Maintenance is defined as the combination of activities by which equipment, assets or a system is kept or restored to a state in which it can perform its designated function. It is an important factor in product quality control and can be used as a strategy for successful competition and plays a critical role in preserving and prolonging equipment and assets life cycle. Maintenance is emerging as an interdisciplinary field and currently knowledge is being generated. On the other hand over the last four decades the kingdom of Saudi Arabia has developed a huge infrastructure and an industrial base in petrochemical and petroleum industry that requires effective and efficient maintenance. Maintenance is an important area and this has been realized in the Kingdom's developmental plans. Specifically item 10 of the second principal in the sixth developmental plan (1415-1420 H) emphasizes the need to include maintenance and operation as an integral part of any project and all considerations should be made at the design stage to minimize maintenance requirements as much as possible. In the local area (eastern province) maintenance of petroleum and petrochemical industry is critical. The group will have focus on local industry requirement.
The maintenance research group (MRG) focuses on activities related to the broad area of maintenance which is known recently as asset management. Maintenance is an interdisciplinary filed of research that requires expertise in different areas. These areas include Industrial, Mechanical, Electrical Engineering, Management and others area. The Center brings together faculty and students to work on interdisciplinary research projects which focus on problems relevant to local industry needs. They consist of theoretical and model-based research, empirical research and detailed field-based studies of maintenance problems.
One of the prime targets of the MRG is to enrich the educational experience of undergraduate and graduate students. The MRC will enhance the educational process in a multidisciplinary environment by providing students with the opportunities to conduct industrial projects to satisfy senior projects, co-op and Master thesis requirements.