Real people, real stories

Mr. Jaewook Ha

• Joined Saudi Aramco’s Corporate Transaction Group in 2019

• Originally from South Korea

• Currently resides in Saudi Aramco's residential camp in Dhahran together with his wife and child

Working at Saudi Aramco

What are your responsibilities at Aramco?
I am working in the Financial Consulting Division (FCD) which provides in-house financial and commercial consulting and advisory services such as Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A), Joint Venture (JV) transactions and other special projects directed by the management.

As a member of the Corporate Transaction Group under FCD, my responsibilities include M&A, JV, divestment opportunity assessment, transaction support, financial model development/review, valuation, financial due diligence, transaction/project economics analysis and business plan review, etc.

What is a typical work day for you?
Each day at work is full of new challenges and learning opportunities, and no single day has been the same for me. One day, I could be building the valuation model for the marketing rights of chemical products. Another day, I could be discussing negotiation strategies for monetization transactions with my colleagues by running multiple scenario analysis on the economic impact.

What is your team like?
I feel that what our team does is intellectually stimulating and strategically important. That’s one of the reasons why we are recognized as a professional service center within the company.

What you do at the workplace most definitely matters. When it comes to job satisfaction, however, who you work with is equally important. I’m surrounded by colleagues of diverse nationalities and with rich work experiences. They are smart and of high-caliber, yet at the same time humble and cooperative. I enjoy working with them, and they support me whenever I needed help.

What do you enjoy most about working in Aramco?
As a corporate control function, our division has the privilege and the advantage of reviewing and supporting almost every transaction opportunity that Aramco pursues.

Recently, one of the JV investment opportunities that I worked on was finalized. This JV will provide cloud and digitalization software products and services using Artificial Intelligence technology. I feel both honored and proud to be part of the team involved in this opportunity. I am convinced that the JV will become instrumental for Aramco in playing a leading role in the digital transformation of the Oil and Gas sector, as well as in nurturing local talents who will be leading the Kingdom towards the fourth industrial revolution.

Why Saudi Aramco

Why did you join Aramco?
My passion for energy as well as Aramco's unparalleled presence in the global energy space were the key factors that motivated me to join Saudi Aramco and to move to Saudi Arabia.

The opportunity for broad exposure to M&A and JV transactions excited me as well. My exposure here ranges from traditional Oil and Gas transactions such as upstream/ downstream, LNG production, power generation and renewables, to new trends or technologies such as Artificial Intelligence.

Last but not least, my position aids the management decision-making process with counsel based on solid data-driven analysis. Aramco is where I can leverage my various skills and experience in management consulting, strategic planning and buyer-side investment management.

Living in Saudi Arabia

Where are you and your family originally from? Where do you live in the Kingdom?
My spouse and I are from South Korea. In Saudi Arabia, we live in an Aramco residential camp in Dhahran.

How have you and your family settled in the Kingdom?
Despite our initial concerns, the overall relocation process went smoothly. An Aramco Global Mobility Coordinator was assigned to us and she helped us throughout the entire relocation process from flight arrangements, visa application to housing assignment.

After arrival, we attended a one-week orientation specially organized by onboarding specialists. They provided us with all the necessary information to help us settle in smoothly.
In addition, the Iqama (residential permit) application process was surprisingly quick. I believe it is one of the benefits of being a Saudi Aramco employee.

How is life in the community?
So far so good! I live in the Dhahran residential camp and it is very different from other residential towns in the Kingdom. Inside the camp where only Aramcons and their families can reside, there are thousands of houses with their front and backyards surrounded by green grass, palm trees and parks.

Children playgrounds are scattered across the camp and there is a well-managed golf course that is centrally located. Additionally, various recreational facilities including tennis courts, running tracks, gyms, and swimming pools are accessible anytime to residents without any fees required.

Thanks to the easy access to these facilities, I have improved my tennis and golf skills tremendously since relocating here. I was also told that there are numerous small communities active in various activities including painting, sailing, learning of foreign languages, taekwondo and football, etc. Name it and you have it!

What do you enjoy doing?
There are many interesting places to visit in the Kingdom. Saudi Arabia is also surrounded by many popular tourist destinations with famous attractions in Europe accessible in just a few hours.

Due to the current global Covid-19 outbreak, it may not the best time to enjoy the advantages of Saudi Arabia's geographical location.  Before the pandemic, however, my wife and I traveled to Dubai and Oman to celebrate our first wedding anniversary and it was a wonderful experience. We look forward to visiting our dream destinations such as Maldives, Seychelles and Sharm El-Sheik after this pandemic is over!

Covid-19 Response

What are your thoughts and views on how Aramco has responded to the pandemic?
I am impressed with Saudi Aramco's swift response to the pandemic and its measures to prevent the spread of Covid-19 at the workplace.

The Saudi government has also managed to control the situation nationwide. Coming back from vacation in South Korea recently, I had to get a Covid-19 PCR test done. The drive-through test center was easily accessible, and the whole process was quick and smooth. The test result was ready within a day; yet another pleasant surprise.