kpc news 89 - Kuwait Petroleum Corporation

Dialogue
with the CEO
KPC has always believed that investment in people is the most
important investment; this view grew from Kuwait’s national policy of
providing Kuwaiti citizens with the necessary care in all fields.
Therefore, KPC spares no effort in introducing new strategies and
programs, in addition to holding seminars and lectures that aim to
promote employees’ abilities and improve their skills in various fields,
especially in health and safety.
Believing in its vital role in this regard, KPC has taken several steps
to ensure its staff members’ health and safety. KPC also encourages
them to undergo regular medical examinations. It has also held contests
and awareness programs which aim at spreading a new culture in the
health field.
Among these contests is ‘The Health Challenge,’ which is considered
a means of challenging staff to adopt a new healthy lifestyle. It also
makes them avoid negative and unhealthy dietary habits.
It is also a way of encouraging them to take up sports, which helps
reduce the incidence of cardiac diseases, cancer, high blood pressure,
diabetes and other diseases.
For this target, the HSE Award and Recognition Committee has
provided free subscriptions to various health clubs for KPC personnel.
It is worth mentioning that the HSE Award and Recognition
Committee, in cooperation with the Ahmadi Hospital’s Diabetic
Association, recently organized an important event in the Oil Sector
Hall to increase the awareness of KPC personnel about diabetes and
ways of avoiding it. The event included a number of awareness lectures
on the subject. Around sixteen specialist medical companies and
manufacturers and retailers of medicine and diabetic medical appliances
took part in the event.
These awareness programs prepared by KPC reflect the eagerness
of the senior management’s eagerness to utilize its abilities to maintain
the health of its personnel who shoulder almost the same responsibility
for KPC’s wellbeing.
Saad Ali Al-Shuwaib
Chief Executive Officer
In This
Issue..
Sheikh Ahmad Al-Abdullah
sponsors the 2nd Exhibition
for Child's Health
5
HH the Amir signs a common
cooperation accord with China
2
Events
2
In This Issue
12
Miscellaneous
14
KPC Society
16
Equate's initiative for
the health of the society
9
KPC News Team:
Media Relations Dept.
Fax: 24994991
Email: media@kpc.com.kw
The visit included signing
of cooperation accord in
gas and oil fields
HH the
Amir pays
a historical
visit to
China
Among the efforts being exerted
to reinforce mutual cooperation in
the areas of oil and gas, His Highness
the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad AlJaber Al-Sabah paid a two-day- visit
to China, where he was received by
HH the president of China Hu Jintao.
HH the Amir led the Kuwaiti delegation, while HH the president of China
headed his country’s delegation.
During the discussions held in the
Kabhi or ‘Big Hall’ in the nation’s
capital Beijing, five mutual accords
between Kuwait and China were
signed, including a memorandum for
establishing the main infrastructure
for highways and waterways, exchanging the documents of the mutual cooperation pact in oil and gas
field, an accord of cooperation in the
Higher Education field, an executive
program for cooperation in the area
of sports in 2009/2010 and a pact on
providing a loan to protect and develop the basin of the Boston Lake’s
tributaries.
HH the Amir and HH the president
of China also discussed means of
reinforcing the areas of common
cooperation and bilateral relations,
in addition to conferring on the creation of a strategic partnership in all
fields, especially the economic and
oil domains, and increasing levels of
commercial exchange and mutual
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investment, as well as strengthening
the existing cooperation between the
two countries.
The two sides stressed the deeprooted mutual relations between the
two countries which dates back more
than fifty years, during which mutual
support has been exchanged in favor of causes in which the two sides
share a mutual interest.
They also highlighted the future of
bilateral relations, focusing on Kuwait’s positive previous experiences
with China since there are no political problems between the two countries, in addition to the existence of
a mutual understanding on territorial
and international cases, as well as
Kuwait’s desire to establish a growing and distinguished relationship
with China.
Support and Cooperation
Moreover, the two bodies emphasized the cases of common interest
such as the Palestinian cause, issues in
the Middle East and political stability
in the region, the continuous support
of China for Kuwait to accomplish
the remaining obligations imposed
on Iraq according to the decision of
the UN Security Council, in addition
to Kuwait’s continuous support to
China for its cases in the international
fields whether in the United Nations
UN or its specialist agencies.
HH the Amir and HH the president of
China highlighted the Kuwaiti investment in various Chinese sectors such
as energy, the establishment of an oil
refinery, Kuwait Investment Authority (KIA), which has invested in the
Industrial and Commercial Bank of
China (ICBC), which is one of the biggest banks worldwide in terms of its
market value, in addition to discussing the participation of the KIA in a
number of private and real estate investments in Asian countries, including China. Furthermore, HH the Amir
underlined the social development in
Kuwait, which has achieved a great
advance in the Kuwaiti economy as
it has enabled the establishment of
appropriate laws for accomplishing
further progress, such as modifying
the tax legislation. This will encourage foreign investors to participate in
projects inside the country, in addition
to opening an ICBC branch in Kuwait
to establish an integrated strategy to
define the government priorities in
the educational, health, statistical,
commercial and investment sectors,
in a step aimed at creating integrated
legislations to achieve transparency
and control corruption.
