Houston-based oilfield services company Baker Hughes has been praised for its demonstrable commitment to the Saudization local workforce enhancement programme as it opened a new regional operations hub in Dhahran.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Saudi Aramco senior vice-president for exploration and producing Amin Nasser said that the two companies enjoy an illustrious partnership that can be traced back to the discovery of the 'Prosperity Well' in 1938.

"We are aware of Baker Hughes' efforts to increase the number of Saudi employees ... We were pleased to see the percentage of Saudi citizens increased from 44 per cent in May 2009 to 48 per cent this month," he added.

The new operations centre will deliver a further boost to local employment as it will provide work for 475 professionals once training is complete.

In addition to maintaining continual external and university recruitment programmes, Baker Hughes also prides itself on providing existing employees with leading career development opportunities.

Oil and Gas Directory: Training and Development