Crew-boat and supply-vessel deck crew
Their workplace is the transfer itself, so lifejacket, raft and in-water skills are daily relevant.
Course snapshot
CourseTropical Basic Offshore Safety Induction and Emergency Training (T-BOSIET)
OPITO code5501
Duration3 Days
Fee₹35,000
Validity4 Years
CourseT-BOSIET, OPITO 5501
Fee and length₹35,000 for 3 days
Certificate validity4 years
Al Khobar to Dammam airportAbout 50 km by road
Flight to KochiAbout 5 h; check direct services
Clock differenceKochi is 2 h 30 min ahead
Khobar is where offshore crew live; the work starts at a marine base
The working base for much of Aramco's northern Gulf offshore operation is the Tanajib marine facility. Aramco's own magazine calls it a city at sea: over 500 assets in nine oil fields, more than 170 vessels and several thousand logistics staff. Across its marine department Aramco says it supports around 30,000 offshore workers with transport, accommodation and meals. Many of them go home to places like Al Khobar between rotations. We found no published road distance from Khobar to Tanajib, so ask your employer's mobilisation desk where your crew change point is.
How people reach the fields matters for the course. Aramco's Marine department began a Sea Bus service in February 2016 with two fast crew supply vessels, carrying 100 and 135 passengers to the Safaniya, Manifa, Zuluf and Marjan fields. Offshore magazine reported more than 45,000 passengers in 2016, and Aramco's 2024 article puts the figure at about 55,000 a year. The stated reason was that more rigs were loading the aviation fleet, which had carried rig crews until then. For a Khobar-based rigger, deckhand or technician, the sea-survival half of T-BOSIET may be the part you rely on most.
T-BOSIET still includes a helicopter escape module, and you cannot leave it out. Whether you travel by boat or by air, your mobilisation letter should say which certificate the client wants. Some clients want the same card from everyone on a spread, and some name the standard BOSIET. We cannot speak for any operator, so get the wording before you spend leave on it.
Khobar crew who train in Kochi usually do it because the course can ride on a leave they were taking anyway, and because paying in rupees is simpler than paying in riyals. The timing matters more than anything else: book the three days at the start of your leave, not the end, so a weather delay or a retake never eats into your return flight. Whichever centre you use, check its current OPITO approval on OPITO's own register before you pay.
Tanajib marine facility
Described by Aramco as a city at sea: over 500 assets in nine oil fields and more than 170 vessels.
Sea Bus crew transfers
Started February 2016 with two fast crew supply vessels for 100 and 135 passengers, serving four offshore fields.
Aramco Marine support
Supports about 30,000 offshore workers with transport, accommodation and meals, according to Aramco.
Al Khobar roles that may be asked for a tropical survival certificate
Maintenance technicians and riggers on contractor rosters
Shutdown and brownfield work sends them out on a rotation, usually after the contractor's induction check.
Catering, housekeeping and camp staff for offshore accommodation
Aramco says its marine department provides accommodation and meals offshore, so service contractors place staff out there too.
Inspectors, NDT and QA/QC staff based in the Khobar offices
They live in the city, but a site visit or audit can still put them on a boat or helicopter.
Mobilisation coordinators and HR officers
They clear people for travel and must know exactly what T-BOSIET does and does not cover.
T-BOSIET, BOSIET with EBS or a one-day refresher
Start from your paperwork. T-BOSIET (5501) is the tropical version, written for warm-water regions and without an immersion suit. BOSIET with EBS (5700) is the standard version, and it is the one operators normally name for colder water. If you already hold a valid T-BOSIET, the one-day T-FOET (5614) renews it, but OPITO's entry rule needs an in-date BOSIET, T-BOSIET or FOET-family certificate, so a lapsed card usually means the full three days again. Holders of a valid tropical certificate who later need the standard one may be able to use OPITO's bridging product (5704); ask us before you assume either way.
Basic Offshore Safety Induction and Emergency Training with EBS (BOSIET with EBS) →
Your client names the standard version, or a posting outside warm water is likely within the next four years.
Tropical Further Offshore Emergency Training (T-FOET) →
Your T-BOSIET is still in date and you are close to the four-year mark.
Basic H2S Training →
Your next site handles sour gas or sour crude and asks for H2S awareness as well.
The three days, read against crew-boat and platform work
Classroom teaching leads into supervised practical sessions: pool exercises with a helicopter simulator, and fire work on a dedicated fire ground. Assessment is continuous, and you must show competence in every exercise.
- 01
Safety induction
A day of theory on hazards, legislation, safety management and who does what on an installation. It gives you the language of a permit board, a muster call and an incident report on a Gulf spread.
