Most Eastern Province crew attend during annual leave or between rotations. Fly in the day before, allow a buffer day after a three-day course, and book your return only once the batch dates are confirmed. A one-day course such as HUET or FOET leaves more time with family.
Indian passport holders do not need any visa to enter India. Foreign nationals living in Saudi Arabia should check which Indian e-Visa category applies at the official portal, indianvisaonline.gov.in, or ask the nearest Indian mission; which category suits a certified safety course is for the visa authority to decide. Do not use agents who charge for e-Visa facilitation, and carry a passport with at least six months of validity.
Fees are listed in Indian rupees, per person. International transfers and card payments from Saudi Arabia are possible, but please confirm the currency and payment method with our team before you pay, and keep the transfer receipt for your records.
OPITO code: 5501
Duration: 3 Days
Fee: ₹35,000
The most asked-for course from the Eastern Province. The tropical version is designed for warm-water regions such as the Gulf, and many crew renew it every four years during leave.
View course →OPITO code: 5700
Duration: 3 Days
Fee: ₹35,000
Choose this if your operator or employer specifies the standard BOSIET, for example if you may be deployed beyond the Gulf. Check the wording in your contract or the client's induction requirements.
View course →OPITO code: 9014
Duration: Half Day
Fee: ₹12,500
Sour crude and gas handling at Gulf fields and plants make H2S awareness a common request. It is a half-day course valid for 2 years, so it often gets added to a BOSIET stay.
View course →Duration: Half Day
Fee: ₹10,000
A frequent search from Dammam and a sensible half-day addition for supervisors and crew who may be first on scene at a remote site.
View course →Duration: Half Day
Fee: ₹10,000
Contractors working under an operator's permit system need to understand isolation, hot work and handover. This is a half-day iMost certificate, not an OPITO one.
View course →Contractors, marine and drilling service companies, inspection firms and manning agencies around Dammam, Al Khobar and Jubail need to keep rotational crew current across several clients. A company can register on our portal, add its staff, book groups into the same batch and keep renewal dates in one place.
| Course | Requirement note |
|---|---|
| Tropical Basic Offshore Safety Induction and Emergency Training (T-BOSIET) | Many operators and contractors working offshore in warm waters ask crew to hold T-BOSIET. Check your contract, because some clients specify the standard BOSIET instead. |
| Basic Offshore Safety Induction and Emergency Training with EBS (BOSIET with EBS) | Where the client requires the standard version, for example for crew who may be deployed outside tropical waters, this is the safer choice. |
| Basic H2S Training | Sour-gas and sour-crude sites commonly require H2S awareness before access. The training validity is 2 years, so track it separately from the OPITO certificate. |
| Permit to Work PTW System Training | Supervisors and permit holders in maintenance and shutdown work often need documented permit-to-work competence. This is an iMost certificate, so confirm that your client accepts it. |
Operators and clients set their own requirements; confirm with your contract or HSE department.
You will fly into Cochin International Airport (COK), which is the airport for Kochi and the closest to the campus. Njarakkal is on Vypin island, roughly 35 to 45 km from the airport by road depending on the route, which is usually 1 to 1.5 hours in a taxi.
Flight-comparison sites list Air India Express and IndiGo on the Dammam to Kochi route, with a flying time of about 4 h 45 min to 5 h 25 min. Schedules change by season, so confirm the current direct services with the airline before you book. One-stop options via Mumbai, Bengaluru or Chennai are also common.
King Fahd International Airport is about 31 km north-west of downtown Dammam. Allow time for the drive and for check-in if you are leaving from Al Khobar or Dhahran.
A pre-booked taxi from Cochin International Airport is the simplest option, about 35 to 45 km depending on traffic and route. Tell the driver the address: Puthuval Road, Njarakkal, Ernakulam District. If you are travelling with a group, ask our team about sharing a vehicle.
The Eastern Province is where Saudi Arabia's oil industry is run from. Saudi Aramco has its headquarters in Dhahran, a short drive south of Dammam, and the company's own overview describes a workforce of more than 76,000 people and in-Kingdom reserves of 247.2 billion barrels. Contractors, drilling and marine service companies, inspection firms and manning agencies cluster around Dammam and Al Khobar to serve it.
Much of the offshore work lies north and east of Dammam in the Gulf. Safaniya, about 265 km north of Dhahran, is described as the largest offshore oil field in the world and has been in production since 1957. Manifa is a shallow-water heavy-crude development that Aramco built around 27 man-made islands linked by about 41 km of causeways, with additional platforms in the deeper parts of the field. Ras Tanura, on its own peninsula, combines a refinery with a crude export terminal that includes an artificial island and long piers.
On the industrial side, Jubail Industrial City, managed by the Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu, covers about 1,016 square kilometres and has refineries, petrochemical plants, two seaports and desalination plants. Dammam's own King Abdulaziz Port handles the marine traffic for the province. For a technician, a rigger, a medic or a marine crew member, this means a steady mix of platform work, vessel work and onshore plant work, each with different certificate expectations.
Hydrogen sulphide is a recognised hazard wherever sour crude and gas are handled, which is why Basic H2S awareness features so often in what people from this area ask us about. Whether it is actually required for your role depends on the site, your employer and the operator's induction rules.
Location of the Saudi Aramco headquarters, about 15 km south of Dammam, with the company's gated community and KFUPM nearby.
Offshore oil field on the Gulf coast about 265 km north of Dhahran, operated by Saudi Aramco.
Shallow-water heavy-crude field developed using man-made islands and causeways, with platforms in deeper sections.
Peninsula with a 550,000 barrel-a-day refinery and a major crude export terminal, reached by road from Dammam and Jubail.
About 96 km from Dammam; refineries, petrochemicals and two seaports under the Royal Commission.
Container and general cargo port serving the Eastern Province on the Gulf coast.
Look at your contract, the client's induction requirements and your current certificate. Confirm whether you need BOSIET or T-BOSIET, and whether the helicopter and fire modules are required separately.
OPITO certificates are valid for 4 years and Basic H2S for 2 years. Ask for a renewal date that falls before your current certificate expires, and before your return flight.
Batches run regularly. Send your leave dates to info@imostacademy.in or WhatsApp +91 8075 787307, and we will suggest a batch.
Fly into Cochin (COK) the day before. A BOSIET or T-BOSIET takes three days, so allow a margin for one lost day.
Bring swimwear, a towel, comfortable clothing and valid photo ID. If you wear spectacles, bring a retaining strap, and declare any medication when you register.
Send the details to your employer or manning agent, and save the renewal date in your calendar.
