Maher Hijazin

Position: Director general, Natural Resources Authority (NRA)

Biography: As director general of the NRA, Maher Hijazin is one step removed from the country’s energy sector, but his role is arguably more important than those of his counterparts at the Jordan National Petroleum Company (JNPC) and Jordan Petroleum Refinery Company (JPRC).

While JNPC is responsible for Jordan’s oil production and the JPRC for refining, the NRA is tasked with attracting much-needed international investment into the sector. Hijazin has supervised the launch of an exploration round to develop the country’s conventional oil resources and he is also negotiating with international companies to exploit the country’s plentiful oil shale resources.

Plans are being developed to use the oil shale as feedstock for a new generation of power stations. Hijazin has headed the NRA since 2004, when he took over from Mohammad Gharaybeh.

Contact: (+9626) 5811 808
Website: www.nra.gov.jo