Abdullah bin Jumah Al-Dossary Shares Practical Leadership Insights from 40 Years at Aramco with EMBA Students
7 November 2025
As part of Al Yamamah University’s commitment to enriching the academic experience of postgraduate students and strengthening their connection with national leadership expertise, the University hosted Abdullah bin Jumah Al-Dossary, former President and Chief Executive Officer of Saudi Aramco, in an interactive session with Executive Master of Business Administration (EMBA) students titled:
“40 Years at Aramco: A Journey in Managing Experience and Practical Leadership,” held as part of the #Industry_Leaders series.
During the session, Mr. Al-Dossary reviewed key milestones from his four-decade professional career at Saudi Aramco, highlighting the evolution of institutional work, leadership transformations, and the impact of strategic decision-making in building sustainable operational systems within one of the world’s largest energy companies. At the outset of his talk, he emphasized that true leadership begins with continuous learning, adaptability to change, and the ability to transform challenges into opportunities for growth and development.
He noted that his executive leadership tenure, which extended for more than 13 and a half years, represents the longest presidency in the company’s history. He explained that this period witnessed significant expansion in major projects and a strengthening of Aramco’s global standing, pointing out that:
“Every project completed after the Shaybah project received an international award,”
reflecting, as he stated, a deep-rooted culture of quality and commitment to institutional excellence.
The guest speaker also addressed concepts of practical leadership, team building, and experience management within large organizations, stressing that making mistakes is not a flaw in itself; rather, the real issue lies in failing to learn from them. He remarked:
“We do not learn as much from success as we do from failure; in life, either we succeed or we learn.”
The dialogue was moderated by student Ahmed bin Mohammed Al-Qaoud, Bachelor’s degree holder in Software Engineering. The session witnessed strong engagement from EMBA students, who raised questions on leadership in complex environments, decision-making, and building professional career paths in major sectors. Participants benefited from the guest’s practical experience, delivered in an inspiring and realistic manner.
This session forms part of the #Industry_Leaders series, which aims to bridge academic learning with real-world leadership experiences by hosting prominent national figures who have contributed to institutional transformation—enhancing EMBA students’ readiness for the professional world, broadening their career perspectives, and supporting the development of their future leadership vision.
