Committee

Callum is an Exploration Geologist from the UK who currently works for the Sharjah National Oil Corporation. He holds an M.Sc from Royal Holloway University of London and has 9 years of experience. Callum has spent his career studying basins around the middle east and has focussed primarily on the fold belts of the Oman Mountains, Kurdish Zagros, and the Sohar Basin.

Abdulkarim Alali has a bachelor degree in Petroleum Geology from United Arab Emirates University. At present, Alali is a Senior Petrophysicist – Exploration with Tatweer Petroleum. Prior to that Alali was working for Bapco as an Exploration Geologist. Alali actively involved in many project onshore and offshore. Alali worked on the unconventional offshore of Khalij Al Bahrain discovery. He also worked on the Pre-Unayzah gas project. Alali worked on offshore blocks promotional activities, in addition to the involvement with conventional reservoirs, he is also deeply involved and contributed in many high level studies with globally acclaimed geo-consultants. Alali is an active member in AAPG, SPWLA and EAGE. Alali has written multiple technical papers.

Abdullah M.S. Memesh joined in 2006 the Saudi Geological Survey (SGS), Jeddah, as head of the Phanerozoic rocks mapping and Paleontology Division. He has more than 20 years of experience in the geological mapping of the Phanerozoic rocks. He received his BSc from King Abdul Aziz University, Jeddah, in 1993. From 1993-1999 Abdullah was a geologist with the French Geological Survey (BRGM). From 1999-2006, he was an exploration Geologist for the Saudi Arabian Mining Company (MA´ADEN) phosphate Project. He authored and Co-authored 1:250,000- scale geologic maps. He is currently Director of geological survey program

Geologist as a background, got my PhD 10 years ago in same domain, working with SLB for the last 17 years, joined as software support engineer and in present, working as Digital Solutions Delivery Manager in Abu Dhabi Office.

Andreas Scharf has been working at the Sultan Qaboos University (Oman) as an Associate Professor since 2014 (www.squ.edu.om/Portals/ 8/DNNGalleryPro/uploads/ 2023/1/8/ CV-AndreasScharf-012023.pdf). He obtained his doctoral degree at the Freie Universität Berlin (Germany) in 2013, working on the geodynamic evolution of the Eastern Alps. His present research focuses around the tectonic evolution of the Oman Mountains from the Neoproterozoic to present at all scales, based on fieldwork in mainly structural geology/tectonics, mineralogy and sedimentology.

A Sedimentary Geologist with expertise in diagenesis, sequence stratigraphy, and reservoir characterization of siliciclastics and carbonates. He obtained his PhD from Uppsala University, Sweden, in 2007. His current research deals with hydrocarbon exploration and exploitation in carbonate reservoirs in the Middle East, utilizing an integrated multidisciplinary approach. Howri has worked for several international oil companies in Europe and the US and has produced many technical reports, research articles, and book chapters in the past 15 years. He is currently a Professor at the General Directorate of Scientific Research Center, Salahaddin University-Erbil, the Kurdistan region of Iraq and a Senior Researcher at the Department of Geology, Faculty of Science, Palacky ́ University Olomouc, Czech Republic.

Geologist with a Masters Degree, with special emphasis on basaltic flows prior to Deccan traps. Currently involved in creating value added solution to natural resources.

Naif Alqahtani is an Associate Research Professor at King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST). Currently, He is the General Manager of Carbon Management Technologies Institute. Dr. Alqahtani also leads the Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage (CCUS) Joint Research Center between KACST and the Ministry of Energy. His recent research interests cover the areas of cryogenic fluid behavior such as liquid carbon dioxide and liquefied natural gas, carbon capture utilization and storage application in oil and gas industry, CO2-EOR , and rock mechanics. Participated as a member of the local expert team in preparing a report on future technologies for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia issued by KACST in 2021. Dr. Alqahtani has also carried out many research projects in the field of advanced stimulation and CO2-EOR, and he was a member of several CCUS committees. Dr. Alqahtani received a Bachelor’s degree from King Saud University (KSU) in the field of Petroleum Engineering in 2005, a Master’s degree from Colorado School of Mines (CSM) in 2009, and a Ph.D. in 2015 from CSM, in the field of Petroleum Engineering.