The economic crisis
Commenting on the international
financial crisis, the two sides talked
about the impact of the crisis on the
Kuwaiti economy due to the fall in oil
prices.
HH the Amir also talked about the
measures implemented by Kuwait to
deal with the crisis in the form of the
financial stimulus bill, as well as the
creation of a rescue committee headed by the governor of the Central
Bank, including economists among
its members to deal with the crisis’
effects, in a step aimed at increasing
the levels of economic activity in various fields of the national economy.
HH the Amir added that Kuwait had
also coordinated with other GCC
states to mitigate the effects of the
crisis, as well as taking part in international forums aimed at minimizing
the negative consequences of the financial downturn.
It is worth mentioning that the Kuwaiti private sector recently began to
invest in various fields in the Chinese
market. In addition, a Kuwaiti consulate was recently inaugurated in Guanzhou City, with another scheduled to
be opened shortly in Shanghai, as
well as an office for investment and
another one for Kuwait Petroleum
Corporation KPC opening in Beijing.
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Oil Minister Sheikh Al-Abdullah visits KPC’s Beijing office
HE Sheikh Ahmad Al-Abdullah AlAhmad Al-Sabah, Minister of Oil,
Chairman of KPC Board of Directors
visited KPC’s office in the Chinese
capital Beijing during his recent of-
ficial visit to China. This visit coincided with the fifth anniversary of the
office’s inauguration.
To mark the occasion, the office held
a formal reception for Sheikh Ahmad
Al-Abdullah, which was attended by
a large number of diplomats, KPC
main agents in China and representatives of other international oil
companies, in addition to the official
delegation escorting the minister.
In his keynote speech, Sheikh Ahmad Al-Abdullah declared that
China is one of KPC’s principal markets, saying that the distinguished
economic and commercial relations
between the two countries have led
to a strategic partnership in the area
of oil field.
He also revealed that KPC ‘s plans to
establish a refinery and petrochemicals complex in the country’s Guangdong province will help to increase
Kuwait’s exports to China to a half
million barrels per day.
Voicing hope that the refinery would
help to cope with China’s future
oil and oil derivative requirements,
Sheikh Ahmad Al-Abdullah revealed
that the refinery will produce around
300,000 barrels a day and it has
been designed specifically to deal
with Kuwaiti oil.
... and receives the Ukrainian Economy Minister
HE Sheikh Ahmad Al-Abdullah the minister of Oil,
Chairman of KPC board of directors received on
Sunday morning May 24, 2009 the Ukrainian minister of economy Mr. Boghdan Danelich and his delegation in his office at the oil sector.
During the meeting, Sheikh Ahmad Al-Abdullah
discussed with the Ukrainian minister the positions
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of oil market and the international economic crisis
and its impacts on oil markets, besides issues of
mutual interest.
Moreover, the two officials focused during their
speech on the ways of reinforcing the common cooperation between Kuwait and Ukraine specifically
in oil and gas fields.
Under the slogan of ‘Our Children are Healthy and Smart’
Sheikh Ahmad Abdullah sponsors 2nd Children’s Health Exhibition
HE Sheikh Ahmad Al-Abdullah the
minister of Oil, Chairman of KPC
board of directors inaugurated the
International Clinic’s Second Children’s Health Exhibition on Thursday
May 21 at the Marina Hotel’s Salwa
Hall.
The event, held under the slogan,
‘Our Children are Healthy and Smart,’
attracted a large number of health
professionals and leading figures.
In her opening speech, Dr. Reem
Qanwati, the International Clinic’s
paediatric advisor, welcomed Sheikh
Ahmad Al-Abdullah, who also sponsored the event, as well as welcoming
new MP Dr. Maasouma Al-Mubarak.
Dr. Qanwati emphasized the importance of the exhibition and the
steps that should be followed to
keep children healthy.
For his part, Dr. Maithem Haider, the
chairman of the executive committee of the United Group for Medical
Services, thanked the oil minister
for sponsoring the exhibition for the
second year running, as well as congratulating Dr. Al-Mubarak on winning a National Assembly seat in the
recent parliamentary elections.
In his inaugural speech, Sheikh
Ahmad Al-Abdullah first congratulated Dr. Al-Mubarak on her overwhelming victory in the recent parliamentary elections, indicating that
she had previously made history as
the first female minister in Kuwait
and adding that she is now making it again as the first female MP
in Kuwait’s National Assembly,
in addition, he said, she is the
first candidate in the country
to have received 21% of the
constituents’ votes since the
introduction of the democratic system of government.
