Our Board and Leadership Team

Our Board and Leadership Team

OQ's Board of Directors is responsible for formulating and tracking the progress of long-term objectives. The eight-member Leadership Team ensures the constant flow of information and monitors pertinent activities, compliance KPIs and strategies.

Board of Directors

Mulham Basheer Al Jarf

Deputy President for Investment at Oman Investment Authority – Chairman

Mulham is the Deputy President for Investment at the Oman Investment Authority. With over 25 years of vital industry knowledge and global business experience – not only in the oil and gas industry but also in telecommunication, finance and law, Mulham is responsible for OIA’s investments to achieve long term sustainable returns for the Sultanate of Oman and to support the diversification of the Omani economy. Prior to joining OIA, Mulham was Deputy CEO of Oman Oil Company SAOC and earlier with the Ministry of Oil & Gas, Oman Gas Company SAOC and General Telecommunications Organisation. He holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in International Business from Marymount University and is a qualified Barrister-at-Law of the Bar of England and Wales.

Said Abdullah Al Hatmi

CEO Al Ahli Bank - Deputy Chairman

Appointed as the Chief Executive Officer of Al Ahli Bank in 2018, Said Abdullah Al Hatmi held various senior positions at the HSBC Bank Middle East, Oman. Overall, he has more than 17 years of commercial banking experience in the areas of corporate banking, risk management, finance and banking operations. Al Hatmi graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in finance from Sultan Qaboos University in 2000 and an MBA from the University of Strathclyde in the UK in 2007. He is also a qualified Certified Management Accountant from the Institute of Management Accountants, USA, in 2011.

Graham J Ford

Internal Advisor – Member

Graham Ford currently serves as a consultant and advisor on energy commodities trading for OQ’s BoD. He shares a wide and extensive experience for more than 35 years in the fields of Strategy, Governance, Risk Management, Financial Control and ETRM Systems. With a rich track record, Mr. Ford has worked in various countries such as UK, Europe, Asia and the US and he is very passionate about building and leading global teams in the oil and gas sector, power trading, downstream and chemical businesses. Graham has held several CFO positions for a number of international businesses including, EDF Trading, Integrated Supply & Trading (IST) BP P.L.C, London.

Qais Saud Al Zakwani

CEO Oman Water and Wastewater Services Company - Member

Qais started as an Economist at the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority before becoming a Regulatory Advisor at the Authority for Electricity Regulation in 2007. As the Executive Director from 2014, he regulated and expanded the electricity sector, established regulatory institutions, and advised the government on fuel diversity and renewable energy. Qais now serves as the CEO of Oman Water and Wastewater Services Company, improving water services. He played key roles in restructuring Oman Post and the water sector and holds board positions in aviation, communication, and sports. Qais holds a Masters in Utilities Regulation from the London School of Economics (LSE) and a second Masters in Major Programme Management from the Saïd Business School at the University of Oxford.

Abdulrahman Salim Al Hatmi

CEO ASYAD - Member

Group CEO of ASYAD, Al Hatmi was a key player in the development of Oman’s National Logistics Strategy 2040. He now oversees its implementation and spearheads the sector’s economic growth. He led the inception of ASYAD Group, consisting of 16 companies and spanning three major Ports with their associated free-zones, as well as Oman Shipping, Oman Post, Oman Dry Dock and Transport companies including Oman Rail. The latter was established by Abdulrahman Salim to direct and manage the development of the GCC and national rail project in Oman. Al Hatmi is a Mechanical Engineer, graduated from the University of Bradford.

Salim Hamed Al-Sukaiti

Oil South Director, Petroleum Development Oman (PDO), Member

Salim, a highly experienced professional with over 32 years in the oil and gas industry, graduated from the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology. He began his career at PDO as a wellsite Petroleum Engineer, excelling in drilling, reservoir modeling, and EOR projects. His impactful tenure at Shell Brunei involved revitalizing the Seria field and contributing to the Ampa Gas Flood projects. Upon returning to PDO, Salim led EOR initiatives and served as Petroleum Engineering Manager. Later, he assumed roles as Gas Director, overseeing PDO's gas portfolio, and Oil South Director, responsible for a significant share of the company's oil production. Salim's contributions extended to board memberships in OLNG and QLNG, collaborating closely with government and international representatives.

