ALKHOBAR, 1 January 2006 — Saudi Arabia’s International Chemical Sciences (SAICS) — a chapter of the American Chemical Society - met for its Annual meeting in Alkhobar recently.
Addressing a gathering of around 100 delegates, mostly experts in chemistry from Aramco, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM) and the local industry, Abdullah Al-Dhuwaihi, the chairman of the outgoing team, highlighted the major achievements of the society during the year.
Talking to Arab News, Al-Dhuwaihi said, “Apart from the many technical seminars presented during the year, the high point came when the society was able to reach out to Saudi students. We felt that it was important that if we want to do anything for them, it is best to “catch ‘em young”, at a stage when decisions regarding careers are still being made. It was indeed very satisfying when we saw the reaction of the students. We not only educated them on the various aspects of chemistry, but also showed them the application of the subject. We took them to the Aramco laboratory for an on-the-job feel. Chemistry is a fast growing field that has great applications, more so for us in the Eastern Province due to the refineries.” It may be noted that perhaps this is one of the very few chapters that tries to reach out to such a wide spectrum - the students on one side and members of profession on the other. Nahid Siddiqui of KFUPM will be the new chairman for the year 2006. “We will not only carry forward the good work done by Abdullah and his team, but we will also try to expand our horizon a bit. We hope to make substantial contribution to the industry by soliciting presentations which have a direct impact on an industry, for example, the construction industry”, said Siddiqui.
The society currently has over 200 registered members and they offer a technical presentation at least once a month.