Mohammed Ibrahim Al Nakhi has worked for BP since he graduated with a degree in mechanical engineering from Virginia Tech University in 2002. The 34-year-old Emirati is currently a technical adviser representing BP in production and integrity meetings with its joint venture partners in Abu Dhabi. He also is the head of health, safety, security and environment (HSSE) for the company in the emirate.
6.30am
I wake up and try to get my workout in. My family is in Sharjah but I work four days a week in Abu Dhabi. I have an apartment on the Corniche, so I go out for a jog then I shower and have breakfast. I have become more health-conscious and started to eat more protein. So I start with beans or spinach, then I have egg whites and brown toast, cottage cheese and protein pancakes. In my last year at university, I got a summer internship with BP. I really loved it, and at the end they said, “We know you are going to graduate in December and we want you to come and work for us”.
7.45am
I live 300 metres away from the office so I walk over. I spend a couple of minutes planning my day, then go through my emails. If we have external meetings with our joint partners these always start about 8am. In Abu Dhabi, we have four joint ventures. I get involved in those with Abu Dhabi Marine Operating Company (Adma) and Adgas in the technical meetings, the steering committees. For the joint ventures, I am not involved on a day-to-day basis in health and safety. It’s more of an advisory role.
10am
Internal meetings start at 9am or 10am. We have four different emergency response plans, and they need to be updated and tested every quarter. I also work with the health team – we just launched a health challenge called Beat the Fat. And we run a health and safety kids’ club for employees’ children to educate them on driving safely and internet safety. Then we have the office safety committee; last year, we convinced the municipality to build a speed bump in front of the office in Khalidiyah.
12pm
We have a buffet lunch. I’ve worked with the health and admin team to make it healthier. When you have 60 or 70 people in the office it’s hard to satisfy everyone.
1pm
Sometimes I do a site visit. Expats, either in our office or with a joint venture, can have issues with their houses. Maybe it’s unsafe for their children, for example. I go with the administration manager and look at it from BP’s side. Is it a health and safety issue or a convenience issue?
2pm
Twice a week we have management meetings. When I go to external meetings, everyone assumes I work for Adnoc or the government – not BP. I probably would have had a higher salary starting off with the government, but I looked at the long term: what kind of exposure would I get, what training, what development? I haven’t regretted it. One thing I did was join the BP Angola project, buying all the mechanical equipment. The equipment then went to the Hyundai shipyard in South Korea, and I spent a year there putting it together and testing it. BP then offered me the opportunity to spend 40 days on the vessel as it sailed to Angola, which was incredible. It’s not about the salary at the end of the day and over the long term it will probably balance out. With BP it’s about your résumé, what job experiences you have and for me that’s more important.
4pm
I’m back in the office to send final emails. Then I go to the Sharjah Equestrian and Racing Club and ride my horse. My father got me into riding when I was five, and I started showjumping when I was seven. On the weekend there are competitions around the UAE; I have represented the UAE in international competitions.
6.30pm
Back in Sharjah, I am home with my family. I am married with two children: a son, Ibrahim, who is two-and-a-half, and a daughter, Afra, who is six months. I get to spend about an hour with my son before it’s time for him to go to bed. We have dinner as a family at about 9pm. Dinner is similar to lunch, but with no carbs. Just salad and protein. I also recently got a diploma in sports management. Now I am studying to become a certified personal trainer.
9.30pm
I’ll spend around 15-20 minutes going through emails in case there is anything urgent. We have people in other time zones – the UK and US – who are working and require an answer. Then I sit with my wife for half an hour before going to bed about 10.30pm.
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