Doha - Qatar, 01 February 2014: In a pioneering achievement, Hessa Mohammed Al Nesf, who works as a Corporate Planning Analyst at Qatargas, has become the first Qatari National to be awarded the Incorporated Engineer (IEng) status.

Incorporated Engineer (IEng) is an internationally recognised qualification established by the Engineering Council in the United Kingdom.  It is an important milestone in the career of any engineer or technologist and recognises competence, commitment, skills and experience. 

Hessa received her certificate from Neil Atkinson, Director of Qualifications and International Development at the Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE), during a brief ceremony held at Qatargas' Head office in Doha.  The ceremony was also attended by Sheikh Khalid Bin Abdulla Al-Thani, Qatargas Chief Operating Officer - Engineering & Ventures, Adnan Hassan Al-Shaibi, Learning and Development Manager and Ali Ibrahim Al-Sulaiti, Head of Qatarization and National Development.

Following the award ceremony, Hessa said; "I would like to thank the Qatargas Management for their continuous support and encouragement.  I would also like to thank my parents and family for their active support and their confidence in me, which have contributed greatly to all my achievements.  I am very pleased and satisfied that my hard work, persistence, patience and optimism have paid off.  I started my career with Qatargas as a Process Engineer, which was a huge challenge given the location and nature of the job.  However with the support of Qatargas and through hard work, I was able to overcome the challenges and create the image of National female engineers as serious hard workers.  Our country places a great amount of trust and confidence in its youth and I truly believe that we have a great role to play in positioning Qatar among the world's leading countries in all sectors." 

Commenting on Hessa's achievement, Sheikh Khalid Bin Abdulla Al-Thani, Qatargas Chief Operating Officer, Engineering & Ventures said; "I would like to congratulate Hessa on this splendid achievement.  We are proud that the first Qatari to achieve the Incorporated Engineer status with IChemE is a Qatargas employee.  As we move ahead in our journey towards becoming the world's premier LNG Company, our national employees have important roles to play, not only in the future of Qatargas, but in our country's future.  In line with the Human Development pillar of the Qatar National Vision 2030, the development of our national workforce is a top priority at Qatargas.  I hope Hessa's achievement will encourage more nationals to take up such challenges."

Adnan Hassan Al-Shaibi, Learning & Development Manager added; "Qatargas is committed to ensuring that all opportunities are available for our people, for them to continue to find purpose and fulfillment in pursuing their career aspirations and contribute in achieving Qatargas' shared vision.  In particular, the Company is committed to the development of its Qatari workforce.  Qatargas provides unique opportunities for young Nationals to benefit from the knowledge and expertise of our high calibre diverse workforce and international shareholders."

Neil Atkinson, Director of Qualifications and International Development at IChemE said; "This is a significant achievement and another example of how Qatargas are supporting and developing their workforce.  The Incorporated Engineer qualification is an important milestone in any early engineering career. It offers a new way to gain recognition for one's skills and knowledge and is becoming more recognised worldwide.  Hessa is also a very impressive role model. To become the first national and the first female in Qatar to achieve the qualification from the Institution of Chemical Engineers reflects her talent and commitment, and the support from Qatargas. I am sure she will inspire more female engineers to pursue a career in engineering - in Qatar, the Middle East and worldwide."

Hessa graduated from Texas A&M University at Qatar with a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering in 2008.  The following year, she joined Qatargas Engineering Department as a Process Engineer under Qatargas' National Graduate Development Programme.  After proving her capabilities as a Process Engineer, she moved to the Corporate Planning Department in 2013 as a Corporate Planning Analyst to add value to the analysis process for Qatargas through her engineering background.  Hessa aspires to reach a position that empowers her to make a change and inspire the younger generation to achieve their full potential.

Hessa applied to register as an Incorporated Engineer in April 2011 and submitted her Competence and Commitment Report in November 2013. IChemE visited Qatargas and conducted their Professional Review Interview for Hessa in December 2013 with two Chartered Chemical Engineers.

Late last year, Qatargas became the first company in Qatar to be recognized as a Gold Partner of the Institute of Chemical Engineers (IChemE).  This is the highest level of Corporate Partnership awarded by IChemE to companies that demonstrate a sustained commitment to the process industries and to career development as an employer.  Qatargas is one of the few distinguished companies worldwide to have achieved this recognition.

Founded in 1992, the Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE) is the global professional membership organisation for people who have an interest in and relevant experience in chemical engineering.  Currently, IChemE has around 38,000 members across 120 countries

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About Qatargas:
Qatargas Operating Company Limited (Qatargas) was established in 1984, and pioneered the Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) industry in Qatar. Today, Qatargas, under the guidance of His Excellency Dr. Mohammed Bin Saleh Al Sada, Minister of Energy & Industry of the State of Qatar and Chairman of the Board of Directors at Qatargas, is the largest LNG producing company in the world, with an annual LNG production capacity of 42 million tonnes per annum (MTA) and is realising its vision to deliver LNG to its customers around the globe, from its world-class facilities in Qatar. Qatargas' Ras Laffan Terminal Operations team operates all the oil products Tank Farms and related Marine Terminals at Ras Laffan Industrial City in Qatar.  Ras Laffan is the largest LNG and oil products Export Terminal in the world.

For media enquiries please contact:
Mariana Diaz Tel: +974 3320 6421 MDiaz@qatargas.com.qa

Nizar Ahmed, Tel: +974 5552 3307 NAhmed@qatargas.com.qa

© Press Release 2014