The minister then thanked all the
officials concerned with organizing the exhibition, warning against
some negative health phenomena
which have become widespread
in Kuwaiti society, including high
blood pressure, cardiac diseases and
diabetes.
Furthermore, he stressed the importance of the role of the family in
educating children on health issues
through following healthy diets and
avoiding unhealthy food.
In the end of his speech, Al-Abdullah praised the distinguished health
services provided by Ahmadi Hospital affiliated to KOC and also the
future plans allotted to develop it
during the coming phase to make
it one of the leading international
hospitals in the region.
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Al-Shuwaib receives Chinese delegation
Mr. Saad Al-Shuwaib, KPC’s CEO,
on April 1st, 2009 received at his
office a Chinese delegation which
was taking part in a forum being
held in Kuwait for national and international oil companies.
During the meeting, the two sides
discussed several mutually important issues.
Following a tour of the oil sector
complex, the Chinese delegation
expressed its admiration of the
complex’s beautiful architectural
features and hailed the technological systems in use there, which are
considered among the most advanced worldwide.
At the end of the tour, the Chinese
delegation thanked CEO Al-Shuwaib and his accompanying delegation for their generous reception.
... and meets with KPC internal central auditing
system staff and subsidiary companies’ personnel
As part of the senior administration’s efforts to support the oil
sector’s internal auditing system,
Mr. Saad Al-Shuwaib, KPC’s CEO,
recently met with staff members
from the auditing team and personnel from subsdiary companies. Also attending the meeting
was Mr. Tariq Al-Roumi, KPC’s
DMD of Internal Audit.
In his keynote speech at the
beginning of the meeting, Mr.
Al-Roumi welcomed the CEO
and the Internal Audit staff
members from the subsidiary
companies. He went on to explain the achievements that the
introduction of the central system had accomplished, hailing
the employees’ efforts and their
vital role in achieving these successes.
On his part, CEO Mr. Al-Shuwaib
expressed his appreciation of
the Internal Audit's central system achievements and explained
that this meeting with the system staff members was held in
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order to thank them for the tangible positive results that the sector
and its affiliated companies had
managed to achieve.
Furthermore, he thanked the staff
members for their positive cooperation and coordination with the
other departments in recognizing
the obstacles the system faces and
how to surmount them, in addition to defining the requirements
to help the system complete its
tasks in a professional manner.
Financial and Administrative Affairs sector
organizes 4th Human Resources meeting
In the presence of the heads of the company’s Human
Resources departments and the concerned oil sector
officials, the Financial and Administrative Affairs sector
organized the fourth meeting for Oil sector manpower
on Thursday March 26, 2009 at the complex’s auditorium. The event aimed to recognize the experiences
of the other oil companies in this field, in addition to
facilitating discussion of new developments that promote and improve the efficiency of KPC personnel.
The meeting included three lectures entitled:
• Assessment of personnel performance.
• Staff retention policy.
• A study about vocational satisfaction in the oil sector.
Mr. Yacoub Al-Kandari, the Equate Company’s Personnel Affairs manager, gave the first lecture in which he
highlighted the system of performance assessment and
the need to connect this to the strategic objectives of
KPC and KOC, then to link it to the Financial and Administrative Affairs department.
The second lecture, entitled ‘Staff Retention Policy’ was
delivered by Ms. Hanan Ashkenani, the chairperson of
KOC’s compensation analysts department, who gave
an elaborate explanation of the goals of the company’s
staff retention policy.
In addition, she stressed the importance of changing
the current view of the Human Resources department
as an executive authority into a work partner to achieve
the strategic objectives of KPC and KOC.
The third lecture, an examination of vocational satisfaction within the oil sector, was delivered by a Hewitt
Company representative, who presented a detailed
study about vocational satisfaction and its positive results.
On the occasion of Labor Day
Kuwait Trade Union Federation (KTUF) honors KPC
Due to its important and vital role in serving the
union’s cause and that of wider society, in addition
to providing vacancies for Kuwaiti citizens, the KTUF
recently honored KPC, KOTC and a number of other
state and private bodies.
At the beginning of the celebration event held on
Monday May 4th, 2009 at the KTUF’s auditorium,
KTUF chairman Mr. Khalid Motlaq Al-Azmi welcomed representatives of Kuwait’s diplomatic corps
and various civil societies and groups. Al-Azmi
thanked KPC and KOTC for their substantial role
and efforts to recruit young, unemployed Kuwaitis,
adding that May 1st is a cherished occasion for us
and a symbol for solidarity and sacrifice in order to
achieve justice for Kuwait’s workers and workers
around the world. It is also an occasion for honoring
the victims who sacrificed their lives in favor of the
workers’ cause and the union movement all over
the world, added Al-Azmi.
For his part, Mr. Thabit Ibrahim Al-Haroun, the International Labor Organization (ILO) representative
in Kuwait, stressed the necessity of issuing new labor laws which would, respect workers’ rights and
union freedoms.
