Oman SETS 2018

Managing Director
Clean Energy Business Council MENA, UAE

Raed is currently the managing director for the Clean Energy Business Council (CEBC) in Dubai and is a senior advisor with the Apricum Group and founder of Sunergy Advisory. Raed has over two decades of international experience in the energy sector, having worked with Multinational corporations as well as technology startups and R&D organizations. Recently, Raed was at First Solar where he was Vice President for Sales and Business Development for MENA, overseeing First Solar’s commercial footprint in the region, market setup, origination and strategy development for partnerships and project execution. Upon moving back to the ME in 2009, Raed joined the core team that built the Economic Development Division at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), where he was responsible for creating the institution’s successful Industry Collaboration Program and acted as an advisor to both public and private sector entities in Saudi Arabia.

Raed previously took on several senior roles with Siemens AG in Germany and in the US. He is the author of several referenced papers and holds several patents around energy conversion. Raed is a co-founder and mentor of several technology startups and is a passionate advocate for decarbonization and the clean tech industry

Senior Vice President
Dii Desert Energy MENA

Cornelius is a well-respected leader and investor in the renewable energy industry and built several successful clean energy businesses and start-ups within Middle East and Africa. He has extensive board level experience from 10 years in Deutsche Bank (among others, youngest board member in Deutsche Bank Italy Group) and several renewable energy associations via pro bono work. By building the international shareholder and partner network of Dii (Desertec Industrial Initiative), he was at the forefront of the renewable energy revolution in North Africa and the Middle East. A keen entrepreneur and investor in emerging markets with recognitions such as “Solar Pioneer 2015” for the Middle East, he is lecturing at several universities including St. Gallen and is a regular speaker at international conferences. He holds an MBA (Dipl. Kaufmann) from University of Passau, and speaks German, English, Italian, French and Russian. “I am glad to be able to work in renewable energy which is also my passion – we can genuinely make an impact with many different things and help people, to make our planet a better place. Having new challenges every day is fantastic and many more mountains to be climbed!”

Project Development Director
Oman Power & Water Procurement Company (OPWP)

Having achieved a Bachelors of Aerospace Engineering from UK in year 2002, Naif has started his career in Oman Air in year 2003 and had progressed in the career ladder to be an Assistant Manager Development Engineering. Subsequently, he joined Oman Power and Water Procurement Company (OPWP) in year 2013 as a Project Development Manager in which he handles the procurement of new major power and water projects. In July 2016, he was appointed as the Director of Projects Development to lead the Projects Development team, which is considered one the core departments in OPWP, that manages the procurement of all new power and water desalination projects for the country.

Key achievements accomplished through his professional journey are represented by being part of the selected team in Oman Air for the purchase and definition of the new Airbus A330 fleet. The outcome of this program was recognized worldwide as Oman Air has received a number of elite awards which has placed the national airline to be amongst the prestigious airlines. Furthermore, with the current employer, he had successfully led the department on a number of major power and water desalination projects in Oman and continues to take the department to new heights.

Naif also holds an MBA from the prestigious University of Strathclyde, UK , and has undertaken a leadership training program from the renowned institute of IMD, Switzerland. He is also a graduate of the National CEOs Program Cohort 3 which was managed by the Diwan of the Royal Court.

Renewable Energy Lead
Petroleum Development Oman (PDO)

Mohammed holds a Masters in Electrical Engineering from Western University, Canada. He started his career in Muscat Electricity Distribution Co (MEDC) in the Electrical Safety department. In August 2010, Mohammed joined Petroleum Development Oman (PDO) and worked in various roles within the power system infrastructure department. He held positions in different sections (operation & maintenance, construction, projects, concept), and now he is leading the Renewable Energy and energy efficiency initiatives within PDO.

Partner, Dentons & Vice Chair Board of Directors
Clean Energy Business Council (CEBC)

Mhairi is a partner in the energy and infrastructure team based in Dubai, joining the firm in November 2017 after more than a decade at international law firm, Ashurst.

Mhairi is an experienced corporate and commercial lawyer specializing in energy and infrastructure projects, advising on project development, M&A and capital markets in the energy and infrastructure sectors. Mhairi focuses in particular on utilities projects (conventional power and water projects, wastewater and renewables, including solar (CSP and PV), wind and waste-to-energy) and upstream oil and gas projects (including acquisitions and disposals, development of upstream oil and gas projects, and sales arrangements). Mhairi also advises on public international law issues related to international projects (BITs, sanctions and boundary disputes).

