Impressions of Qatar

(December 20, 2007)

The four winners of Hydro’s student competitions earlier this year enjoyed their prize: a stay in Qatar to learn more about aluminium and about life in the desert kingdom. Here they are, in their own words.

 

Bjørn Atle Jacobsen

Imperial College, London

“I enjoyed getting a glimpse of the Qatar culture during our stay. It’s also attractive having an opportunity to work abroad. The size of the Qatalum project is stunning. I had read impressive figures before I went, but it was first when I visited the plant site that I got a real feel for the amazing size of this project. We were taken around in a bus on an area about the size of 70 football fields where up to 10,000 builders are constructing an aluminium smelter. The trip also gave a good opportunity to meet Hydro employees and get a better understanding about the different work tasks in the aluminium industry. There are opportunities to work with a wide range of challenges, including increase efficiency of production and improving material properties. Hydro does not just work worldwide, they also recruit worldwide, resulting in a diverse working environment. We also visited the university in Qatar, where Hydro is establishing research cooperation and we talked to engineering students interested in a career in the aluminium industry. The highlight of the stay was to enjoy a barbeque under the stars in the desert after a 4WD ride on the sand dunes. My impression about Hydro as a company is that Hydro is a significant global player in the aluminium industry with leading technology and an ability to carry out major, challenging projects around the world.”

Ingrid Hunstad Kalstad 

Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway

“During the trip I got the impression that if you are working in Hydro there are great possibilities for working abroad. And in an international working environment, we met employees from all over the world, employees with very different educational backgrounds. All the people we met looked like they really wanted  to get to know us. So I got the feeling that Hydro has a very good social and working environment with an open an informal tone between the employees. Hydro is a very professional company that has the courage to think in new ways and take chances, but at the same time have good long-term strategies for development. Although they are building a new smelter in Qatar, they still want to expand in Norway. This shows that they do take some responsibility for the development of employment in Norway. I think this is an important attitude for a company of  Hydro’s size. My impression is that Hydro put a lot of effort into making over stay in Qatar at good as possible. We had the chance to get to know the company, but we did also see a lot of Qatar and experienced the Arabian culture.

The most memorable about the stay in Qatar was the foundation stone-laying ceremony at Qatalum. The highlight of the stay was when we went driving the dunes in the desert and experienced an Arabian BBQ afterwards. The most surprising experience about the stay was the Arabian culture, and to se the differences in social status and living conditions between the Qataris and the immigrants. My impression about Hydro as a company after the stay is that Hydro could be an exciting company to work in, with good possibilities for working abroad and with varied tasks.”

Jørgen Blystad Houge  

Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway

“Challenges are many and different, but (it sounds like a cliché) the opportunities lie within the challenges. Learning to master them and use the best from both cultures will make a much more solid ground for business and for understanding people around the world. Being a tourist for a couple of weeks in a different culture is one thing, but actually working there for decades requires a lot careful moves. In a bigger perspective, it’s all about building bridges and understanding each other. The most memorable about the stay in Qatar was the foundation stone-laying ceremony. It was a fantastic show. The highlight of the stay was when meeting Hydro’s CEO, Eivind Reiten. He was really a man with a great sense of humor (and had forgotten to spread the suntan cream properly in his face…!) The most surprising about the stay was seeing women in burkas shopping in an H&M store with lingerie models posted all over the walls. And also that all shopping malls seemed to have skating rinks. My impression about Hydro after the stay is that the company is a great place to work, and offers a lot of possibilities for the future. I’ve understood that there is a lot more to the smelter industry then I ever could imagine before. On behalf of the students, thanks a lot for your hospitality and for giving us the opportunity to see and learn all that we did. The trip was most memorable and I will never forget it!”

Knut Stefanussen 

Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway:

“The most memorable part about the stay in Qatar was the way we were welcomed by the people in Hydro and how well organized the whole event was. The highlight of the stay was when we went on the desert safari driving like crazy in Land Cruisers, with a Qatari BBQ afterward. I was surprised to learn how liberal the country is compared to their surrounding countries. My impression about Hydro as a company after the stay is that after we spent five days with the top Hydro officials and they struck as very down to earth, welcoming and easy to get along with. I believe, even though I have limited experience with Hydro, that company’s culture reflects the attitude of its leaders. The aluminum industry is extremely energy intensive, and given the fact that aluminum is a material that will be around for the years to come, there are plenty of challenges to get a grip on to improve technology and develop new technology to be able to produce aluminum in an energy-efficient, and thus an cost-efficient way. It is very likely that there will be a global regime regarding CO2 emissions, causing every energy-intensive industry to pay for their impact on the global environment. Those in the aluminum industry with the cutting-edge technology and the most environmental energy sources will benefit. Hydro spends lots of resources developing this cutting-edge technology, and working in Hydro gives you many different possibilities to take part in this challenging development.”