site. The members of the board gathered first in Shanghai, China's commercial capital and the host of the World Expo. This landmark international event is held in a different city every five years, and this iteration boasts the largest number of national pavilions and is expected to attract the biggest crowds in the 159-year history of world's fairs. Among the biggest draws at the Expo so far is the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia pavilion, which features what may be the world's largest surround cinema screen. Waiting times for entrance to the pavilion have reached up to four hours. Board members toured the Saudi pavilion and met with the pavilion director, officials from the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs (the pavilion's proponent), and the men and women of the Saudi Aramco team providing on-site support for the Kingdom's presence. The board also visited a number of other national pavilions, including that of China - the largest at the Expo - Korea and Japan. While in Shanghai and then later in Beijing, board members also had the opportunity to engage with leading figures from financial institutions, banks, think tanks and consultancies, as well as noted individual analysts. The round-table discussions revolved around trends shaping China's economy as well as its financial, industrial, transportation and energy sectors, and were characterized by a lively give-and-take of ideas and information. The board also received presentations from representatives of Aramco Overseas Co.-Hong Kong and Saudi Petroleum Ltd.-Beijing, describing China's petroleum market and the company's strategies there in the years to come. Perhaps the highlights of the week's activities were the two gala dinners held in honor of the Board of Directors and to welcome key stakeholders - the first time two such events had been held in conjunction with a meeting of the board.