- 02
Helicopter safety and escape (tropical HUET)
You practise the brace position, the emergency drills and getting out of a helicopter cabin that has rolled and sunk. It is mandatory even if your normal transfer is by boat.
- 03
Sea survival and first aid
Lifejackets, life rafts, staying together in the water, heat illness in warm conditions and basic first aid. For crew who transfer on fast boats this is the most directly relevant block.
- 04
Fire fighting and self-rescue
Fire causes, handheld extinguishers and finding your way out of a space full of smoke. It maps onto accommodation blocks, engine spaces and process areas.
For Al Khobar contractors, marine companies and manning offices
Many offshore service companies run HR and mobilisation from Al Khobar while the crew work from bases elsewhere. The recurring risk is a card expiring between rotations.
Standards that shape training in Saudi Arabia
OPITO T-BOSIET (5501)Four-year certificate. Fitness has to be shown before the practical exercises, and the standard lists several accepted routes, including a centre screening form.
OPITO T-FOET (5614)The one-day refresher. The learner needs an in-date BOSIET, T-BOSIET or FOET-family certificate when enrolling.
OPITO bridging product (5704)For people holding a valid tropical certificate who are asked for the standard BOSIET or FOET.
Client mobilisation requirementsWe found no public Aramco document that names a single survival course for every role, so rely on the written requirement in your own contract.
What employers commonly ask for
| Course | Requirement note |
|---|---|
| Tropical Basic Offshore Safety Induction and Emergency Training (T-BOSIET) | Often named for warm-water installations. Confirm the exact wording with the client before booking a batch. |
| Basic Offshore Safety Induction and Emergency Training with EBS (BOSIET with EBS) | Named by some clients for the whole workforce, which removes version questions when crew move between regions. |
| Tropical Further Offshore Emergency Training (T-FOET) | A planning tool for the matrix: book it while the T-BOSIET is still valid so nobody repeats three days. |
| Basic H2S Training | Add it for staff headed to sour-gas facilities; it has its own two-year cycle. |
Planning a group booking
- A company account at portal.imostacademy.in/register holds team logins, group bookings, invoices and a renewal tracker for every name on the matrix. Contract pricing applies once the account is approved.
- Send each person's current expiry, medical route and available window together. We can then propose batches that keep a boat crew's relievers from leaving at the same time.
- Fees are in Indian rupees. Settle the invoice currency and the transfer route from Saudi Arabia in writing before the first purchase order.
- Check passports, iqama validity and exit and re-entry permissions before tickets are bought.
Operators and clients set their own requirements; confirm with your contract or HSE department.
From Al Khobar to the campus in Njarakkal
The usual route is by road to King Fahd International Airport at Dammam, then a flight to Cochin International Airport (COK). The campus is on Vypin island, about 40 km from COK and about 15 km from Ernakulam Junction by the Goshree bridges.
Al Khobar to Dammam airport
Roughly 50 km by road. Leave early enough for check-in, and avoid the mid-week morning rush on the Dammam side if you can.
Dammam (DMM) to Kochi (COK)
Flight-comparison sites list direct services at around five hours, usually Air India Express and IndiGo, with one-stop options through Indian cities. Schedules change by season.
Bahrain (BAH) to Kochi (COK)
An alternative if you are comfortable with the causeway and border formalities. Check Bahrain's entry rules for your nationality first; Dammam avoids that question.
Airport to Njarakkal
Pre-book a taxi or app cab to Puthuval Road, Njarakkal, Ernakulam District. Allow an hour or more.
Plan your visit from Al Khobar
Planning around home leave
Kochi runs two and a half hours ahead of Saudi time. If you are going home anyway, put the course at the start of the break so a repeated session does not eat into family days.
Visa and entry
Indian passport holders can enter India freely. If you hold another passport, look up the e-Visa categories on the official Indian portal, since only the visa authority can say which one suits a short safety course. On the Saudi side, confirm with your employer or on Absher that your residence permit and exit and re-entry permission cover the dates.
Costs and payment
Prices are quoted in rupees for each delegate. Ask our team how to pay from Saudi Arabia before you transfer anything, and keep the receipt for your employer's claim.
A six-day trip, door to door
- 1
Read the client wording
Find the line that names the course, plus your current expiry and the medical route you will use.
- 2
Fix the batch before the ticket
Email info@imostacademy.in or message +91 8075 787307 with your leave window. Book flights only after the dates are agreed.
- 3
Fly out the day before
Khobar to Dammam airport, then the flight to Kochi, and a taxi to your stay near Vypin.
- 4
Days 1 to 3
Induction and fire ground, sea survival and first aid, then helicopter escape and pool exercises.
- 5
Keep one spare day
If a session must be repeated or a flight moves, the spare day absorbs it. Then send the certificate to your office.