He also stressed the importance of issuing a law banning trafficking in human beings, in addition to providing an alternative to the sponsorship system so as
to protect expatriate workers’ rights and abolish any
kind of discrimination between men and women.
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Under the auspices of Mr. Saad Al-Shuwaib
Diabetic Association for Oil Sector DAOS
held a medical medicines and equipment
exhibition for KPC diabetic patients
Under the patronage of KPC Chairman Executive Office CEO Mr. Saad
Al-Shuwaib and in the presence of
DMD of Governmental, Parliamentary, Public and Media Relations
Sheikh Faisal Al-Jaber Al-Sabah,
Media Relations Department manager Mr. Ali Mourad and officials,
the Diabetic Association at Ahmadi
Hospital held a medical medicines
and equipment exhibition for diabetic patients at KPC Hall on May
21, 2009.
Mr. Al-Shuwaib inaugurated the exhibition which witnessed a remarkable participation from oil sector
personnel who were interested in
the incident.
It is mentioned that sixteen specialized companies in medicine and
diabetic equipment took part in the
exhibition.
During his tour in the exhibition,
Al-Shuwaib listened to an elaborate explanation from DAOS Chairperson Dr. Zainab Al-Salameen on
how the medical appliances, tools
and medicine with latest technologies are used in treating diabetes.
After that, Al-Shuwaib was submitted to Eye Examination through appliances with latest functions used
for earlier diagnosis of diabetic disease.
After finishing Al-Shuwaib tour in
the exhibition, a number of lectures
were held on the sideline of the exhibition by DAOS members as Dr.
Zainab Al-Salameen gave a lecture
entitled ‘’A preface on diabetes’’
through which she shed light on
the disease, reasons that lead to the
disease, its symptoms, the diagnosis
and the repercussions, in addition
to the way of providing first aid to
those who face any diabetic fits.
During the second lecture given by
one of DAOS members named Dr.
Abdulredha Dashti, the attendants
listened to an explanation about
the medicines used in diabetes,
how to use the various medicines
and appliances in this regard. He
also underlined facts and figures
about the diabetic foot as he indicated that around 25-30% of diabetic patients may be infected with
“diabetic foot”.
For her part, the scientific coordinator of DAOS, the advisor of mouth
and gingival treatment Dr. Amani
Haikal gave a lecture about the
various types of diabetes and its
relation to pyorrhea and teeth. She
also clarified the marks and mouth
symptoms which appear as repercussions due to lack of controlling
diabetes. She also talked about the
impacts of smoking on the diabetic
patients.
At the end of the lectures, Dr. AlSalameen posed questions about
the lectures and she presented
about thirty gifts provided by Mr.
Al-Shuwaib to the winners who
managed to answer the questions.
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‘Khaffif’
lecture held for
KPC personnel
Demonstrating its enthusiasm
to adopt initiatives aimed at informing society about various
health problems, KPC on Monday
May 18, 2009 held a lecture at
the oil sector’s auditorium about
the Equate Company’s initiative
for social health entitled ‘Khaffif.’
At the beginning of the lecture,
Kuwait Obesity Association member Dr. Majda Al-Qattan confirmed that rates of obesity have
increased drastically within the
past fifty years, adding that according to World Health Organization (WHO) statistics and studies, the number of clinically obese
people worldwide is expected to
exceed 700 million by 2015.
According to a 2005 study, Dr. AlQattan indicated, Kuwait is one
of the countries heading the list
of per capita obesity rates, with
75% of Kuwaitis recorded as being obese; the issue also burdens
the Kuwaiti economy, costing a
great deal of money annually.
During the lecture, she emphasized the health hazards of obesity, affirming that it is the principal
reason for several chronic diseases such as high blood pressure,
high blood cholesterol levels,
brain aneurysms, heart attacks,
cancer, gallstones, gout, rheumatism and other conditions.
Talking about the main reasons
behind obesity, Dr. Al-Qattan
spotlighted a number of factors
among them; increasing the
quantity of food eaten, reduced
physical activity, genetic factors,
the large number of meals per a
day, slow assimilation, laziness
and psychological factors, as well
as taking drugs and hormonal
factors.
Calling obesity a disease like other deep-rooted diseases such as
diabetes and high blood pressure,
Al-Qattan also talked about the
right ways to tackle obesity, saying that it can be necessary to
consult specialist doctors to get
rid of its effects. She also severely
criticized the incorrect methods
used by some obese individuals to
lose weight, such as taking medicines without consulting their
doctor or having stomach stapling
cosmetic surgery.
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Under the slogan of ''Swine Flu....Facts and Fears''
An educational lecture for KPC personnel
Under the patronage of Mr. Jamal Al-Nouri, the
Managing Director of Planning and a member of the
Higher Committee for Health, Safety and Environment
(HSE), KPC’s HSE Award and Recognition Committee on
Monday May 11, 2009 held a lecture entitled ‘’Swine
Flu….Facts and Fears’’ at the oil sector auditorium.
