006, its yearly production of only crude oil neared 3.4 billion barrels (540,000,000 m³) and it managed over 100 oil and gas fields in Saudi Arabia totaling at least 264 billion barrels of oil reserves and massive gas reserves.

Among those fields fully owned by the company is the Ghawar field, the world's largest oil field; the Safaniya Field, the world's largest offshore field. Despite the recent slump in crude prices, Saudi Aramco is still thought to be the world's most profitable company.

Saudi Aramco dates back to 1933 when the Government of Saudi Arabia signed a concessionary agreement with Standard Oil, California (Socal) allowing them to explore Saudi Arabia for oil. Socal passed this concession to a subsidiary called California-Arabian Standard Oil (Casoc). In 1936 with the company having no success at locating oil, the firm that became Texaco purchased a 50% stake of the concession.

After a long search for oil that lasted around four years without success, the first success came with the seventh drill site in Dammam, in a well referred to as Dammam number 7. The discovery of this well, which immediately produced over 1,500 barrels per day (240 m³/d), gave the company the confidence to continue and flourish. The company name was changed in 1944 from California-Arabian Standard Oil Company to Arabian American Oil Company (or Aramco).

In 1950, Aramco agreed to share its profits on oil sales 50/50 with Saudi Arabia's government. In 1973 the Saudi Arabian government acquired a 25% share of Aramco, increased this to 60% by 1974 and finally acquired full control of Aramco by 1980. In November 1988 the company changed its name from Arabian American Oil Company to Saudi Arabian Oil Company (or Saudi Aramco).

From its headquarters in Dharan, on the eastern shores of the Arabian Peninsula, Saudi Aramco manages virtually all of the kingdom's enormous hydrocarbon enterprise. Saudi Aramco is engaged in the management of onshore and offshore oil fields, petrochemical research and development and operates its own fleet of oil tankers.

The firm is responsible for 99 percent of the Kingdom's proven crude oil reserves of 259 billion barrels (41.2 1010m³) -- about a quarter of the world's total conventional oil reserves.

That is more than double the total of Iraq, the country with the world's second largest conventional oil reserves, and nearly 12 times the reserves of the United States. Recent output is more than twice the output of the next highest producer and nearly five times greater than the largest U.S. oil company.

Russia as a whole produces almost 9 million barrels (1,400,000 m³) of oil per day, however, several different companies pump oil there, while Saudi Aramco is responsible for 99% of Saudi Arabia's oil.

The company is also a leader in both the production and export of natural gas liquids (NGL), and a major producer of refined products. A programme is currently under way to expand gas production to meet demand for gas at home to power the Kingdom's domestic economic growth.

ALE Al-Suwadi

Abnormal Load Engineering Limited (ALE) was formed in 1983 to provide an engineering service to manufacturers of electrical plant and utility companies associated with the movement and installation of large items of generating plant.

Subsequently the company has developed into one of the world's major international heavy transport and installation contractors working for all industrial sectors with an extensive fleet of modern heavy cranes, specialist transport and installation equipment. Coupled with Al Suwaidi, it has created the SK.90, a vast 4300Te twin-lift crane, whose recent exploits in the kingdom are detailed elsewhere in the issue.

Zahid Tractor Caterpillar

As mentioned in this month's editorial comment, Caterpillar are a ‘bellwether' company, in that it leads the industry, with its fate and fortunes acting as a barometer for the rest of the industry. Cat and its regional dealers do not attend every trade show, so we are honored to welcome them to our event this year.

Caterpillar offer machinery for every equipment sector and multiple Cat machines can be seen on every site throughout the Kingdom.

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