 “Shell’s own history in the Middle East spans the whole of the last century, with the company taking the first bulk tanker of kerosene through the Suez Canal in August 1892. “Shell’s upstream activities and production in the region grew rapidly, initially in the Caspian region, but from 1911 in Egypt, from the 1920s in Iraq, the 1930s in Oman and Abu Dhabi, the 1940s in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, and the 1950s in Iran and Libya. Shell has therefore helped to find many of the hydrocarbon resources that now generate wealth for the region. Currently Shell’s exploration and production activities take place in Egypt, Iran, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Syria and the UAE, with exciting new projects being developed in Qatar, Iran and Libya. “Initially local employees made up only a small proportion of Shell staff in the region. However, today Shell’s growth in the region has led to a workforce that is made up almost 90 per cent of local people. And with that increasing percentage of regional staff has come the requirement for the training and transfer of technology, a requirement that has evolved significantly in recent years. Shell’s commitment to this aspect of its business can be seen around the region in its ongoing training programmes, with the secondment of highly experienced Shell staff to help develop national staff, and in the establishment of centres of excellence such as the Technical Studies Centre in Syria, the Virtual Reality Centre at the Sultan Qaboos University in Muscat and the Petroleum Institute in Abu Dhabi. This forms part of our commitment to sustainable development and is something that underpins our business in the region. “My responsibility as Shell E&P’s New Business Director for the Middle East is to work with the governments and national oil companies in the Middle East to create new long-lasting partnerships to help develop and produce the hydrocarbon resources of the region. In this role I visit Kuwait frequently to meet people in the oil sector and society, and to further build my understanding of Kuwait’s needs. “Shell, as I mentioned, has been active in the region for over a hundred years. We are keen to play a major role in the development of the region for many years to come. I see fantastic opportunities in Kuwait’s hydrocarbon sector and look forward to working with some of the talented Kuwaitis I have met, to optimise the development and production of the nation’s hydrocarbon resources. “To do this and to have a truly sustainable future, we realise that we must focus beyond oil and gas production to fully address the needs of the Kuwaiti people. “Sustainable development lies at the core of our business and I look forward to seeing Shell help develop the skills and capabilities of the country’s people. To see young nationals rapidly pick up new skills and take on new responsibilities can be very rewarding. That’s when working in this industry is truly satisfying.” Dr Gavin Graham, New Business Director for the Middle East for Shell Exploration & Production Malcolm Brinded is Executive Director for Shell Exploration and Production and manages Shell’s E&P Business worldwide. He is also the Shell Group’s Regional Executive Director for the Middle East
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