OQEP may be in the energy industry, but the way CEO Ahmed Al-Azkawi sees it, the company is actually in the business of people.
“The energy sector has always been there to serve humans,” he tells The CEO Magazine. “Most people believe the purpose is just to make money, but the purpose was actually to make our lives better. Can you imagine if there were no electricity? It lights the whole world.”
Responsible for managing the country’s upstream oil and gas activities, OQEP is a vital arm of Oman’s national energy provider, OQ Group. And without the right team of people helping to harness that energy and render it usable for the community, there wouldn’t even be OQEP, which is precisely why the acquisition and retention of talent is such a major focus.
“Our greatest asset is our people,” Al-Azkawi enthuses. “We want to be the employer of choice for the next generation of energy professionals in Oman. The legacy that I’d like to build is to leave behind very capable individuals who can continue maximizing the value of anything that they touch.
“Because once you’ve got that talent and ambition and the tools, they can really maximize the value of the oil assets or the gas assets that we have. So I’d like these talents to continue innovating and driving the energy sector into a brighter, more sustainable future.”
Building a values-based culture
By investing in this culture that sees people at the center of the organization, Al-Azkawi hopes that every single employee, from operators in the field to management teams, feels empowered to lead and contribute and is excited to turn up to work each day.
“If we want to be seen as a role model in attracting talent and ensuring that our talents are well developed and equipped with the right technologies for them to be able to drive business performance, we need to look at our values,” he says.
“The legacy that I’d like to build is to leave behind very capable individuals who can continue maximizing the value of anything that they touch.”
“There are three fundamentals to our values: care, collaboration and performance. Care is about your employees’ wellbeing; how your talents are utilized to maximize the value of the assets. We cherish collaboration to a large extent. Internally, we ensure that we have diversity in opinion, in gender and in thinking.”
Eyeing opportunities
When Al-Azkawi – who has an impressive background in production and petroleum engineering as well as logistics, with more than 25 years of experience in the oil and gas industry, including with OQ from 2017 onward – took on the position of CEO at OQEP in August 2024, he identified significant opportunities for the company to explore.
“Oman presents a uniquely appealing prospect for exploration and production investment, with many assets and concession areas holding vast, untapped potential and substantial inherent value that is yet to be fully recognized,” he explains.
“I did believe that having a national champion, which would attract more investments into these concession areas, would certainly create huge value for the country and for the talents that we have here. It’ll also act as a sync to bring new players into the system and also try new technologies.”
As the partners of choice for international oil companies and new entrants in Oman through successful joint venture partnerships with 13 marquee global industry leaders, OQEP has firmly cemented its reputation as a leader in its category.
“There are three fundamentals to our values: care, collaboration and performance.”
Playing an essential role in the global integrated energy company ecosystem, OQ’s Exploration and Production arm is dedicated to unlocking possibilities through sustainable growth.
By nurturing young Omani talent, upskilling the workforce and creating pathways for leadership throughout the organization, OQEP is also aligning itself with the sultanate’s broader national agenda of human capital development and localization within the energy sector.
“The relationships that we have with our partners and the government are excellent. So access to these assets is not such a major challenge – you just need to have the right talent,” Al-Azkawi explains.
“The second element is innovation. What tools do you provide these talents with to ensure that they can innovate? What flexibility, what space do you provide them so that they can turn your assets into value?”
The next chapter
Al-Azkawi sees the advent of AI and other technological advancements as key to the next chapter of OQEP’s journey.
“We are very keen to exploit AI, automation and digitalization,” he confirms. “I think it’s an area that could be widely implemented and make a big difference. If you look at the technical challenges that we have, I believe that quite a big chunk of them could be resolved or at least made simpler through AI.”
Embedding technology into every layer of its operations, these elements are part of a larger digital strategy that hopes to use real-time data analytics, AI-assisted monitoring and predictive maintenance, among other strategies, to enable smarter, faster and more informed decision-making and minimize operational risk.
“We’re not digitizing for the sake of it,” Al-Azkawi says. “Every tool, every platform we adopt must deliver measurable value, whether through improved uptime, better safety outcomes or enhanced reservoir performance.”
“Our role is not just to extract hydrocarbons; it’s to do so sustainably, efficiently and with a mindset toward future energy transition.”
This has already reduced downtime, optimized production and enhanced overall asset integrity. As global energy systems evolve, OQEP is proactively adapting its upstream strategies to support Oman’s sustainability goals.
With initiatives including flare minimization – with the aim of zero flaring by 2030 – energy efficiency programs and carbon intensity reduction across its assets, Al-Azkawi says OQEP is also in the process of exploring carbon capture and storage systems together with partners, enhanced oil recovery using more sustainable techniques and integration with emerging energy pathways.
“The upstream sector is evolving fast,” he notes. “We have to be ready, not just for today’s performance targets, but also for the future of energy. That means being agile, responsible and relentlessly focused on innovation.”
Energy transition
As the globe looks to transition to low-carbon energy systems, OQEP is continually preparing for this eventuality, ensuring the company is on the front foot when it comes to Oman’s country objectives as part of its Vision 2040, with the target of net zero by 2050.
“Our role is not just to extract hydrocarbons; it’s to do so sustainably, efficiently and with a mindset toward future energy transition,” Al-Azkawi says.
“If you look at our plans when it comes to emissions, we expect to meet that target. At the moment, we are one of the lowest carbon intensity emitters, with carbon intensity at 15 kilograms of CO2 per barrel of oil equivalent, even on a global scale.”
“We have to be ready, not just for today’s performance targets, but also for the future of energy.”
In addition, OQEP is replacing some electric and diesel generators with solar power. In its current strong position, Al-Azkawi doesn’t foresee any major challenges for the company until at least 2030.
“Financially, we’re doing well in terms of deploying the right technology; we have the right relationships and partnerships in place, so it’s really about technical challenges: Are we going to find the right hydrocarbon resources or not?” he reflects.
“By 2030, we’ll have a bigger asset and within that same asset, we’ll also find other opportunities for growth. Once you’ve built this kind of ecosystem, growth becomes natural and you just continue growing.”
As a leader, Al-Azkawi is motivated by three elements that have been constants throughout his career and that he views as integral to success.
“I’m very much results-driven,” he says. “I’ve also always ensured that any results that are delivered or any value that is created is sustainable. And the third one, which is extremely important, is that I like myself and the team that works with me to enjoy the ride.
“If you enjoy the ride, then typically it is more sustainable. Every time you succeed, you celebrate, and people want to stay behind for more success and more celebrations.”