Mhairi is admitted as an attorney and counselor at law in the State of New York and a solicitor in England and Wales. She is a member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and the Association of International Petroleum Negotiators.

Mhairi is a member of the Board and Vice-Chair of the Clean Energy Council, a non-profit organisation providing a forum for both private and public sector organizations participating in the clean energy sector across the MENA region.

Senior Business Development Manager
Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy

2017 - 2018: Senior Business Development Manager, North Europe and Middle East, Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy, Germany

2012 - 2017: Sales Manager Utilities/IPP, Siemens Power and Gas, Saudi Arabia

2011 - 2012: Sales & Marketing Engineer, Alstom Grid Services, Pakistan

2010 - 2011: Executive Engineer Sales & Proposal, Siemens Wind Power, Pakistan

2008 - 2009: Sales & Proposal Engineer, Siemens T&D Services, Pakistan

2003 - 2007: B. Sc, Electrical Engineering

Planning and Economics Director
Oman Power & Water Procurement Company (OPWP)

Brian Wood has been director of OPWP’s Planning and Economics department since 2011. His department is responsible for OPWP’s supply plan, to assure that electricity generation and water desalination capacity is sufficient to provide for demand, at costs that are reasonable and economic. Other roles are to set tariffs that reflect the cost of supply, and to develop procurement strategies that include demand management, energy trading, renewable energy development, and market-based approaches. Before coming to OPWP, Mr. Wood worked and lived in India, Southeast Asia, and Egypt since the mid-1990s. As a consultant, he has developed and implemented energy efficiency strategies for industrial, commercial and residential sectors in Egypt, India, Thailand, and the United States. He was educated in engineering and public policy at Stanford University and the University of California at Berkeley.

Renewable Energy Lead
Petroleum Development Oman (PDO)

Mohammed is a Renewable Energy Lead in Petroleum Development Oman (PDO). He is also the Project Engineer who manages Petroleum Development Oman’s (PDO) Amin 100 MW Solar PV IPP. This project is one of the leading projects in the renewable energy sector in Oman and is the first IPP for PDO. Mohammed is responsible for the overall project coordination including the technical/economical, Legal, financial and commercial aspects. He worked previously as the project engineer for PDOs’ 6MW solar rooftop car parking project in PDO Headquarter and is a company functional specialist in renewable energy. With an experience that varies between renewable energy engineering, Oil and Gas lean management, electrical operations and maintenance, power related integrity projects and power generation and transmission.

Key Account Manager
Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy, Spain

Xavier leads the solar business development of Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy (SGRE) in the MENA region. Xavier is MSc Industrial Engineer and specialist in international business development in the energy sector. His experience includes the implementation of strategies for the sale of power solutions in "utility scale" plants in the company SMA Solar and the development of the OPGW cable sales business in the electric interconnection projects carried out in Africa for the multinational Prysmian Cables.

Deputy Director of Customer Affairs
Authority for Electricity Regulation (AER)

Hilal Al Ghaithi joined the Authority of Electricity Regulation over a decade ago as a Regulatory Engineer. As a result of his extensive knowledge in engineering and the energy sector, Al Ghaithi quickly came up through the ranks to his current role of Deputy Director of Customer Affairs. During his tenure, Al Ghaithi has led several successful renewable energy initiatives which have been valuable to the Sultanate and its people. Prior to joining The Authority, Al Ghaithi worked as an Electrical Engineer in the Technical Affairs Department of Sultan Qaboos University. He holds a Master of Science in Renewable Energy & Power Systems Management from the City University London and a bachelor’s Degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from Sultan Qaboos University.

Renewable Energy Engineer
Petroleum Development Oman (PDO)

Hamed holds a Diploma in Communications and Electronics from Nizwa Collage of Technology. He started his career in Petroleum development Oman (PDO) in Mar, 2008 as Electrical technician. In July 2017, he graduated from the University of Nottingham as BEng Hons Electrical and Renewable Energy Systems. Then, he joined MAF solar parking project as Development Electrical Engineer. Recently, he held a position as Renewable Energy Engineer within PDO.