Dr. Mohammad is currently an assistant professor in the department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at Kuwait university. He earned his MSc. in 2011 in structural geology from the University of Texas at Dallas and Ph.D. from Colorado School of Mines in 2016 with a thesis on salt tectonics in the Paradox Basin, USA. His current research interests are in structural geology, soft sediment deformation, fracture characterizations and digital outcrop modeling using drone technology. He teaches several undergraduate and graduate level courses such as structural geology, field geology, seismic exploration, basin analysis and petroleum geology of the Arabian Peninsula. His passion to field geology made him lead many geological field trips for students and oil companies in both Kuwait and Oman. Since he joined Kuwait University in 2017, Dr. Mohammad has published journal articles about soft sediments deformation in north of Kuwait and a comprehensive study of Oligocene Ghar Formation. Also, he published 2 review papers about the structure and tectonics of Kuwait and Petroleum geology of Kuwait.

Osman Abdelghany received his B.Sc. in Geology with Honors and M.Sc. in Stratigraphy and Micropaleontology from Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt respectively. He obtained his Ph.D. in 1996 from Vienna University, Austria. He is currently Associate Professor of Stratigraphy and Micropaleontology at United Arab Emirates University. Osman is a member of the Emirates Society of Geosciences (ESG), European Association of Geoscientists and Engineers (EAGE), Geological Society of Africa (GSA), Geological Society of Egypt (GSE), Egyptian Society of Paleontology (ESP), American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG), Emirates Natural History Group- Al-Ain Chapter (ENHG). He is particularly interested in Cretaceous/Tertiary stratigraphy and foraminifera and published a lot of papers in national and international magazines.

Khalid is a Geoscience professional who currently serves as the Head of Natural Wealth at the Ministry of Energy. He has a wealth of experience in the field of education, having previously worked as a dedicated team member in youth development. Khalid is recognized for his outstanding contributions to the success of Sharjah Youth, where he was part of the team that won the prestigious international VEX Robotics Award. With a Master's degree in Geoscience, Khalid is particularly passionate about geoscience and geo-tourism, and he regularly shares his insights and knowledge through social media. He manages the popular account @adventures_uae, which has gained a significant following and has become a go-to resource for those interested in these areas. Khalid is an alumnus of the Youth for Sustainability program and remains committed to driving positive change in his community. He is excited to collaborate with like-minded professionals at the Technical Committee for the International Lithosphere Program Workshop to further advance the field of geoscience. His expertise and knowledge will undoubtedly be a valuable asset to the committee's work.

Hazza Alketbi is a highly skilled and accomplished Senior Geologist at the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure in the United Arab Emirates. With a Bachelor's Degree in Geology, has extensive knowledge and experience in data gathering, analysis, conducting geological research, and implementing various geological surveys and studies. Hazza is a key member of the Geology and Mineral Resources Department at the Ministry and has played an integral role in the development of concepts and strategies related to geological surveys and studies. His dedication and hard work have earned him the Excellence Award in the Oil, Gas, and Mineral Resources Sector for the year 2022. committed to spreading awareness about Geology and Geological Heritage in the community and demonstrated his leadership skills by securing the first place in the program of qualifying youth in oil operations. Hazza's passion for geological heritage is evident in his work, and he strives to preserve and promote the significance of geological resources. His expertise and dedication to his field make him a valuable asset to the Ministry and the broader community.

Dr. Alaa is Assistant Professor of hydrogeology at the United Arab Emirates University in UAE. He holds a PhD in Hydrogeology from University of South Australia (2016), MSc from Ain Shams University (2010) and BSc from Bani Suef University (2004). With an educational background in hydrogeology, Dr Alaa Ahmed has a multidisciplinary geology/hydrogeology research profile including topics in hydrochemistry, remote sensing and GIS, geochemical modelling and water resources management. He is highly motivated researcher with more than 15 years’ experience in hydrogeology. Through his work at Desert Research Centre in Egypt and UniSA in Australia, Dr. Alaa has contributed to numerous research projects, developed innovative and cost-effective solutions to significant environmental issues and awarded funding for four projects in the last ten years. Dr. Alaa has considerable undergraduate and postgraduate teaching experience as a lecturer of hydrogeology, geology, research theory and practicing and project management courses. He is also an experienced research supervisor to Doctoral, Masters, and undergraduate/internship students

