12 December 2015
Saleem Al Yafei, Director of Global Operations, Maersk Oil Qatar, speaks during IPTC's Young Professionals Programme

Maersk Oil Qatar (MOQ), the country's largest offshore oil producer, demonstrated its commitment to developing aspiring Qatari talent through a number of initiatives presented at the International Petroleum Technology Conference (IPTC) taking place in Doha this week.

Speaking as part of the IPTC's Young Professionals Programme, MOQ's Director of Global Operations Saleem Al Yafei shared his experience honing an international career at an established and agile international oil company and encouraged the future generation of oil industry talent to find their place at Maersk. The Young Professionals Programme is designed to cater to qualified oil and gas employees under the age of 35 or to those with under 10 years' industry experience.

"As a young leader in the company, I'm grateful for the opportunity to meet with our industry's future engineers and specialists. Together with our partners at Qatar Petroleum, Maersk has been operating one of the world's most complex offshore oilfields at Al Shaheen for 23 years and we continue to be committed to Qatar for generations to come. One of the ways we do this is through developing young talent and leadership capacity among Qataris in order to realise Al Shaheen's future as an important national asset."

In Qatar, Maersk Oil is committed to supporting the next generation of talented Qataris by providing extensive, long-term and rewarding development opportunities for nationals. Saleem said he is a living testament to this dedication:

"I joined Maersk Oil in 2012 and last year I began a full-time, two-year secondment in Denmark as the Global Maintenance Director of Maersk Oil and Gas. I'm learning many new skills and ways of working which I will bring back with me to Qatar. I'm also able to share many of my own experiences with my international colleagues, helping to build our global expertise together."

Saleem began his career in the oil and gas industry in 1996, when he joined the University Preparation Program (UPP) at Qatar Petroleum. Speaking about his career path, Saleem told the attendees:

"The programme convinced me that I wanted to work in the energy industry, and since then I have been on an exciting journey around the world, living and working in Qatar, the United States, South Africa and Denmark, where I am now. Opportunities like these continue to provide me with unique and rewarding ways to learn and develop at Maersk Oil. When you look at the career trajectory afforded by working in one of the largest international conglomerates in the world, there's no question that I made the right choice."

Saleem shared that entry-level specialists at MOQ can take advantage of a number of dedicated programmes to help accelerate their career development and support their personal and professional growth, including structured personal development plans, one-to-one coaching, professional mentoring and opportunities to rotate within different departments and countries.

In addition, the prestigious Maersk International Technology and Science programme (MITAS), a two-year, entry-level internationally focused programme, can fast-track dedicated graduates for technical and specialist careers within Maersk Oil and Maersk Drilling. The MITAS programme helps graduates develop a business mindset and gain exposure to new technical challenges to broaden their knowledge and experience. It is comprised of three international rotations, including assignments in Maersk Oil Denmark's Petroleum Engineering department, Maersk Oil Kazakhstan's Production Operations department and Maersk Oil Brazil's Drilling department.

© Press Release 2015