KPC organized the lecture due to its eagerness to clarify
all the related facts about this virus, which has spread to
many of the world’s
countries, especially given
its arrival at the same time
as holiday and vacation
season.
The lecture was delivered by
Dr. Abdullateef Al-Mor, a
clinical consultant and the
chairman of public health
support at Ahmadi Hospital.
The lecture focused on all aspects of the swine flu
disease, the means of infection from and between
humans and how to protect ourselves from it.
Dr. Al-Mor assured the attendants that this disease can
be controlled by utilizing the necessary vaccines
approved by the World Health Organization (WHO).
Dr. Al-Mor reassured all KPC staff members
planning to visit the holy land of Saudi Arabia, to
perform
the
lesser
pilgrimage known as the
Omra, affirming that they
need not worry about
being infected with the
disease if they follow the
precautionary procedures
and directives issued by
Kuwait’s
Ministry
of
Health in this regard.
Marine team wins KPC’s in-house football championship
Under the auspices of Sheikh
Talal Al-Khalid Al-Sabah, MD of
the Governmental, Parliamentary,
Public and Media Relations, the
13th KPC Football internal championship concluded its activities
on May 5, 2009 at Salmiya Sports
Club. The Marine team won the
championship cup, whereas the
Training team won the second position and Finance Team occupied
the third one.
On behalf of Sheikh Talal, Mr.
Mohammed Al-Zamanan, Media
Relations Department manager,
attended to the awards ceremony
for the winning teams.
Mr. Al-Zamanan emphasized the
appreciation and support that
Sheikh Talal gives to KPC’s in-house
football championship, as well as
praising the high technical level
shown by the six teams that took
part in the championship, especially the two winning teams. Also
at the event, Mr. Fahad Al-Nashmi,
the MD of the International Marketing, hailed the sporting and
cooperative spirit of the six teams
that contested the championship,
indicating that numerous benefits
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are gained from sport such as developing cooperation, which is a principal benefit for KPC staff members.
For his part, Mr. Bassam Abdulnabi,
the Sports Committee chairman, expressed his happiness at the high level of skill shown by the six competing
teams during the championship, as
well as their remarkable levels of morale. He also praised the cooperative
spirit shown throughout the training
courses and the matches.
Abdulnabi said that KPC is used to
awarding the best footballer prize to
one of the older players, revealing
that the committee had decided to
grant the prize this year to Mr. Fahad
Al-Obaid.
At the end of the celebration,
Abdulnabi thanked Sheikh Talal
Al-Khalid for patronizing the
championship, also praising the
efforts exerted in this regard by
DMD of Governmental, Parliamentary, Public and Media Relations Sheikh Faisal Al-Jaber AlSabah.
He also hailed the efforts exerted
in this regard and the constructive role played by both Mr. Ali
Mourad, Public Relations manager, and Mr. Mohammed AlZamanan, the manager of Media
Relations department, throughout the championship.
A memorial picture for Marine and Training Teams
Financial and Administrative Affairs sector’s Open Day
Enjoying a festive family atmosphere far away from the workday routine, the KPC Administrative and Financial Affairs sector
held an Open Day on Sunday
April 14, 2009 for its personnel
in the Movenpick Hotel, Salwa.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Ali Al-Hajri, MD of the Financial and Administrative Affairs
sector, welcomed all the sector’s
staff members, wishing them
a joyful day, adding that the
“Leadership Initiative” launched
last year by the sector had accomplished more than 85% of
its targets.
He confirmed that the initiative
would this year achieve 100% of
its goals, stating that the sector
is proud of its distinguished and
creative personnel, six of whom
won the Excellence and Creation
contest held recently during the
current year.
After giving his keynote speech,
Al-Hajri honored the sector’s recent winners of the Excellence
and Creation contest, which
was held among the employees of KPC’s various sectors. For
his part, the preacher Bader AlHajraf, the board chairman of
Ihsan Charitable Society, gave
a religious lecture in which he
highlighted the divine wisdom
of creating mankind and how to
reach self-satisfaction through
following the directives which
Almighty Allah provided his
Messenger Muhammad (PBUH)
with.
The Open Day program following
the opening ceremony included
many interesting cultural, scientific and historical competitions.
Who is the winner; the man or the woman?
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Hanaa Al-Soma’e
In an interview with KPC News,
Hanaa Al-Soma’e, the Acting Managing Director of Administrative
Affairs, said that the ‘’Excellence
& Creation’’ and ‘’Ideal Employee’’
contests are initiatives aimed at encouraging staff members to improve
their performance, increase productivity levels and develop KPC.
