Qatar Shell has stressed that it provides an “ideal platform” for ambitious Qataris seeking to give back to their nation.
With about 300 Qataris within Qatar Shell, all holding technical and commercial positions at different levels, Osama Ahmad is just one example of how the company seeks to support the Human Development Pillar of Qatar National Vision 2030 through Qatarisation, it has said in a statement.
Ahmad joined Qatar Shell in 2008 as a project engineer at the Pearl Gas-to-Liquids (GTL) plant, the world’s largest GTL plant built in partnership with Qatar Petroleum (QP).
“I had a great sense of national pride working on the Pearl GTL project because it felt like I was making a big contribution to my country,” said Ahmad. “In my role as project manager, I became responsible for the pipeline that transported products to the jetty. So, in a way, I was facilitating the exportation of Qatar’s national treasure to the world, which made me proud.”
Seven years on from his initial role at Qatar Shell, Ahmad has returned to Pearl GTL as reliability manager, supported by a team of six. In this role, he is tasked with ensuring that the world’s largest GTL plant is running at optimal capacity. “However, this formidable yet tremendous responsibility was only achieved after a remarkable journey within Qatar Shell,” the statement noted.
Ahmad advanced his career after being acknowledged for his performance as project engineer, which saw him rewarded with a second position as an assistant project director. “In this role, I gained fantastic insight into what happens at the project director level and what it takes to bring the different pieces of the mega projects puzzle together,” he said.
Ahmad then went on to join Qatar Shell’s Accelerated Development Programme, which saw him involved in the founding of the Qatar Projects Hub that now delivers small- and medium-sized projects worth up to $500mn (QR1.8bn) for Qatar Shell.
“After the Pearl GTL execution phase came to an end, I decided to peruse another stretch in my career and joined the, back then, new Al Karaana project. This decision saw me leave my comfort zone and relocate to the Shell headquarters in the Netherlands,” said
Ahmad.
On the then Al Karaana project, which has since been halted following a decision arrived upon by both QP and Qatar Shell, Ahmad was a key player in the tendering
evaluation team.
“Relocating to Shell’s headquarters for four years and working on a new project was a great experience because it placed me in a completely new living and working environment, which taught me so much about myself. On a professional note, it was a real eye-opener to see how such a massive organisation such as Shell is organised and operates,” he recalled.
Ahmad was exposed to such insights after also having joined the business development team at the headquarters in the Netherlands.
“I am proud to be a part of Qatar Shell because it is an organisation that recognises talent and nurtures it through a tremendous support network,” said Ahmad.