Thuraiya Ahmed Al Balushi

Manager, Economic Diversification Investment at OIA

Thuraiya is a highly experienced professional with over 16 years of diverse working experience and a strong educational background. Currently serving as the Manager - Economic Diversification Investment at Oman Investment Authority (OIA), she oversees local investments and the development of divestment programmes. Previously, Thuraiya held roles as an Associate in Asset Management - Private Equity at the State General Reserve Fund (SGRF), managing a diverse portfolio of over USD 800 million. Her experience spans compliance audits, stockbroking, and board memberships. Thuraiya holds a Master's degree in Business and Management from the University of Strathclyde and a Bachelor's degree in Finance from Sultan Qaboos University. Her expertise, leadership, and educational achievements contribute to her success in driving economic growth and strategic investments.

Leadership Team

Talal Al Awfi

Group CEO

Talal has a vast experience spanning more than 20 years in oil, gas, and petrochemical marketing and trading. Over his distinguished career, he has held key positions in the public and private sectors before his appointment as Group CEO for OQ in 2021. He is notably credited for setting-up OQ Trading, one of the world's major participants in the commodities trading industry. Additionally, Talal has served as Chairman and Board member for several companies in Oman and abroad. Talal holds a BSc (Hons) in Business and Finance, and an MSc in Marketing from The University of Manchester, UK.

Abdulrahman Al Harthi

Chief Executive Assurance

Abdulrahman has 25 years of experience in the field of auditing and risk management mostly in the Government sector in the Sultanate of Oman; overseeing governance as a member of the Audit and Risk Committee and being in the Board of several public and private corporate entities in Oman. Abdulrahman worked previously as Director General in the State Audit Institution overseeing the state audits of ministries and state owned companies in the Government of Sultanate of Oman and assisting the institution’s Chairman and Deputy Chairman on technical matters including preparation of Supreme Audit Institutions (SAI) reports to His Majesty the Sultan and presenting the SAI in international bodies like ASOSAI and INTOSAI.

Ahmed Al-Azkawi

Chief Executive Upstream

Ahmed is the OQ Upstream Chief Executive responsible for Exploration, Production and the Gas Network. His career in Oil and Gas started with Petroleum Development Oman (PDO) in 1997 as a petroleum engineer. Where he worked in gas fields, light oil, heavy oil, and enhanced oil recovery (EOR). Ahmed was posted in the USA to work in EOR before returning to PDO as a Well and Reservoir Management TL, a cluster manager and later a senior value assurance consultant. Prior to his present role, Ahmed was the head of procurement, contracts, and inventory in OQ and was the CEO of Oman Logistics company SAOC (Khazaen) before joining OQ. He is a member of various committees and boards with diverse experience in upstream, downstream and the logistics sector. Ahmed holds a B.Sc in Physics from Imperial College London, MEng in Petroleum Engineering from Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh and is a Member of the Charted Institute of Procurement and Supply (MCIPS).

Sabrina Al Bakri

Chief Executive Financial

Sabrina is OQ’s Chief Executive Finance, and has over 17 years’ experience in the field of finance, providing corporate finance solutions and performance reporting, including diverse and complex funding requirements. Her career in the field started at PDO and Shell, after which she joined Aabar Investments in Abu Dhabi where she spent 10 years structuring finance solutions including corporate bonds, multicurrency syndications and exchangeable bonds. She joined OQ Group in 2018 delivering on originating, evaluating, and structuring a variety of finance arrangements including corporate bonds, multicurrency syndications, term loans and project financing to deliver business value. Sabrina holds a BA degree in Finance, Accounting & Management from the University of Nottingham and is an ACCA Certified Chartered Accountant since 2011.

