Report of Operations to the Saudi Arab Government by the Arabian American Oil Company 1953

Original colour illustrated wraps 22 x 28cm. vi + 59 + (2) + 59 + 6pp in English and Arabic, illustrated in colour and b/w throughout. Dated 15 April 1954 to Aramco Chair F.A. Davies' Foreword. Covers very good, rubbed and worn along the spine. Interiors near fine. This significant edition opens by marking the passing of King Abdulaziz Ibn Saud on 9 Nov 1953, which "all employees of the Company joined in mourning". There is also a poem in Arabic to the centre pages. Davies is encouraged by King Saud's "keen interest" in the company, which led it to increase wages for all Saudi employees by 12-20% effective from 1 Jan 1954, and improve benefits in education, housing, food, clothing and vacations. Davies offers "renewed assurance" to the new King and the Saudi people that Aramco "will continue the development of the oil resources of the Kingdom along sound engineering and business principles, and in a manner that will contribute to the best interests of all concerned" (pp2-3). The report also celebrates 20 years of growth and achievement with an article describing significant events since signing the Concession in 1933. The main chapters cover oil operations (exploration, drilling, producing, oil and gas, plants and pipeline, refining, marketing, engineering, transport etc); people (wages, housing, recreation, safety, The Oil Caravan magazine, employees with long service, thrift plans, manpower); health; industrial training; and community, industrial and agricultural development (new towns, and the Railway the management and supervision of which Aramco transferred to the Government on 1 Jan 1953). Detailed full-page colour maps illustrate exploration, oil fields and installations, the route from field storage to Dammam, Bahrain and beyond, and marketing via bulk plants and retail dealers. The photos include royal portraits, and show Saudi people, landscapes, and diverse operations.…