GE will add a training center at the site of the new GE Energy Manufacturing Technology Center in Dammam as part of its knowledge-sharing commitment to Saudi Arabia and the region, the company said in a statement on Tuesday. The new advanced training center will bring GE's total investment in the Dammam site to approximately $100 million. The new training center will have state-of-the-art facilities and offer the latest technology and managerial courses for college students, field engineers and other power industry professionals throughout the region. The technical education which will be offered at the center is viewed as key to providing young talent with the skills and qualifications to work with the latest advances in technology, quality and safety, so they can help meet energy demands for Saudi Arabia and the region. “Our commitment to Saudi Arabia includes the nurturing and development of local technical talent,” said Joseph Anis, GE Energy's president for the Middle East. “By sharing our technology expertise and experience with today's promising power industry students and professionals, we believe we will be better able to meet the future needs of our power, water, oil and gas, and industrial customers in the region. We feel this is a significant investment in the future of the Kingdom's energy infrastructure.” The new center builds on GE's long history of innovation and technology capabilities in Saudi Arabia, where more than 400 GE turbines are installed. By developing local talent for the energy industry, the center will also help provide the expertise to meet Saudi Arabia's power demand, which has been growing eight percent or more per year supporting the Kingdom's growing population and economy. The new center will join several other global energy training facilities established by GE in Europe, the US, and China. It will be GE's first energy training center in Saudi Arabia reflecting GE's commitment to develop local expertise to better respond to the region's growing energy needs. The training center's curriculum will be tailored to the needs of the Kingdom and the region. Students at the center will be able to learn, through demonstrations and hands-on experience with advanced technology equipment, how innovative technology solutions can help improve plant efficiency and reliability and boost the performance of power plants. The training center will be located at the GE Energy Manufacturing Technology Center site in Dammam, which is expected to be GE's largest repair center of excellence worldwide when completed and will strengthen GE's service capabilities in Saudi Arabia and the region. Developed in association with GE's joint venture partner Ali A. Tamimi Co, the technology center encompasses more than 10,000 square meters and adds substantial capability to provide advanced gas turbine service while also reducing cycle time.
