SAUDI Arabia is keen to become a leading exporter of technological solutions and a valued contributor to the global pool of knowledge and innovation, said Saudi Aramco president and CEO Khalid Al Falih.

The opening of Halliburton’s new Unconventional and Reservoir Productivity Technology Centre in Dhahran represents a significant milestone along that path, he said.

“I am confident that the centre’s work will help us to achieve our own technology agenda,” he said at the inauguration. The new centre at King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM) in Dhahran Techno-Valley enables Halliburton to provide state-of-the-art research and development solutions for conventional and unconventional reservoirs addressing challenges both in the kingdom and regionally.

The centre provides a base to develop strong relationships with local universities such as KFUPM to develop technology which is expected to lead to employment and training opportunities for Saudi technicians and university graduates. The Halliburton Dhahran Unconventional and Reservoir Productivity Technology Centre will support the development of unconventional reservoir productivity practices in the kingdom.

Collaboration between Saudi Aramco and Halliburton scientists, the engagement of KFUPM researchers and the addition of Halliburton’s diverse unconventional expertise will allow solutions to be developed locally and quickly implemented in the kingdom’s fields.

Halliburton’s long history in the kingdom and the establishment of this multi-million dollar technology centre demonstrates Halliburton’s continued commitment to investment in the kingdom and to the delivery of the latest technology and expertise.

The centre is expected to provide technology and solutions to existing and future partners in the region and around the globe, contributing to the development of local workforces and national economies. Halliburton provides a wide range of products and services to Saudi Aramco and currently employs more than 3,000 people in the kingdom. In his opening remarks, Khaled S Al Sultan, rector, King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals (KFUPM) , said the centre will focus on developing solutions in the field of unconventional oil and gas business addressing the kingdom’s needs.

He said Dhahran Techno-Valley can now stake claim to be the world’s largest cluster of oil and gas companies under one roof. He thanked Tim Probert, president, strategy and corporate development of Halliburton, for his company’s strong commitment toward the kingdom and welcomed Halliburton to the DTV Science Park community. “I am proud to say that we have been successful in attracting four largest oil and gas upstream companies to establish their research centres in the valley.

With the inauguration, Halliburton becomes the eighth operational company in the valley with four centres under construction,” the rector said. “I am happy to report that we are moving one step ahead in bridging the gap between industry and academia to allow the transformation of innovative ideas into new useful technologies,” he said.

The Dhahran Techno-Valley Company is the commercial arm of KFUPM and will move in this direction through technology commercialization. DTVC is wholly owned by KFUPM and supported by Saudi Aramco. The role of DTV Company is to carry forward the objectives of Dhahran Techno-Valley ecosystem and explore opportunities to maximise commercial gains through technology development investments.

DTV Company is responsible for the Science Park management, attraction of new companies for the growth of the Science Park and also has the mandate to investment.