The corniche of Muttrah, the old town of Muscat, in Oman. The country appoined Haifa Al Khaifi as CEO of Energy Development Oman. Getty Images.
The corniche of Muttrah, the old town of Muscat, in Oman. The country appoined Haifa Al Khaifi as CEO of Energy Development Oman. Getty Images.
The corniche of Muttrah, the old town of Muscat, in Oman. The country appoined Haifa Al Khaifi as CEO of Energy Development Oman. Getty Images.
The corniche of Muttrah, the old town of Muscat, in Oman. The country appoined Haifa Al Khaifi as CEO of Energy Development Oman. Getty Images.

Oman appoints first female chief executive to lead new energy company


Deena Kamel
  • English
  • Arabic

Oman appointed Haifa Al Khaifi to lead its new energy company that owns part of the country's largest oil block, marking a significant step for gender diversity in the Middle East's male-dominated oil and gas sector.

The government named Ms Al Khaifi chief executive of the newly formed Energy Development Oman (EDO), which has a share in state-owned oil and gas exploration and production company Petroleum Development Oman (PDO) and an interest in Block 6.

Prior to her appointment, Ms Al Khaifi was the chief financial officer of PDO, according to her LinkedIn profile.

"Haifa Al Khaifi has been selected as the CEO, the first woman to hold such a position in the energy sector in Oman," PDO said in a statement on its Facebook page. "We ... look forward to the multiple growth opportunities that the creation of EDO will bring about."

Oman established Muscat-based EDO in December 2020 following a royal decree. The country, a relatively small oil producer, is not a member of Opec but is part of the 23-nation Opec+ alliance that has been curbing production since last year as countries grapple with low oil prices amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

Ms Al Khaifi is also chairwoman of Boston-based investment management firm State Street's Saudi Arabia unit.

Among other new appointments at EDO, Ibrahim Al Eisri was named chief financial officer, joining from Oman Investment Authority.

Moutaz Al Riyami, a PDO gas director, was named chief strategy and commercial officer at EDO.

Politics in the West
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Milestones on the road to union

1970

October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar. 

December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.

1971

March 1:  Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.

July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.

July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.

August 6:  The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.

August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.

September 3: Qatar becomes independent.

November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.

November 29:  At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.

November 30: Despite  a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa. 

November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties

December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.

December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.

December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.

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What is graphene?

Graphene is a single layer of carbon atoms arranged like honeycomb.

It was discovered in 2004, when Russian-born Manchester scientists Andrei Geim and Kostya Novoselov were "playing about" with sticky tape and graphite - the material used as "lead" in pencils.

Placing the tape on the graphite and peeling it, they managed to rip off thin flakes of carbon. In the beginning they got flakes consisting of many layers of graphene. But as they repeated the process many times, the flakes got thinner.

By separating the graphite fragments repeatedly, they managed to create flakes that were just one atom thick. Their experiment had led to graphene being isolated for the very first time.

At the time, many believed it was impossible for such thin crystalline materials to be stable. But examined under a microscope, the material remained stable, and when tested was found to have incredible properties.

It is many times times stronger than steel, yet incredibly lightweight and flexible. It is electrically and thermally conductive but also transparent. The world's first 2D material, it is one million times thinner than the diameter of a single human hair.

But the 'sticky tape' method would not work on an industrial scale. Since then, scientists have been working on manufacturing graphene, to make use of its incredible properties.

In 2010, Geim and Novoselov were awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics. Their discovery meant physicists could study a new class of two-dimensional materials with unique properties. 

 

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Who's who in Yemen conflict

Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government

Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council

Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south

Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory

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Expert advice

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“When you sweat a lot, you lose a lot of salt and other electrolytes from your body. If your electrolytes drop enough, you will be at risk of cramping. To prevent salt deficiency, simply add an electrolyte mix to your water.”

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