Ashraf Al Mamari

Chief Executive People, Technology and Culture

Ashraf Al Mamari has 17 years of experience in various organisational leadership roles which include Human Resources, Corporate Affairs, and Supply Chain. He has a B.Sc Degree in General Management from Sultan Qaboos University and is currently enrolled in the DBA program with Coventry University. He has taken on multiple leadership roles in the Energy and Minerals industry within Oman and abroad. Al Mamari first joined OQ in 2013, as a Learning and Development Manager in one of the Company’s legacies – Takatuf Oman, then worked in OQ Exploration and Production and OQ Chemicals in Germany before leading the People function of OQ recently. He is currently a Board member of Abraj (since 2017) and a board member of TRANSOM catering (since 2021) and was previously a board member of OPAL and InstOG. His mandate at OQ spans Human Resources, Brand, Communications, Sustainability and Administration including Work Environment, as well as accountability for the Group’s transformation through Digitalization, Lean and Continuous Improvement (CI).

Al Muthir Al Kharusi

Chief Executive Strategy & Transformation

Al Muthir has more than 25 years of professional experience in various senior management roles in Oil & Gas in Oman and globally. He joined OQ Group in 2020 as IPO Readiness and Integration Management Office (IMO) Leader, and was appointed as Chief Strategy & Transformation Officer in March of 2021 with the mandate to develop and drive the execution of a strategy that will create a healthier, more robust company that is agile enough to weather economic downturns and more effectively navigate changing market conditions allowing OQ to grow sustainably and profitably. This was through leading different areas to achieve the mandate, namely to develop and execute a new Strategy; Improve OQ’s balance sheet through the strategic divestment and privatization of Assets; Improving EBITDA & Organizational Efficiencies through Organizational & Operational Excellence programs and driving Innovation and innovative business development. Prior to join OQ Group, Al Muthir held the position of President Rajasthan Oil, where he was accountable for 90% of the P&L for Cairn Oil & Gas India. He holds a Bachelors of Engineering in Chemical Engineering from the University of Glamorgan. He attended the Shell INSEAD leadership development course and was awarded the great manager award for senior leadership by the economic times India in 2019.

Najla Al Jamali

Chief Executive Alternative Energy

Najla is the Alternative Energy CEO. She has more than 23 years of professional experience in various onshore and offshore upstream Oil and Gas operational roles, and managerial consultancy positions at globally recognised companies including Vale, Schlumberger, IHS Energy, Shell and Petroleum Development Oman (PDO). Prior to her current role, Mrs. Al Jamali was appointed as Acting Executive Managing Director of Takamul Investment Company in 2016, and in 2020 she helped set up OQ’s Alternative Energy team where she became responsible for all Green Molecules Ventures. Najla holds a Bachelor of Science degree with honours in Mathematics with Applied Mathematics/Mathematical Physics from Imperial College, London, and attained a Master of Science degree in Financial Management from the University of London and participated in Schlumberger’s leadership programme at INSEAD, in France.

Abdulwahhab Al Hinai

General Counsel

Appointed as OQ General Counsel, Abdulwahhab Al Hinai worked as Director of Legal and Regulatory Affairs for the Authority for Public Services Regulation from 2013 to 2021 before becoming Lead Regulatory Employment & Litigation at OQ in 2021. Abdulwahhab played a key role in major projects in utility sectors and in the development of new legislations. He also acted as in-house legal counsel for a number of organisations with long experience in leading the legal function in regulatory authorities. Abdulwahhab holds a Master of Laws (LLM) from King's College, London and MBA from Strathclyde.

Hilal Ali Al Kharusi

Chief Executive Commercial & Downstream

With over 29 years of international business experience in the energy sector, Mr. Kharusi is the Vice President of Retail at OQ, and is responsible for developing and driving OQ global retail business strategy locally and internationally. He started his career with Petroleum Development Oman and Shell International managing a number of energy projects across the Middle East, CIS, Africa and Russia. Prior to joining OQ, Hilal was the Executive Vice President for Emerging Businesses at Oman Oil Company where he developed large-scale energy projects locally, managed the Group’s international M&A activities, and was responsible for managing a diverse energy portfolio. Currently, he serves as Board Chairman in Oman Oil Marketing Company and Chairman in Oman Sustainable Water Services. Hilal holds a Bachelor’s degree in Geosciences - Economic Geography in 1999 and an MBA in 2007 from the UK.