Offshore drilling

Saudi Arabian drilling giant ARO Drilling has appointed a new general counsel.

Former Novartis legal head in Saudi Arabia, Sara Al-Haroon, joins ARO Drilling in Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia as its new general counsel and chief compliance officer, legal recruiter Major Lindsey & Africa announced in a statement. 

As general counsel, Al-Haroon will act as a key advisor to the CEO and ARO Drilling's leadership team on all legal, compliance and regulatory issues.

The statement said: "She will ensure that the company's policies and procedures are in place, adhering to the rules and the regulations of the Kingdom's regulatory agencies and provide leadership regarding all legal and compliance issues."

Al-Haroon served earlier as head of legal at pharma giant Novartis Saudi Arabia since September 2017. Prior to this, she was an attorney for U.S. oil field company Halliburton, providing day-to-day legal support for five countries in the Middle East and advising various business units on legal matters.

ARO Drilling (Saudi Aramco Rowan Offshore Drilling Company) is a 50-50 joint venture of Saudi Aramco, and global drilling contractor, Valaris Companies, itself the result of the merger of Ensco and Rowan Companies announced in London in 2019. It said Aramco and Valaris had worked together continuously in the Saudi Arabian market since 2006.