Product Marketing Manager UAE & Overseas Countries
ABB

Ahmad Rahme, Energy Engineering Diploma from Osnabrueck university for applied sciences (2009).

Worked between 2009 and 2010 as PV plant designer at SN Solartechnics in Osnabrueck, Germany.

International Product Manager for Africa and the Middle East at SMA Solar Technology from 2011 to 2013 in Niestetal, Germany.

Sales Manager for the Middle East and North African region at SMA Solar Technology from 2013 to 2018 in Niestetal, Germany.

Since June 2018 Product Marketing Manager at ABB for the UAE and Oversight countries in Dubai, UAE.

CEO
Hussam Technology Company

Dr. Firas Al-Abduwani, founder and CEO of HTC (Hussam Technology Company), has over 10 years of experience in building, developing and leading teams along a clear strategic vision with emphasis on adding value and competitiveness to Oman.

HTC which has grown to be a reliable and innovative system integrator in the ICT and Renewable Energy sectors, has played a significant role in the Private Network market of the Sultanate with 100s of customers, 10k’s of users of its networks, and RO 10m’s of value-add and savings to the economy.

HTC, based in Muscat, under Firas’ leadership has achieved multiple firsts including: 1st distributed WiFi and mesh deployments, 1st TRA approved FSO and MMW installer, 1st TRA approved Oilfield communication network and DWDM links in the Sultanate. Furthermore, HTC delivered Oman’s first AER-compliant grid connected solar PV plants as part of Shell’s Solar into Schools initiative.

Al-Abduwani is a firm believer in the social and economic responsibility of firms in their local communities, and strives to positively contribute in this respect. Contributions in this field include setting up a dedicated solar PV training facility to train and prepare local and resident capabilities in meeting the solar certification requirements under a BP social investment project grant.

Firas Al-Abduwani holds a PhD in Petroleum Engineering from Delft University of Technology, a MEng in Petroleum Engineering from Heriot-Watt, a BEng in Mechanical Engineering from Imperial College, and is an alumnus of IMD and the National CEO Program. He Chairs the SME (small and medium enterprises) Committee in OCCI (Oman Chamber of Commerce), a member of OBF (Oman Business Forum) and a member of PAEW’s (Public Authority of Electricity and Water)’s Steering Committee of the Strategic Renewable Energy Program.

CEO
Gensol Engineering Pvt. Ltd

An accomplished leader with the foresight to establish a successful 360⁰ green solutions business, Mr. Anmol Singh Jaggi founded Gensol Group in 2007 and currently serves as the Director of the company. He is equipped with extensive technical & financial experience in sectors related to renewable energy.

Under his dynamic entrepreneurship, Gensol has grown at an exponential rate with a clientele of over 450 companies and with 25 million emission reductions to its credit. The company is a channel partner to the Ministry of New & Renewable Energy (MNRE), Government of India as well as a policy & strategic advisor to the Government of Maharashtra.

He won the BusinessWorld ‘Young Entrepreneur Award 2010’ for his strong business acumen and a shining star among India’s new age entrepreneurs. He also has to his credit the achievement of being a winner of the 'Power of Ideas' contest organised by The Economic Times in 2009.

Mr. Jaggi has been a significant part of some high-pitched conferences and seminars organised by TERI, FICCI, CII, IVCJ as well as the likes of The British Council & the Indian Chamber of Commerce as a guest speaker, to provide his valuable insight on key issues such as emission trading and emerging green technologies.

A leader & an entrepreneur, Mr. Jaggi has helped create a talented team at Gensol with extensive on-ground experience, industry and knowledge alliances which have led to an impeccable record in timely and quality project execution. He has a B.Tech in Applied Petroleum Engineering from the University of Petroleum & Energy Studies (Dehradun).

Head of Business Development
Oman Environmental Service Holding Company (be’ah)

Fahad Ali Al Kharusi is the Head of Business Development Department in Oman Environmental Services Holding Company S.A.O.C “be’ah”. He is responsible for diversion strategies and commercializing waste streams by creating business opportunities with various stakeholders. Fahad comes with 15 years’ experience of knowledge from energy sector. Among his previous experiences are commercial, operations and technical roles in companies such as General Electric, ABB and Halliburton. He holds a bachelor’s degree in petroleum engineering from Sultan Qaboos University.

