Qatar’s oil and gas sector has achieved a threefold increase in the number of Qatar nationals employed in the sector in nearly a decade, the Minister of State for Energy Affairs and President and CEO of Qatar Petroleum Saad bin Sherida Al Kaabi said. The number of Qataris occupying approved establishment positions in the Arab state’s oil and gas sector also increased threefold in 19 years, Al Kaabi told the Peninsula.
The minister was speaking at the 18th annual Qatarisation review meeting of the energy sector, recently in Doha. He said that the Qatarisation programme in the energy sector was providing learning and development opportunities to Qatar nationals. By leading the development of human resources in the oil and gas sector in Qatar, the programme contributes to Qatar’s National Vision 2030 initiative.
In the 16 years to 2017, the number of Qataris employed in the oil and gas sector had tripled from 2,900 to 9,300. At the 17th annual Qatarisation review meeting, the government had announced that the level of Qatarisation in the energy sector had reached 29 percent. The government had set a target of 50 percent Qatarisation in the near future in 2017.
The minister of state for energy affairs highlighted the role of technical education in solving the human resources needs of Qatar’s oil and gas sector. A number of organisations presented their efforts to develop the Qatari human resources in the energy sector.
At the event, Qatar Petrochemical Company (QAPCO) won the Qatarisation Crystal Award for support and liaison with the education sector. Dolphin energy won the Qatarisation Crystal Award for supporting Qatarisation and Qatar Gas Transport Company (Nakilat) won the award for supporting training and development. Qatar Shell won the same award in the best Qatarisation progress category.
Qatargas won the annual Qatarisation certificate for support and liaison with the education sector while Qatar Fertiliser Company (QAFCO) won the same certificate for supporting Qatarisation. Gulf Helicopters Company also won the certificate for supporting training and development.
Executives from Qatar’s education sector and those from 35 companies participating in the energy sector’s strategic Qatarisation plan participated in the meeting.