Reuters reported that Canada's SNC Lavalin and a Saudi partner won an engineering and project management deal from Saudi Aramco as part of plans to develop the engineering sector in the world's largest oil exporter.

The deal was awarded under general engineering services plus which aims for joint ventures between Saudi and international firms to help develop the local engineering sector. GES+ allows for detailed engineering work for Aramco's large-scale projects to be conducted inside the kingdom for the first time. It would also help create more jobs for Saudi nationals.

Foreign companies had said they hoped the contracts would raise their chances of winning deals with Aramco. The Montreal based company has teamed up with Saudi based Zuhair Fayez Partnership Consultants for the new deal.

The award is so far the last in a series of contracts Aramco signed with international companies: US Jacobs Engineering Group, KBR, Mustang a Wood Group company and Foster Wheeler which all have had Saudi partners.

(Sourced from Reuters)