Lead Engineer - Amal Steam
Petroleum Development Oman (PDO)

Ali AL Harthy is Project Engineering Lead in Petroleum Development Oman (PDO). He is currently the Contract Representative for Miraah project; one of biggest enclosed CSP project in the world. He is responsible to manage Miraah project progress, planning and execution along with his team. With 9 years’ experience, Ali handles many roles in Project Management starting from Engineering to Construction for different Oil & Gas projects.

Country Director
GlassPoint Solar, Muscat

Badar Al Sariri brings more than a decade of experience working for the Ministry of Oil and Gas to his post at GlassPoint. A graduate of the Sultan Qaboos University, he grew his career within the Ministry to become Director of Petroleum Concession, and later, Acting Director General for Petroleum Industry. Most recently, Badar was General Manager of Gasway, a fully Omanized oil and gas services company.

Badar’s core strengths, in addition to supervision of local project developments, lie in his leadership, stakeholder relations and a strong commitment and belief to relationship-building. Accentuated by his proven competencies. He is championing and sits on the Steering Board of the GlassPoint Innovation Spur, an intensive full-cycle incubation program, set to empower Omani talent and sustainably drive innovation within the Sultanate’s renewable energy and water management sectors.

External Relations Executive
EJAAD

Muneer Ambusaidi, has completed his Master Degree in Petroleum Engineering from Curtin University of Technology (Australia) in 2007 and he has a bachelor degree in Mechanical Engineering from Teesside University (UK) in 2005. He started his career in 2008 with Petroleum Development Oman (PDO) as a Reservoir Engineer. Through his career in PDO, Muneer was a Study Lead for developing different fields and he was a project lead to design a polymer pilot for Marmul Field. Also he was leading a joint project between PDO and Shell as part of the strategic alliance and knowledge transfer developing a subsurface fracture propagation forecasting tool for injection wells. In 2015 he joint the In-Country Value Department as R&D and Technology Lead, he was part of the team who developed the R&D strategy for PDO and mapping out the key development area in R&D and Technology. Currently, in 2018, he was seconded to Ejaad as External Relation Executive.

Director, Department of Excellence
Sharjah Electricity and Water Authority, Sharjah

Mohammad Abdalla Bin Ali is Director of Excellence at SEWA. He joined SEWA in 2000 in Information Technology Department. In 2008 he assigned to be Director of Technology Services in SEWA Head Office. In 2013 he promoted to Director of Strategic Planning & Corporate Excellence in Director General Office – Head Office. In 2014 he promoted to Director of Excellence – HO (Performance Management, Strategy, TQM, Award) he holds a degree of master in Executive MBA – from University of Sharjah, Software Engineering from UAE University, leadership program from University of Exeter in UK, leadership accreditation from (CSC) Singapore he is also ILM Certified level 7 (leadership and management Award) and Certified in EFQM, ISO 9001, 14001, 18001, 50001.

Water Operations Advisor, Policy and Strategy Directorate
The Public Authority for Electricity and Water (PAEW), Oman

Chris Smith is a Chartered Civil Engineer with over 25 years’ experience in the water industry. During his career he has been responsible for operating all aspects of a water company including responsibility for producing business plans, water resources management plans and other regulatory submissions. He is passionate about driving forward operational efficiency through adoption of new technologies and changing ways of working. The Energy Optimisation Project he is presenting today is expected to lead to improvements in the operation of the water network.

Corporate Environmental Adviser
Petroleum Development Oman (PDO)

Dr. Ali Al-Alawi has B.Eng. in Mechanical Engineering. MSC in Renewable Energy, PhD in Solar Energy, Ali Has punished more that 30 conference & journal paper in the field of Renewable energy and water treatment.

Dr. Ali is member of technical committee for many conferences in the field of renewable energy, water treatment, and waste management and Expert of Renewable Energy with World Renewable Energy Congress / Network (WREC/WREN).

Dr. Ali working at college of Engineering, sultan Qaboos University as associate researcher for 17 years, in the field of renewable energy and water treatment.

Currently he is working at PDO Corporate Environmental Advisor.

