Oil & Gas Middle East Awards 2023: Meet the Judges

Dr Yousef Alshammari, CEO and Head of Oil Research, CMarkits

“I’m very delighted to be a judge for these prestigious awards and I look forward to meeting energy professionals from around the world.”

Dr Yousef Alshammari

Dr Yousef Alshammari is the CEO and head of Oil Research at London-based CMarkits, and an honorary senior research fellow at Imperial College, London. He is also a former research fellow of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).

Dr Alshammari is one of the top 50 global energy analysts, ranked by Gulf Intelligence, with more than 10 years of experience in energy research with a special focus on OPEC+, Saudi Arabia and the GCC.

He often appears on Al Arabiya and other TV channels to comment on OPEC+, oil markets, and energy issues. Furthermore, Dr Alshammari is an expert member at the Group of Experts on Sustainable Energy at the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, Geneva, where he has been advising countries on better strategies for cleaner use of fossil fuels.

In addition to his consulting role, Dr Alshammari is a professor of renewable energy and engineering economics at Prince Mohammad bin Fahd University in Saudi Arabia, where he taught more than 1000 students (undergraduates and postgraduates), including some of the first female engineering students in the country.

Dr Alshammari obtained his PhD in Chemical Engineering from Imperial College London in 2014, where he worked on designing innovative processes for clean hydrogen generation from heavy oil fields. Following his PhD, he started his career as a researcher at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), where he analysed the techno-economic assessment of nuclear production of hydrogen, which enabled him to combine engineering with energy economics and policy. He was a research fellow at OPEC and the IEA Hydrogen Implementing Agreement, a principal researcher in energy economics at the University of Vienna, and a postdoctoral fellow at KAUST. Dr. Alshammari received a SABIC Fellowship while working in Vienna to study energy transitions in the petrochemical sector. He was also an associate at the King Faisal Centre for Research and Islamic Studies (KFCRIS), chaired by HRH Prince Turki Alfaisal.

In 2022, Dr. Alshammari was elected a Fellow of the Energy Institute in the UK in recognition of his long-term, distinctive, and continuous contributions to the energy industry as a researcher, analyst, consultant, and commentator. In recognition of that, Dr Alshammari was honoured by the Governor of the Eastern Province in Saudi Arabia HRH Prince Saud bin Nayef as global Saudi scientist.

David Sayah, Managing Director and Partner, Boston Consulting Group (BCG)

“The energy sector is going through an important phase given a multitude of factors including the drive towards sustainability, the human capital challenge, and the possibilities brought to the table by digital and AI. I am humbled by the opportunity to take part in the judging panel and very much look forward to seeing the participants’ submissions.”

David Sayah

David Sayah is a managing director and partner in the Dubai office of Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and a member of BCG’s global energy practice. He is a highly experienced professional in the energy industry with over 15 years of experience, having worked with NOCs, IOCs, Investment Funds, and energy regulators across the Middle East, Africa, and Europe.

In his current role, Sayah leads and manages a team of consultants to develop and implement strategies that drive value creation and improve clients’ performance. He is focused on helping leading energy clients in the Middle East deliver on their strategic priorities including climate and sustainability, digital, and large-scale transformations. David’s extensive experience in the industry, combined with his strong analytical and problem-solving skills, allow him to help his clients navigate their challenges and capitalise on the opportunities they present.

According to Sayah, being a part of the judging panel for the Oil & Gas Middle East Awards will enable him to give back to the industry by sharing his industry knowledge and expertise to assess the nominations for the awards and recognise the most exceptional projects in the region.

Mohammed Loch, President and CEO, DMS Global

“I am honored to be on the judging panel for the Oil & Gas Middle East Awards. I believe that the industry should strive to make the energy sector a more sustainable environment and I’m delighted to see that many of the categories in the awards align with this goal. I’m a huge believer in the importance of advancement of technology for the world to achieve net-zero emissions as well as women empowerment and youth development for the industry.”

Mohammed (Mo) Loch

Mohammed (Mo) Loch is the president and CEO of DMS Global, a company that has established itself as a leading source for project-related information in the energy sector. Loch’s journey in the industry began in the summer of 2000, when he created the DMS Projects Database, which quickly grew to become the go-to source for project information in the energy sector. Today, DMS Projects is also the Official Projects Database partner of the ADIPEC Exhibition, one of the largest oil and gas exhibitions in the world.

Loch is a firm believer in the value of technical knowledge exchange and networking, and this belief led him to launch DMS Events in 2008. DMS Events, in partnership with the Project Management Institute (PMI) and the International Society of Automation (ISA), hosts leading industry events for NOCs such as Saudi Aramco, ADNOC, PDO, BAPCO, and PETRONAS. These events provide a platform for industry experts to come together and share their knowledge and experience, while also providing opportunities for networking and business development.

The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted businesses and how professionals interact with each other. In response to this, Loch developed DMS Universe, the first online social industry platform for the energy sector. DMS Universe is an innovative and cutting-edge concept designed for the digital world, which combines marketing, virtual exhibiting, networking and technical support, all found in one strategic portal. Loch believes that in this disruptive era, there is a need to find new ways of selling without the traditional face-to-face methods, to find new ways of networking, interacting, connecting people to opportunities and to products.

In addition to his role as the president and CEO of DMS Global, Loch holds several other important positions in the industry. He is the Middle East and Africa partner of the ARC Advisory Group, regional director Middle East for the FieldComm Group, and director of Market Intelligence for the Bilateral US-Arab Chamber of Commerce. He has also served as the director of Industry Development for the ISA as well as the director of Industry Relations for the Open Group.

Sudhir Arvind, Partner, KPMG Lower Gulf Ltd

I am delighted to see this event bringing together the projects, initiatives, individuals, and companies that have shaped the oil and gas sector in the Middle East during the past year. I am excited to understand the contributions of these distinguished experts, and it is an honour to hear more about their cutting-edge projects which are influencing the future of the industry. Despite current global challenges, the coming years hold promise. At KPMG we aim to lead the way in embracing the variety of opportunities for innovation on the horizon: together, for better

Sudhir Arvind

Sudhir Arvind is a partner at KPMG Lower Gulf Ltd and leads the Energy, Infrastructure, and Industrial manufacturing sectors within the firm’s advisory practice. He also leads KPMG’s Governance, Risk and Solutions group and has a particular interest in board and executive governance matters, emerging risk management practises and technology-driven advancements, which are transforming today’s business. Further, he is also the global lead partner, from KPMG, for one of the leading oil and gas companies in UAE.

With over 24 years of experience, Arvind has managed several large advisory engagements covering governance, risk management, business process assurance, compliance, and process improvement aspects across regional and international clients operating in oil and gas, power, utilities, alternate energy, real estate, manufacturing, etc.
Given his technical background, Arvind is keen on addressing techno-commercial challenges in areas of contracting and major projects delivery, with a clear objective of value generation and assurance.

Arvind has also been part of the leadership team within Advisory at KPMG Lower Gulf for over 4 years, providing stewardship to the advisory growth asnd practice ambitions. He also leads one of the largest solution group in the firm which has over multiple solution leaders and over 250 team members.

He is passionate about two things. Firstly, about how the ongoing transformations and transitions in the energy industry, around technology, data, and sustainability, will shape the industry in the coming years. In addition, he is constantly looking at innovative delivery models to address the client challenges and enhance their delivery experience.

Arvind holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering and an MBA in finance. He has been active advisor to his clients in UAE for over 15 years. Prior to joining the KPMG Lower Gulf firm, Arvind was a part of another Big4 firm in India. Outside of his professional commitments, he is passionate about sports and travel.