Muscat: Petrofac has appointed Dr Khalid Al Jahwari as Country Manager, Oman. This leadership appointment recognises the activities and multiple substantial projects the company has in-country and the strategic importance of the Sultanate to the Group.

Dr Al Jahwari brings more than 20 years’ experience in the oil and gas industry, with a varied background in technical, commercial and management roles, working across the Middle East, Africa and Europe. He holds a bachelors degree in Petroleum Engineering from Muscat’s Sultan Qaboos University, as well as an MBA and a PhD from the UK’s University of Strathclyde.

Dr Al Jahwari has significant leadership experience, most recently as Shell’s General Manager of Operations in Egypt, having previously been Shell’s Global Production Excellence Leader, based in The Hague, Netherlands. Prior to Shell, he spent 15 years with Petroleum Development Oman (PDO), holding a number of key roles.

This appointment is aligned to Petrofac’s model of local execution to global standards. It will help underpin the continued role the company has in Oman’s evolving energy needs and the development of the country’s oil, gas and renewables infrastructure, helping clients expand both their upstream production and their downstream operations.

In his role as ambassador in-country, Dr Al Jahwari will represent the Petrofac Group, working closely with the various parties across the entire Petrofac portfolio, in the ongoing delivery and development of the company’s full-service capability offering and operations in Oman.

Elie Lahoud, Petrofac’s Chief Operating Officer – Engineering & Construction, said: “I am delighted to welcome Khalid to Petrofac. He brings significant experience, with a track record spanning an impressive career, built both internationally and in Oman. This is a key market where we remain firmly focused on maximising local and sustainable delivery, generating in-country value, and playing our part in the region’s energy transition for many years to come.”

Petrofac has been supporting Oman’s energy sector since 1988 with a strong track record in delivery, excellent safety record and focus on enhancing in-country value through local goods and services. During the past 33 years, Petrofac has established a multi-discipline engineering and project execution office in Muscat and invested in a state-of-the-art technical training centre, Takatuf Petrofac Oman (TPO).

Substantial ongoing projects include the Duqm Refinery. The mega project is designed to be able to process a range of blended crude oils, configured as a full-conversion hydrocracker/coking facility that will utilise advanced technology. Petrofac, in a 50/50 joint venture with Samsung Engineering, is delivering the EPC package 2.

Petrofac has a long-term Framework Agreement with PDO for the provision of engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) management services for major oil and gas projects in the Sultanate. These include the massive Yibal-Khuff Project, which is strategically important for PDO and will help meet Oman’s growing medium and long-term oil and gas demands. It is now at the critical final commissioning stage and set to come on stream soon.