If there is no change, there is stagnation and that is detrimental. For long enough, the regional oil and gas industry has relied on conventional methodologies, and foreign resources and minds for its operations. It is only fair for that long-running order to change: for traditional functions to be complemented by digitalisation, and for externally-dependant supply chains to be localised.
If one were to objectively analyse the process of transformation initiated by the two regional energy giants – Saudi Aramco and ADNOC – it will be found that the announcements regarding investments planned, the embracing of renewable energy, the public listing of shares, and the localisation schemes, are nothing but a campaign to change inefficient workflows and build an industry that is ready for the future.
Speaking of change, I wish to inform one and all that this will be my last letter to you as editor of the magazine. After helping produce 27 issues of Oil & Gas Middle East, since October 2015, I have decided to pass on the editor’s mantle to someone more worthy, as I bid farewell to ITP Media Group to pursue my career as a journalist with a different entity.
It’s tough to summarise the plethora of experiences I have had during my stint with the publication. There’ve been so many nights of planning and executing the editorial agenda, so much to write about, and so many events to cover, that the past two years and three months have left me little time to do things that do not concern my publication. But it’s all been worth it.
My biggest incentive has been personally interacting with the industry’s professionals – from C-suite executives to the workers on the field, and telling stories about their work. And my treasured rewards have been the encouraging feedback I’ve received for my work from my readers, for which I wish to thank all of you for keeping me motivated throughout.
Now, when I am moving on, I can safely say that the depressing period is being replaced with an era of transformation and hope. I am glad that my successor won’t have to deal with the industry’s sombre mood, which I had to for the major part of my tenure.
The energy industry is indeed the throbbing heart of the region, not only because it is the largest revenue and employment generator, but also due to the fact that movements that happen within the sector have a wide-ranging impact on people’s lives through to geopolitics. It’s been a real privilege being associated with the energy sector, and I hope to continue my relationship for as long as I can.
