LONDON, 20 March 2007 — Nabilah Tunisi, acting manager for projects, control and support, at Saudi Aramco, is in many respects the pacesetter for the young Saudi woman of tomorrow.
“Through the experience of old timers like me,” she jests, “they are recognizing that there are opportunities and want to realize their potential. Whatever the stereotyping, it is exciting that the younger generation are interested in achieving financial independence through education by becoming a doctor, teacher or engineer, and not just by marrying a wealthy man.”
Tunisi comes from a group of Saudi families who educated their women, many of them overseas. She has a Bachelors in science and Masters in electrical engineering and computer engineering from American universities. During her two decades at Saudi Aramco, she has developed state-of-the-art software, hardware and computer systems related to project management in the oil industry.
In any “normal” country she could have aspired to, and become, a cabinet minister. “You may say that maybe I have not been recognized or my capabilities are not as widely known as those of the women ministers appointed in other Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. From that angle you may be right. But at Saudi Aramco I am lucky because I have a lot more to do, to learn, to contribute and to participate in. In any case, I don’t think that the lot of women in the GCC as a whole is that good either. Even in the wider Arab world, there is still a strong undercurrent of conservatism,” she contends. Saudi Aramco employs some 60,000 people, of which some 10 to 15 percent are Saudi women in a variety of jobs. It also sub-contracts extensively, thus local women also work as contract employees. The aim is to increase Saudization as much as possible.
“In the past, our secretaries used to be British, Filipino or Indian. In the last few years they have also been Saudi men and women. Saudi women now want to be more independent with a second income,” says Tunisi.
At Saudi Aramco, she is responsible for developing the budget for Saudi Aramco’s capital investment program. “The current one is $50 billion,” she confirms. “This is all new capital investment for projects in the Kingdom that have been approved by Aramco’s board. We are responsible for the whole range of project management services.” The total Aramco expenditures for 2006-2010 amount to $137 billion.
The priority for the company over the next few years is its $20 billion “Crude Oil Expansion” program. “The biggest investment,” she stresses “has been in crude increments. We have an ongoing program which is being executed over the next 3 to 4 years. The company is committed to this program, which when completed will increase our total production at Shaybah II, Manifa, Khurais and Qateef by 2.95 million bpd.” This could boost the Kingdom’s total oil production to a staggering 15 million bpd.
Tunisi contends that she is encouraged by the changes for the empowerment and the recognition of women. “Women entering a man’s world is very challenging and daunting anywhere. I am very encouraged that finally we see light down the tunnel. The Kingdom and GCC have a lot of talented women whose families sent them abroad for education. Women’s education has been there for many years. The challenge here is how to get these women in to the business market while maintaining the Islamic environment. Finally the government is trying to help facilitate this for the benefit of the Saudi and GCC economies.” But isn’t it a case of one step forward and two steps backwards for the reform process in the Kingdom? Saudi Arabian Airlines, for instance, has recently rejected employing Saudi women as air stewardesses and as ground staff at the main airports.