Al-Soma’e explained that several
KPC employees have come up with
excellent ideas and innovations in
all domains, yet these have not
been highlighted. Therefore, she
said, Saad Al-Shuhaib, the company’s CEO, had issued a decision to
launch two contests; the first coincided with the beginning of the
fiscal year 2008/2009, is called the
‘’Creation and Excellence Contest’’
and the second, the ‘’Ideal Employee
Contest,‘’ will be introduced within
the 2009/2010 fiscal year in a step
aimed at creating a competitive spirit and encouraging staff members to
improve their performance, as well
as increasing productivity and development in KPC.
She emphasized that the ‘’Creation
and Excellence Contest,’’ which
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KPC launches its two
Excellence and Ideal
Employee initiatives
ended in April 2009, met with
widespread participation from KPC
staff members. In addition, CEO
Saad Al-Shuwaib honored seven
participants, who submitted ninety
initiatives in various fields.
Asked about the nature of the two
contests, Al-Soma’e said that KPC
is lucky to have a large number of
able and talented personnel who
have exciting ideas and come up
with original concepts in various
fields; however, for a long time,
these were not shared with a wider
audience beyond their creators. After considering these issues, KPC’s
senior management considered
how best to provide channels for
staff members to share their ideas
in a competitive atmosphere and
Mrs. Al-Soma'e with a number of participants of
the Excellence & Creation and Ideal Employee initiatives
to participate in achieving benefits
for KPC and the entire Kuwaiti oil
sector. To achieve that target, CEO
Al-Shuwaib took the decision to
launch the “Excellence and Creation Contest‘’ which was lauded
by personnel throughout the sector after its initial launch, with the
approval ratings obvious from the
large quantity of submissions, more
than 90, which were received for
consideration, she explained.
The ‘’Ideal Employee Contest’’ initiative, which was approved recently by CEO and will be introduced
throughout KPC at the beginning
of the current 2009/2010 fiscal
year, is aimed at increasing staff
spirit, progress and loyalty in favor
of KPC, in addition to improving
performance and productivity levels
and encouraging an atmosphere of
positive competition atmosphere
among employees.
Highlighting the objectives of the
‘’Excellence and Creation Contest,”
Hanaa said that the main aim of this
initiative is to increase staff members’ enthusiasm and positive attitudes towards work and stimulate
them to innovate and create, adding that several ideas have already
been submitted which deserve to
be highlighted, which prove that
the initiative provides an opportunity to put forward these ideas and
a chance of using them to achieve
something positive. She revealed
that six of the 90 initiatives submitted shared the prize.
Asked about the committee members, Al-Soma’e said the committee
was formed in accordance with a
regulation issued by CEO Al-Shuwaib which was distributed on all
the managing directors members.
She said the committee includes her
as a chairperson, in addition to the
other members, who are; Sheikh
Nawaf Al-Sabah, DMD of the Legal Affairs and General Consultant,
Sheikh Faisal Al-Jaber Al-Sabah
DMD of Governmental, Parliamentary, Public and Media Relations,
Ms. Mona Al-Obaid, DMD of the
Marketing Department and Mr.
Bader Al-Somait, MD of Specialization.
When asked how the staff members
interacted with the initiative, AlSoma’e said the committee members were actually surprised at the
large number of employees who
took part in the contest through
their ideas, indicating that some
employees presented more than
one idea.
KPC News asked about the criteria
for having a submission accepted
for consideration by the committee.
Al-Soma’e said that the committee
used a number of rules to rule on
the validity of a submission for consideration, listing the following:
7 winners forwarded
90 initiatives in
various fields
• The idea or the initiative must
be new; this means it is not supposed to be similar to any previous idea or initiative implemented before in the oil sector.
• It must be realistic and applicable.
• It should contain elements of innovation and creation.
The criteria by which the idea is assessed are as follows:
• The first criterion stipulates that
the idea or initiative should save
time, money and effort when
used, in addition to achieving
any other benefits in favor of a
certain department, within KPC
or in the oil sector in general.
• The second criterion grades the
idea or the initiative in line with
its quality into acceptable, good,
distinguished or superior’’.
• The third criterion is based on
the extent of ease in applying
the idea or initiative, in addition
to its actual contribution to improving the conditions of health,
safety, environmental wellbeing
and protecting people and possessions.
Will the contest be repeated
in coming years?
Hanna Al-Soma’e said the contest
will be held again in coming years
and there is a tendency to generalize
it to the oil sector. She emphasized
that she and the other committee
members ‘’will exert tremendous
efforts to develop the apparatus and systems of the contest to
achieve the maximum benefit from
it.’’ Asked about the reasons that
led to initiating the second “Ideal
Employee’’ contest, Al-Soma’e explained there are several systems
and motives to assess staff members’ performance, but these do
not take into account other issues
such as the staff’s commitment to
attendance and dismissal in line
with the working hours. She added
that promotion is awarded to those
who show a distinguished performance, therefore this initiative opts
to encourage this group, with the
choice of eligible personnel from
KPC’s various sectors representing
1% of the total number of the staff
members in each sector.
