Qatar Energy MEED List

04 November 2014

Six key individuals instrumental in shaping Qatar’s energy sector

Mohammed bin Saleh al-Sada

Position: Energy and industry minister

Biography: Mohammed bin Saleh al-Sada was appointed Qatar’s energy and industry minister in January 2011, and it is through this position that he also serves as chairman of the board of Qatar Petroleum (QP). Al-Sada replaced Abdullah bin Hamad al-Attiyah, who had held the ministerial post since 1992. Before assuming his current role, Al-Sada served as minister of state for energy and industry affairs from April 2007. He is vice-chairman of the board of Qatar Steel and chairman of Qatar Chemicals Company, Qatargas and Qatar International Petroleum Marketing Company. Al-Sada began his career with QP in 1983, and is a former technical director of QP and managing director at RasGas. He has a bachelor’s degree in marine science and geology from Qatar University and a doctorate from the UK’s University of Manchester Institute of
Science and Technology. Al-Sada is a board member of the Qatar Foundation.

Contact: (+974) 4 484 6444; www.mei.gov.qa

Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa al-Thani

Position: CEO, Qatargas Operating Company

Biography: Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa al-Thani was appointed CEO of Qatargas in 2010, replacing the long-serving Faisal al-Suwaidi. Qatargas is the largest liquefied natural gas (LNG) exporter in the world, with a production capacity of 42 million tonnes a year. Sheikh Khalid has worked in Qatar’s hydrocarbons industry for more than two decades, having first started working for QP in 1991. He then became a director of Ras Laffan Industrial City, where all Qatar’s LNG infrastructure is based. In addition to his role at Qatargas, Sheikh Khalid is chairman and managing director of Qatar Real Estate Investment Company. He is vice-chairman and CEO of Ras Laffan Refinery Company and vice-chairman of Qatar Gas Transport Company. He has a master’s degree in business administration (MBA) and a bachelor’s degree in computer science from Pacific Lutheran University in the US.

Contact: (+974) 4 473 6000; www.qatargas.com

Saad al-Kaabi

Position: Managing director, QP

Biography: Saad al-Kaabi became managing director of QP in September 2014. Ahead of this appointment, he was director of QP’s oil and gas division, overseeing production and exploration, a position he had held since 2006. Al-Kaabi originally joined QP in 1986 on a student programme. As part of the programme he went to the US to study petroleum and natural gas engineering at Pennsylvania State University. Al-Kaabi joined QP’s operational team in 1991, initially working in the reservoir and field development department, where he eventually assumed responsibility for the management of the giant North Field, which holds the majority of Qatar’s natural gas. As managing director of QP, Al-Kaabi sits on the company’s board of directors along with Energy and Industry Minister Mohammed al-Sada, Economy and Commerce Minister Sheikh Ahmed bin Jassim al-Thani and Finance Minister Ali Sheriff al-Emadi.

Contact: (+974) 4 440 2000; www.qp.com

Hamad Rashid al-Mohannadi

Position: CEO, Ras Laffan Liquefied Natural Gas Company (RasGas Company)

Biography: Hamad Rashid al-Mohannadi joined Qatar’s second LNG producer RasGas as managing director and CEO in April 2007. Before this, he was general manager of Qatar Petrochemical Company (Qapco), where he played a key role in steering the company and overseeing its expansion for 16 years. Al-Mohannadi has spent more than three decades working in QP companies and joint ventures within the refining, petrochemicals and upstream sectors. As well as being the CEO of RasGas, Al-Mohannadi is chairman of the board of directors for Qapco, Qatofin Company and Qatar Fuel Additives Company. He is also vice-chairman of Qatar Vinyl Company and Qatar Petroleum International. Al-Mohannadi has been a board member of RasGas since its establishment in 1993 and he is an advisory board member of the Bilateral US-Arab Chamber of Commerce.

Contact: (+974) 4 473 8000; www.rasgas.com

Wael Sawan

Position: Managing director and chairman, Qatar Shell Companies

Biography: Wael Sawan has spent most of his career at the UK/Dutch Shell Group, working in its core business units: exploration and production; gas and power; and downstream. Sawan began his career with Shell in 1997 as an engineer with Petroleum Development Oman. He was posted to London as a Middle East and North Africa upstream business advisor, then took a break to complete his MBA at the US’ Harvard Business School. He rejoined Shell Gas & Power in the Hague, in the Netherlands, leading gas monetisation projects, before becoming general manager for acquisitions and divestments of Shell’s global downstream retail network. Sawan was appointed vice-president for commercial, new business development and LNG in Qatar in 2008. He was promoted to his current position in April 2012. Shell developed Qatar’s $19bn Pearl GTL project.

Contact: (+974) 4 495 7777; www.shell.com.qa

Abdulrahman al-Suwaidi

Position: CEO, Oryx GTL

Biography: Abdulrahman al-Suwaidi has been CEO of Oryx GTL since January 2009. He was seconded to Oryx in January 2007 from QP, where he had worked since 1987. At QP, he held technical and operational positions in the offshore business, before taking on managerial roles between 1998 and 2007. He was responsible for QP’s gas processing and distribution facilities at Mesaieed, and then gas production and reinjection facilities located offshore and at Dukhan. In these roles, he oversaw production and maintenance, operations, inspection, engineering and production planning. Al-Suwaidi is a director on the board of RasGas, a member of the Dolphin Energy executive management
committee, a member of the Ras Laffan chief executive committee and chairman of the Gas Processors Association’s GCC chapter. He has a degree in chemistry from Qatar University and a diploma in mechanical engineering from Bradford University in the UK.

Contact: (+974) 4 474 3333; www.oryxgtl.com.qa

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