Oil & Gas

Muscat, April 6^th 2013 – Oman Oil Marketing Company (omanoil) has signed a contract with National Mineral Water Company SAOG (NMWC) for the supply and distribution of water under the brand name ‘ahlain’. This marks omanoil’s first venture into a store brand product which is aimed at transcending the company’s philosophy of total convenience.

Information sharing and benchmarking platform offers opportunities to optimise reliable operations of aluminium giant’s captive power station

Dubai, United Arab Emirates: With 1,573 reduction cells arranged in seven potlines, producing more than one million tonnes of primary aluminium per annum, the total load demand for electrical power at Dubai Aluminium (“DUBAL”) is approximately 1,900 MW. This requirement is met through a captive combined cycle power station comprising 23 gas turbines and seven steam turbines, giving an installed power generation capacity of 2,350 MW (at 30˚C). This infrastructure makes the DUBAL Power Plant not only a major user of gas turbines in the region, but also an industry resource in terms of knowledge and expertise in this area.

Acknowledging this, and in keeping with its corporate commitment to continuous improvement through best practice sharing and benchmarking, DUBAL is a sponsor of the 2013 Gas Turbine Users International (“GTUI”) Annual Conference. The event, which takes place at The Meydan, Dubai, from 6 to 11 April 2013, will feature general sessions hosted by the GTUI committee as well as round table discussions and conference-type sessions featuring original equipment manufacturers (“OEMs”).

• RO 9.0 MILLION NET PROFIT
• 13 % INCREASE IN CASH DIVIDEND TO 70 BAISAS PER SHARE
• 16% INCREASE IN LUBRICANTS BUSINESS, HIGHEST IN 6 YEARS

Muscat, March 30^th 2013 – Oman Oil Marketing Company (omanoil) recorded its best-ever financial performance fiscal year with sales reaching approximately RO 278.5 million. During the Annual General Meeting held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel Muscat, the Board of Directors announced an increase of 11% in pre-tax profit in 2012 to RO 10.2 million.

Abu Dhabi-UAE: 27 March 2013 – Returning for its eight annual edition, PETCHEM ARABIA 2013 will address all the current challenges and opportunities faced by the GCC region in developing a highly lucrative petrochemical industry.

Organised by The Energy Exchange, PETCHEM ARABIA will be held from 12 – 15 May 2013 in Abu Dhabi, UAE and for the first time will be co-located with Middle East Downstream Week 2013 reflecting the industry trend towards mega refining and petrochemical integration. The co-location will also provide attendees with over 15 hours of networking and is the only opportunity for stakeholders in the petrochemicals and downstream industries to get comprehensive feedback on competitor plans, successes and challenges.

According to Dubai-Based Gulf Petrochemicals and Chemicals Association (GPCA), the GCC’s total petrochemicals investments will reach US$250 billion by 2015.

Investments need to be made in enhancing technology to unlock the drive for petrochemicals – olefins – to ensure global success and position the Middle East as a key player in the world of olefins.

Day one will have industry leaders evaluate the current levels of R&D and technology investment in the region as compared to other global export markets; showcase the latest technologies and products enabling record olefins enhancements and optimization; demonstrate how to use technology investment to ensure regional job creation to facilitate learning and knowledge transfer in the workforce; and provide strategies to overcome the skills gap to create a leading technology centre in the gulf region.

Salalah, March 26th 2013 – H.E. Sayyid Mohammed bin Sultan bin Hamoud Al Busaidy, Minister of State and Governor of Dhofar, commended OCTAL for its growing contributions to the national economy during a recent visit to the company’s PET Complex in the Salalah Free Zone. His Excellency along with a 12 member delegation, toured the state of the art facilities of OCTAL which today has firmly secured its position as a global leader in sustainability and the world’s largest producer of PET resin and sheet on a single site.

“OCTAL has positioned Oman on the global stage as a powerhouse in the production of high quality packaging, showcasing the myriad of advantages the Sultanate has to offer as a progressive manufacturing and distribution center. The company is playing an exemplary role as a catalyst for diversifying and advancing economic development by reducing dependency on crude oil exports, increasing the nation’s competiveness and generating meaningful job opportunities for young nationals,” expressed H.E. Sayyid Mohammed bin Sultan bin Hamoud Al Busaidy, Minister of State and Governor of Dhofar.

Muscat, March 25th 2013 – In celebration of Earth Hour 2013, Oman Oil Marketing Company (omanoil) has introduced a number of eco-conscious activities that include partnering with Muscat Grand Mall to turn off its lights from 8.30pm to 9.30pm on the 23rd of March, as well as switching off all non-essential power sources at its head office in Muscat and regional offices in Salalah and Sohar. In addition, omanoil held exciting educational activities for the audience at the Mall to instill the value of proactive behavior among future generations.

“As a proudly Omani company, we have a duty to lead by example and encourage action through practice,” said Eng. Faisal Al Shanfari, omanoil’s General Manager of Operations, Engineering and HSSE. “At omanoil, our success is not a result of individual efforts but of collective efforts and we therefore participate in the world’s largest voluntary action year-on-year to inspire others to preserve the planet. Earth Hour reflects our belief that people have the power to be the cause for change and that one small act can leave a lasting imprint.”

Riyadh, March 17 2013

Today, Shell launched its road safety campaign ‘Safer Roads’ at the King Saud University in Riyadh. The programme targets teenagers and young adults with a message that complying withbasic rules on the road saves lives - including theirs.

The programmewas launched in cooperation with the King Saud University and under thepatronage of Dr.Abdullah Salman Al Salman, Vice Rector for Educational and Academic Affairs, also with honourablesupport and participation of HRH prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Faisal shell road safety ambassador.

Shell is honoured that His Royal Highness Prince Abdul Aziz Bin Turki Al Faisal has agreed to be the official ambassador for ‘Safer Roads’. His remarkable career as a racing professional and his passion for road safety make him the perfect role model for Saudi youth and will make the ‘Safer Roads’campaign even more impactful.

At the launch of the campaign, His Royal Highness Prince Abdulaziz Bin Turki Al Faisal commented that "it is shocking to see the road safety statistics in the Kingdom and the number of lives that are lost daily, unnecessarily. Most of these accidents are preventable by complying with a few basic rules. Our mission is to make our roads safer by mobilising our young drivers to behave differently. Shell is a global leader in road safety and Iam pleased to be able to contribute to the success of the campaign”.

Wealth-X Releases Profile of the Middle Eastern UHNWI

BEIRUT, March 13, 2013

BEIRUT, March 13, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Wealth-X, the ultra high net worth (UHNW) business development solution for Global Private Banks, Luxury Brands, Educational Institutions and Non-Profits, has released a statistical profile of the average Middle Eastern ultra high net worth individual (UHNWI) based on proprietary demographic and wealth indicators.

For most ultra high net worth individuals (UHNWIs) in the Middle East, the oil sector is not the source of their wealth.

"The typical Middle Eastern UHNWI is not an oil baron," noted Wealth-X Director of Business Development, Middle East and Africa, Michel Nassif. "He or she is most likely to represent the finance and banking sector or an industrial conglomerate."