Asked about about the basis of selection for the winner, Al-Soma’e
said the committee will select the
ideal staff member according to
some considerations as follows:
1. The employee must be committed to the regulations and the
administrative bye-laws such as
attendance and dismissal, sick
leave…etc.
2. The committee will estimate the
employee’s interaction with his
or her boss and colleagues.
3. It will assess his or her characteristics.
4. It will assess the employee’s
commitment to issues related to
health, safety and environment.
Each of these factors will be estimated through scores, with the
employee who scores highest winning the Ideal Employee Contest.
I N
T H I S
I S S U E
13
To stay healthy and
reduce tension
There is no way in which we can totally
avoid tension, but there are some steps
that can be taken to reduce it. Here are a
few tips for cutting your tension levels:
1. Don’t forget your breakfast
4. Coffee and Water
Scientist Claire McCaffrey says it is a
false saving when a
person gives up his/
her breakfast to save
time since breakfast is
one of the most important meals of the
day. The brain’s primary fuel is glucose, she explained, and when we get
up in the morning, our blood glucose levels are very
low, making breakfast essential to allow our brains to
do their job effectively.
When you reduce your time spent drinking coffee, this is unlikely to reduce
the amount of tasks you are
supposed to achieve;
however, cutting back
your caffeine intake will
definitely reduce your
tension levels as caffeine
aggravates the nervous system and increases heartbeat rate. Claire McCaffrey advises replacing your coffee intake with water, which is
essential for the body’s various activities.
Moreover, scientific studies confirm that those who
have their breakfast demonstrate less anxiety, frustration and physical restlessness than those who skip this
crucial meal.
2. Forget about the negative diet
If you are on a diet and
find yourself scrutinizing the calorie contents
of every item of food,
give it up as this diet
may simply make you
feel exhausted and put
you under unnecessary
psychological pressure.
In addition, research has proved that such diets aren’t
actually effective when followed on a long-term basis.
3. Handle your money wisely
Money, as we all know,
is one of the main
resources of worry.
There is no magical
prescription available
for us all, enabling us
to surmount this stubborn problem, but
learning to use money
wisely helps reduce the time spent worrying about it.
14
MISCELLANEOUS
5. Feeling energetic
There is no doubt
that those who
sleep well, enjoy
stimulating leisure
activities, take part
in sports and eat a
varied, healthy diet
will feel more energetic and capable, as
well as having more
creative energy, enabling them to more easily overcome the problems and
surmount the obstacles we all face in everyday life.
6. Don’t adopt impossible objectives
Do you get up every morning to
find yourself facing an endless
list of duties or jobs that need
to be done? When you go
to bed at night, do you hit
the pillow feeling like a
failure because half of the
tasks or duties on your list
were not accomplished? Try
setting yourself more realistic
objectives or creating a more
practically achievable to-do list; you’ll
get more done and feel a lot less stressed.
GRAPES
the king
of fruits
Grapes : bursting with nutrients
Grapes contain useful nutrients needed
by the human body, helping to renew
tissue because of their high percentages of calcium, carbon, iron, potassium
and Vitamins A, B and C. They are around
15% sugar, 10% of which is a form of
glucose called grapes sugar. They also contain fructose or fruit sugar. These two types
of sugar are considered the richest and easiest
natural sugars to digest as the bloodstream absorbs them directly.
They contain useful
nutritional values help
treat several diseases
Grapes are mentioned in many of the verses in the
Holy Qur’an, including Al-Mo’menon and Al-Naba’
and they are mentioned in the Bible as well.
The compounds contained in grapes are used in
treating several diseases in hospitals in the USA, as
well as Germany and other European countries.
Several medical and scientific studies have confirmed
that grapes can protect us from many diseases like
cancer, the lack of immunity, cardiac diseases, elderliness and other diseases.
The skin of grapes is full of Vitamin B which is used in
many vital operations within the body, as well as being an important factor in the safety of the nervous
system, while Vitamin C helps to increase immunity
and reduce the probability of infection with microbes
and germs. Grapes also contain fats, proteins and
other beneficial contents.
Each 100 grams of grapes contains around 268 calories and the liver stores the glucose contained in
them to use whenever necessary since sugars are the
main substance for producing energy which generates activity.
Tips to protect yourself from sunburn
With the onset of summer, the
temperature and the sun’s heat
increase, which can lead to skin
damage and sunburn. This has a
negative effect on general health,
especially on the skin itself. In addition, exposure to sunlight is a
double-edged weapon as it can
be very harmful without taking
the appropriate measures. Therefore it’s essential to know how to
enjoy the sun without harming
ourselves.
The risks of exposure to
sunlight
We can summarize the most important risks that affect the skin
by exposure to sunlight, especially summer’s strong light in the
following points:
• Sunburn
• Signs of premature aging,
such as wrinkles, freckling
and a loss of skin elasticity.