Fadi Henri NADER is currently a research project leader and geosciences expert at IFPEN Energy Resources (France) and Chair Professor of “Multiscale Fluid-Rock Interactions” in the Department of Earth Sciences at Utrecht University (the Netherlands). Prof. NADER has 23 years of experience in fundamental and applied Earth sciences research. He is expert in sedimentology, characterisation and modelling of sedimentary basins and reservoirs/aquifers (clastics and carbonate rocks, fluid flow, diagenesis), integrated stratigraphy, seismic interpretation, structural geology and geochemistry as well as karst and speleothems studies. He graduated from the American University of Beirut (Lebanon) in Geology (BSc., MSc. -1994/2000), got his PhD at the KU Leuven University (Belgium, 2003), and HDR (Habilitation de Direction de la Recherche) at the Paris-Sorbonne University France (2015), appointed professor at Utrecht University in 2019.

Frans van Buchem is Professor at KAUST (Saudi Arabia) and has 33 years of experience in petroleum geological research and operations. He worked in research and management positions at the French Petroleum Institute (IFPEN), Maersk Oil and Elf-Aquitaine, and Halliburton/Landmark. He is a specialist in carbonate sedimentology and sequence stratigraphy applied to basin evaluation and reservoir model building, particularly for the carbonate petroleum systems of the Arabian Plate. He published widely and was the AAPG distinguished lecturer in 2009.

Raymond has worked in the Middle East & Africa for over 20 years in a business development capacity working with investment, health and safety and oil & gas organizations. Currently Raymond is EAGE Regional Manager for Middle East & Africa and has held that post for 13years. EAGE is one of the world's leading associations for geoscience and engineering and the society promotes the development and application of geosciences and technical progress to its members.

Dr. Matenco is Chair of the International Lithosphere Program Task Force VI Sedimentary Basins. Also he is the chair Tectonics and Sedimentary Basins at Utrecht University. His research area includes: sedimentary basins formation and evolution; Long-term sediment dynamics and coupling with anthropogenic systems; Orogenic structure and coupling with sedimentary basins; Lithosphere dynamics; Evolution of tectonic-driven sedimentary sequences; Source to Sink. He is also a lecturer in: Dynamics of Basins and Orogens, Reflection Seismics, Fieldwork Research Instruction. He is an Editor: Global and Planetary Change Journal. He is a member of: Academia Europaea, European Geosciences Union, American Geophysical Union, Geological Society of America

Dr. Al-Ramadan is a professor in the Geosciences department, College of Petroleum Engineering and Geoscience at King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM). Dr Khalid who earned his PhD degree in Geology from Uppsala University Uppsala Sweden in 2006, had previously completed his MS (2001) and BS degrees in Geology from KFUPM. He is currently the director of programs in GS and the Geossystem Research Group leader at the Center for Integrative Petroleum Research. Since rejoining after his PhD, Dr Al-Ramadan has taught several courses including sedimentology, stratigraphy, regional geology and field geology; and also advised and or co-advised several PhD and MS dissertations and these. Dr Al-Ramadan research interest focuses on silicicalstic sedimentology and stratigraphy with emphasis on diagenesis and reservoir characterization. Dr Al-Ramadan has singularly authored or co-authored many journal research articles in his fields of specialization.

Dr. Thomas Steuber is currently Professor in the Earth Science Department of Khalifa University of Science and Technology, Abu Dhabi. Previously, he joined the Petroleum Institute, Abu Dhabi, in 2005 from Ruhr-University Bochum, Germany, where he served as Hochschuldozent (Associate Professor) and Acting Chair of Sedimentology and Isotope Geology from 1999 – 2005. From 1996 – 1999, while at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Germany, he was holding the prestigious Heisenberg-Fellowship of Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG), after an appointment as Hochschulassistent (Assistant Professor) at the University of Cologne, Germany. He earned his PhD from the University of Cologne in 1989 with a thesis on the biostratigraphy, sedimentology, and isotope geochemistry of Triassic sedimentary rocks in Beotia, Greece.

"Director of Department 4 Geosystems at GFZ Potsdam Head of section 4.5 Basin modelling at GFZ Potsdam Professor for Basin Analysis at RWTH Aachen University, