DAMMAM: New details have emerged of how Saudi Aramco, led by President and CEO Khalid A. Al-Falih, addressed what independent analysts have described as the worst cyber attack in recent corporate history.
“If it were any other corporation, it would have been crippled,” sources told Arab News over the weekend. The sources referred to the malicious virus that affected 30,000 company computers.
Saudi Aramco, a fully-integrated, global petroleum enterprise, and a world leader in exploration and production, refining, petrochemicals manufacturing, distribution, shipping and marketing, has more than 50,000 employees and a large contractual work force.
The sources said Al-Falih led from the front as he and his team of managers, consultants and IT engineers restored many of the company’s main network services in less than a week.
“In true Saudi Aramco spirit and tradition, Al-Falih instilled confidence through his leadership skills and provided the ultimate and right thrust that was needed in those critical hours to grapple with such a humongous challenge,” one source said.
According to industry sources, the attack shows that no one is immune from cyber threats.
“Everyone out there is vulnerable,” said the source who urged companies to raise their Internet security bar.
“It is clear now that the attack on Saudi Aramco was part of a larger conspiracy to undermine the main pillars of the regional and global economy,” he said, referring to the newest attack on Qatar’s RasGas. “It is all part of a nefarious and well-planned design.”
In a statement last week, Al-Falih acknowledged that this was not the first time Saudi Aramco was attacked. “Nor will it be the last illegal attempt to intrude into our systems,” he said. According to sources, there have been thousands of such attacks in the past, but Saudi Aramco managed to thwart them all.
The sources reiterated that Saudi Aramco is not a solely Web-based firm. “It is a solid bricks-and-mortar company with real people who are known for their professionalism and dedication, and it were these real people who worked as one team under Al-Falih to successfully manage this overwhelming crisis,” one source said.
The cyber attack occurred at a time when many employees were either on or were about to go on vacation for Eid Al-Fitr.
“The IT employees and engineers and consultants rushed back and canceled their leave to be onboard as the company got to the grips of the problem,” one source said. “There was a real spirit of camaraderie and solidarity.” It is worth noting that not a single drop of oil was lost during the crisis nor a single delivery delayed because the company’s primary enterprise systems of hydrocarbon exploration and production operate on isolated network systems. Production plants were fully operational as these control systems are also isolated.
In internal memos, Al-Falih is reported to have said that the company has emerged stronger from the crisis.
“Our resilience has been tested, everyone had a role to pay, and all played their part, and we have emerged stronger from this episode,” he is reported to have said.
The company acknowledged the issue and immediately notified its customers and stakeholders. “That indicated confidence and courage on the part of Aramco leadership,” said a source.
Saudi Aramco has in the past managed crises, which were equally, if not more, dangerous, such as the foiled terror attack on Abqaiq refinery in 2006 and the Hawiyah gas explosion in 2007.
“However, what was different this time was the nature of the attack … This was an unseen, invisible and intangible attack … And that made things difficult,” said a source. “But it offered new lessons in crisis management for the company and its highly resilient work force.”
During such crises, a major challenge for companies is the war of innuendos and rumor-mongering that is unleashed through the social media. RasGas is another victim of a vicious cyber attack and some media organs are again full of misinformation. “During the Saudi Aramco attack, all kinds of highly irresponsible statements and sheer assumptions were dished out in some media outlets … They unfortunately played into the hands of the saboteurs,” said one source, who lamented that even some mainstream media organs fell for such dubious reports and hoax statements.
Internet security analysts have described cyber attacks as a constant, lurking threat. “Saudi Aramco and every other corporation, be it small or big, will have to be on guard at all times,” one individual said. “They will have to plug all loopholes ... Complacency can be fatal.”
Aramco emerges stronger from cyber attack
Aramco emerges stronger from cyber attack
Rooted in memory: How Rola Daftardar turns Saudi heritage into living art
- Ma Maison by Rola curates, produces home accessories
- Aim to reflect Kingdom as ‘authentic, layered and artistic’
RIYADH: For Rola Daftardar, creativity is not simply about design — it is about memory, emotion and belonging.
Saudi by birth, originally from Madinah and raised in Jeddah, Daftardar carries a layered identity shaped further by her Lebanese mother. That blend of cultures, she says, taught her early on to see beauty in contrast and turn it into strength.
“My identity has always been a mix,” she said during a recent interview. “It taught me how to appreciate detail, emotion and storytelling through objects.”
From childhood, she was drawn to art and pieces with soul — objects that feel lived with rather than merely displayed. She went on to study arts, history and media, developing a philosophy that creativity is not only aesthetic but deeply emotional.
“Design is a way of sharing parts of myself,” she explained. “It’s storytelling through material, color and scent.”
Four years ago, that philosophy became Ma Maison by Rola — a brand that began as a personal creative outlet and gradually grew, season by season, into a carefully curated world of home accessories and tablescaping pieces.
Each year, she approaches her collections as chapters. “Every season has its own breath,” she said. “Every year carries a new intention.”
Her work comes most alive during Ramadan and national occasions, when gatherings take center stage and homes become spaces of shared ritual. Between winter and summer, ideas quietly bloom. But this year’s message feels especially personal.
Daftardar’s latest collection is deeply rooted in Saudi heritage, inspired by cities including Jeddah, Riyadh, AlUla and Taif — places she sees as emotional landscapes as much as geographic ones.
“With Saudi Arabia opening to the world, I felt a responsibility to present my country as I see it — authentic, layered and artistic,” she said.
Candles became the starting point of that story. More than fragrance, they are tributes to memory. Musk reflects the warmth of Jeddah, rose captures the calm elegance of Taif, and oud represents the depth and strength of Riyadh.
Hand-painted details and carefully chosen colors complete the sensory narrative.
The idea for her foldable side tables emerged during a walk along Jeddah’s corniche. Watching families gather spontaneously by the sea reminded her of the informal spaces that connect people — a feeling she also associates with historic Al-Balad.
“I wanted to create something simple and functional that carries that spirit of gathering,” she said.
The concept expanded to Diriyah — old and new — and to AlUla, where history and futurism coexist.
Yet it is tablescaping that remains closest to her heart. “I never choose pieces randomly,” she said. “I imagine the people around the table, the dishes being served, the conversations happening.”
For Daftardar, every bowl, riser and glass element forms part of a complete narrative. Every table tells a story.
Her ultimate aim is clear: to reflect Saudi Arabia as she feels it — warm, generous and deeply rooted. A place where modernity meets origin, and tradition evolves without losing its soul.
That is where Ma Maison by Rola lives — in the space between memory and modernity — and it is a story she is proud to tell.