• Skin cancer
• Lack of immunity.
Regardless the color of the skin,
its type or age, it is preferable to
take precautionary steps when
we’re exposed to the sun, specially against its ultraviolet rays,
as this helps to avoid damaging
the skin or risking skin cancer. It’s
necessary, therefore, to follow
the rules listed below to avoid
any harm:
• Don’t sit for a long time in the
sun.
• Avoid going outdoors in the
hours around noon when the
sunlight is strongest. It’s wise
to follow the shade rule – only
go outdoors when you cast a
long shadow, or stay in the
shade.
• Use protective sunscreen
throughout the year.
• Wear protective clothes during
exposure to the sunlight such
as wide hats, long-sleeved
shirts and trousers. It is advisable to select loose, cotton
clothes in white or pastel colors.
• Organize playtime for children
inside the house during the
hours around midday.
• Use sunblock and other protective accessories available
in pharmacies to protect skin
from direct sunlight.
MISCELLANEOUS
15
‫ق�سم الت�آكل والتفتي�ش يف م�صفاة ميناء عبداهلل ي�شارك يف‬
2009 ‫امل�ؤمتر الدويل للرابطة الدولية ملهند�سي الت�آكل لعام‬
Inspection & Corrosion Div.- MAB Refinery presents a
technical paper at NACE International Conference 2009
Inspection & Corrosion (I&C) Division at
MAB took part in the prestigious NACE International Corrosion 2009 Conference in
Atlanta, USA on March 24th, 2009 through
forwarding a technical paper.
‫�شارك ق�سم الت�آكل والتفتي�ش مب�صفاة ميناء عبداهلل‬
‫بورق���ة عم���ل يف امل�ؤمت���ر العامل���ي للرابط���ة الدولية‬
‫ملهند�س���ي الت����آكل الذي عق���د يف الوالي���ات املتحدة‬
.2009 ‫ مار�س‬26 ‫ ـ‬24 ‫الأمريكية الفرتة من‬
For his part, Eng. Faisal Al-Rifae presented the
paper entitled “Failure of Austenitic Stainless
Steel Drain Piping of OCR Reactor in Atmospheric Residue Desulphurization
Unit
(ARDS)”.
The audience showed
a great appreciation
of the paper’s content
and Al-Rifae’s presentation methodology.
‫ق���دم املهند�س في�صل الرفاعي خ�ل�ال امل�ؤمتر بحث‬
‫فني حتت عن���وان “ف�شل �أنبوب الت�صريف الفوالذي‬
‫يف وح���دة ن���زع خملف���ات‬
‫ وقد‬،”‫الكربي���ت اجلوي���ة‬
‫القت ورقة العمل �إعجاب‬
،‫امل�شارك�ي�ن يف امل�ؤمت���ر‬
‫واخت�ي�رت �ضم���ن �أف�ضل‬
.‫ع�شرة بحوث يف امل�ؤمتر‬
It is worth mentioning
that 32 papers were
submitted under the
category of ‘Refining
Industry Corrosion’.
‫جدي���ر بالذك���ر �أن امل�ؤمتر‬
‫ بحث���ا م���ن‬32 ‫ناق����ش‬
‫الأبح���اث املتخ�ص�ص���ة يف‬
.”‫“ت�آكل �صناعة التكرير‬
‫ي�سر �أ�سرة )ن�شرة �أخبار الم�ؤ�س�سة( �أن تتقدم بال�شكر �إلى جميع الزمالء الذين‬
‫ وي�س ّره����ا �أن تتقبل المزيد‬،‫�ساهم����وا معه����ا في الأعداد ال�سابقة م����ن الن�شرة‬
.‫م����ن م�شاركتك����م و�أفكاركم التي تزيد من التوا�صل البن����اء والتطوير الم�ستمر‬
4785 :‫ ت‬- ‫هيا الرندي‬/‫ ال�سيدة‬:‫لمزيد م����ن المعلومات يرجى االت�صال على‬
4866 :‫ ت‬- ‫جاب � � ��ر ال�صب � � ��اح‬/‫ ال�شيخ‬4789 :‫ ت‬- ‫عالي � � ��ة الج�سم � � ��ي‬/‫ال�سيدة‬
‫قدم اقرتاحاتك ومالحظاتك‬
For your Opinions & Suggestions
a.jasmi@kpc.com.kw
16
K P C
S O C I E T Y
It is the pleasure of KPC News staff members to extend their
heartiest thanks to all the colleagues who contributed to KPC
News past issues. We will be more than happy to receive
even more of your contributions and ideas which will further
bolster constructive cooperation and continuous progress.
For more details, please contact: Haya Al-Randi - Tel: 4785,
Alia Al-Jasmi - Tel: 4789, Jaber Al-Sabah - Tel: 4866
j.alsabah@kpc.com.kw
haya@kpc.com.kw