SULTAN AL-GHAITHI
Chief Executive Officer & Co-Founder
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- Expansive operational and managerial experience obtained from nearly three decades in the E&P environment gained in Oman, Bahrain, Qatar, Tanzania and Yemen while working for globally renowned firms like Petroleum Development Oman (PDO) and Weatherford International.
- Previously served as a board member of Muscat City Desalination Company in Oman and is now on the board of Aminex PLC.
- Holds a BSc (Hons) in Mechanical Engineering and MSc in Industrial Engineering.
OLA FJELD
Executive VP & Chief Operating Officer & Co-Founder
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- 42 years of diverse industry experience in Norway and numerous locations internationally.
- Has worked for large international service companies as well as E&P and consulting companies.
- Started an oil and gas software company (VoxelVision). The company was acquired by Schlumberger (now SLB) and the technologies from VoxelVision and GigaViz form the seismic interpretation parts of the world leading G&G software package Petrel.
- Holds a MSc from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology
DR. SALMAN AL-SHIDI
General Manager ARA B-44 & B31
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- 33 years of varied industry experience in Oman, Asia Pacific, Dubai & Yemen in national as well as international oil and gas operating companies in addition to working in the Ministry of Energy and Minerals in Oman.
- Served on the boards of both PDO and ORPIC.
- Holds a BSc (Hons) from Drexel University (USA), MSC from University of Texas (USA), a PhD from Heriot-Watt University (UK) and Management Training from IMD, (Switzwerland).
DR. OMAR AL-JAAIDI
VP ARA Petroleum & General Manager ARA E&P
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- Almost 30 years of varied experience in the upstream oil and gas industry, with expertise in exploration, field development, and well and reservoir management.
- Extensive work experience in Oman, Qatar, and Southeast Asia, contributing to key projects and initiatives.
- Prior to ARA, held positions in national and international organizations such as PDO, Sultan Qaboos University (SQU), Shell Oman, Shell Malaysia, and Qatar Petroleum.
- Served as the President and Vice President Of the Geological Society of Oman and one of the founders of the Environmental Society of Oman (2004).
- Holds a BSc (Hons) from Sultan Qaboos University (SQU), an MSc from the University of Aberdeen, an MBA from the Robert Gordon University, and a PhD from the University of Leeds, UK.
ERHAN SAYGI
General Manager ARA Petroleum Tanzania
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- 28 years of experience in the oil & gas services sector and E&P. Vast work experience in the Middle East, Asia Pacific, Europe, Africa and North America in companies such as SLB & Weatherford.
- Have been a key member of ARA Petroleum since 2016.
- Holds BSc. and an MSc in Aeronautical Engineering from Middle East Technical University, Ankara Turkey.
DR. IAIN PATON
Subsurface Manager
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- Over 20 years’ experience with the oil and gas industry in Europe, Asia, Africa and the Middle East. Expertise in field development, production optimisation and economics.
- Leads a multi-disciplinary team with responsibility for exploration, appraisal, development and well & reservoir management across ARA’s assets.
- Member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers and Association of International Energy Negotiators.
ANUJ SINGHAL
Chief Financial Officer
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- Chartered Accountant (CA) with 18 years’ experience in business finance and strategy spread across diverse roles predominantly in the upstream oil and gas industry.
- Experience gained from primarily ONGC, BHEL and Cairn Energy.
Abdullah Al-Asmi
QSF Contract Manager
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- 32 years’ varied experience in oil and gas exploration & production. Started with Petroleum Development Oman (PDO) for 23 years then moved to ARA E&P as Engineering Manager and is currently ARA E&P QSF Contract Manager.
- Served as the Membership Manger at the Oman Society of Engineering and one of the founders of the Engineering Society of Oman and representing the Society internationally.
- Holds a BEng (Hons) in Electrical Engineering from University of Wales (UK), and MBA from university of Hull, UK.
ROBERT AMBROSE
Chief Compliance Officer
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- An experienced oil & gas professional gained over 40 years in the N.Sea, Nigeria, Abu Dhabi, Qatar, India & Oman.
- Holds a BSc (Hons) in Mechanical Engineering (Brunel University) & an MSc in Petroleum Engineering (Imperial College).
JAMES LANSDELL
General Counsel
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- Energy and projects lawyer with extensive experience in managing risk and executing cross-border deals and projects.
- Previously worked for over a decade at the international law firm Dentons in both the Muscat and London offices.
- Practising solicitor, regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority of England and Wales. Holds a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Science in Psychology.
MAJID AL-SHANDUDI
Drilling and Workover General Manager
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- 30 years’ experience in oil and gas exploration & production within both the operator & service sectors. Started with Petroleum Development Oman (PDO) for 11 years then moved to the services side with Abraj, Weatherford, RAY International.
- Holds a BSc (Hons) in Mechanical Engineering, and MBA both from the UK
SULTAN AL-FARSI
Security and Admin Manager
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- 30 years of distinguished military service in the Sultan Armed Forces, with advanced qualifications obtained in Oman, UK, USA, Germany, the Netherlands to name a few.
- Extensive command experience, complemented by specialized technical qualifications both domestically and internationally.
- Master’s degree in military science from Mubarak Al Abdulla Joint Command College.
HAITHAM AL-HAMADANI
HR Manager/ HR Sectoral Head ARA Group
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- Over 16 years of experience in strategic HR management within the manufacturing and oil & gas sectors, with a strong focus on workforce planning, talent development, and localisation.
- Holds a BSc (Hons) in Natural Resources Economics from Sultan Qaboos University and an MSc in International Human Resources Management from the UK, complemented by professional certifications in HR and leadership.
- Expertise in aligning HR strategies with organizational goals, driving employee engagement, operational efficiency, and sustainable growth.
HAMED AL-SHIBANI
Q&HSSE Manager
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- 28 years of diverse experience in the Oil and Gas industry, with expertise in Quality, Health Safety, Security and Environmental Management, Enterprise Risk Management, Business Continuity, ESG reporting and Compliance, Process Safety and Loss Prevention.
- Extensive work experience in Oman, Qatar, and internationally. Has worked for large International Service Companies such as Schlumberger and Weatherford for over 22 years prior joining ARA Petroleum in 2018.
- Holds a BSc in Molecular Biology and Biotechnology and MSc in Occupational Health and Safety.
BASMA AL-RAHBI
ESG & ICV Manager
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- Experienced ESG and ICV Manager with 18 years in Oman’s oil and gas sector.
- Began career in Petroleum Development Oman (PDO), contributing to the infrastructure department, oil north projects, and contracts management.
- Since 2017, has been an integral part of ARA Petroleum.
- Holds certification in Quantity Surveying (QS) Engineering.
- Currently pursuing an MSc in Leadership and Sustainability.