Assistant Manager, Industrial Engineering & Energy Management
Areej Vegetable Oils & Derivatives S.A.O.C

Mr. Imam Ergawi is the Assistant Manager for Industrial Engineering & Energy Management at the Areej Vegetable Oils & Derivatives S.A.O.C (AVOD) manufacturing facility in Rusayl, Oman. In 2017 he initiated the energy efficiency program at AVOD, which he still currently manages. The program which is based on the ISO 50001 framework, aims to monitor and reduce energy consumption through improved end use efficiency. Under his leadership, AVOD became the first ISO 50001 certified Omani company.

Prior to AVOD, Mr. Ergawi started his career as a continuous improvement engineer at a textile manufacturing company where he specialized in improving manufacturing speed, performance and efficiency by deploying Lean-Six Sigma principles. In 2013, he started working in the Oil and Gas sector as a Quality Engineer where he implemented a quality management system (QMS) and other testing/inspection plans for equipment and services. In 2016, he joined AVOD as an industrial engineer, where he became responsible for improving the throughput of production through continuous improvements in the systems and processes.

Mr. Ergawi is passionate about manufacturing, energy efficiency, continuous improvement, quality and resource utilization, and waste reduction through the implementation of various tools and techniques such as Lean-Six Sigma, Process/Systems Engineering, Value Streaming, etc. Mr. Ergawi has a Bachelor’s Degree in Industrial and Systems Engineering and he is also a holder of LSSGB, LA ISO 9001, 18001, 50001, Quality Engineering and Management diplomas.

Director, Demand Side Management
Supreme Council of Energy, UAE

Faisal Ali Rashid, U.A.E national, a degree holder of Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Dayton, Ohio university, U.S.A 1991. Also, a certified PMP (Project Management Professional). Has a wide and solid experience in energy management including supply, strategy and demand. Has strong background in process industrial plant including oil & gas, power& water generation process, material handling process, glass manufacturing process, etc.

Current job is energy Demand side director in Dubai Supreme Council of Energy looking after the whole energy demand management spectrum of emirate of Dubai. Served previously in oil and gas industry for many years as project division manager / Project Manager, handled mega feed and EPC projects and worked as general manager in glass manufacturing company as well.

Department Head, Geographic Information System
Jordanian Electric power Company, Jordan

Haitham ALmallah leads the GIS team at Jordanian Electric Power Co. (JEPCO) .He has 26 years of experience in Power Systems , utility GIS ,Asset Management, and GIS integration with other electrical power systems software (such as SCADA,OMS,DMS, Power System Planning ), interested also in Renewable Resources of Energy , he got his certificate "Certified Regrid Manager" from RENAC University,Berlin, in 2014 . He represented the company in many committees discussing the energy future of JORDAN. He received his B.SC. in Power Electrical Engineering from University of Jordan, in 1992.He joined then JEPCO as a power system engineer then senior power system engineer until year 2000 the establishment of GIS in the company when he got his experience in the GIS technology through many intensive specialized courses and projects. Haitham currently is the Head of GIS Department.

Vice President
Gensol Engineering Pvt. Ltd.

Gurpreet Singh Walia, a strong consulting professional with Bachelors in Electrical Engineering and MBA in Energy and Finance, leads Operations at Gensol Group. He is one of the six members on the Management Team. While handling most of the key accounts and playing an instrumental role in scaling up Operations of the Group since 2011, he actively implemented core processes, ventured into international markets and explored niche and complex market segments within Solar Industry e.g. floating solar, airports etc. Gurpreet has represented Gensol as a speaker at many conferences positioning him as a thought leader in the Solar Technology.

Over his experience of 7 years at Gensol Group, he has been actively involved in building a team of more than 300 engineers and have mentored and contributed the highest number of members to group’s mid-level management. He along with his team has worked on more than 10 GW of solar projects and today arguably, they are the largest and most advanced consulting teams in Solar Energy space in India. His clients are some of the country's largest IPPs, State Governments, Public Sector Companies and Private Equity Funds. Apart from managing Operations, he is also actively involved in Corporate Legal matters, Contract Management, Due Diligence and often consulted while exploring new business opportunities for group’s expansion ranging from backward integration into manufacturing to forward integration as Independent Power Producer (IPP).

Sales Manager, Renewables and Oil & Gas - MENA
UL - Underwriters Laboratories

Rami Alsafaria is sales manager for renewable energy services in Middle East & North Africa @ UL. His has Electrical Engineering Back ground with 5 years of experience in design and business development for Electrical products and services. He had his master’s thesis in Economic study for utility PV and CSP with Storage.