Shell welcomes new Managing Director

"We lived in Abu Dhabi for several years from 1996 till 2001, and it is with great pleasure and excitement that we are back", this is how Nejib Zaafrani commented on his new assignment as Shell Abu Dhabi Managing Director.

Nejib’s first Middle East posting was to Al Furat Petroleum Company in Syria (a joint venture in which Shell is a 37.5 percent shareholder) as a senior reservoir engineer. He then returned to The Hague as Liason Engineer in the Middle East and Africa Division, being in charge of the governance of Shell’s E&P business in Egypt and Abu Dhabi. While in The Hague, he developed and championed a new strategy for Shell in Abu Dhabi, and this led him to his next posting as Deputy Managing Director of Shell Abu Dhabi for five years. "I can honestly say that this was one of the most enjoyable periods of my life. I enjoyed every day, working with ADNOC and Industry Shareholders on a variety of activities for our joint ventures, ADCO and GASCO. I am also proud of the initiation and delivery of several challenging joint ADNOC/Shell studies on how to maximise the value of Abu Dhabi's resources, such as the potential sour gas development", said Nejib about his Abu Dhabi years.

He then returned to The Hague for two years, working as Regional Vice President for New Business Development for the Middle East, as well as Regional Business Advisor for Abu Dhabi, later on based in Dubai.

Coming back to Abu Dhabi is a new challenge for Nejib. “I look forward to many more challenges with Shell and my main driving force is, quite simply, to be a part of the team which helps to make Shell recognised as the leading exploration and production company in the world,” he concluded.

Nejib is married to Beya Zaafrani and have Shehrazade, a young real estate specialist and also a talented jewlery designer, and Omar who is currently studying English Literature in Canada.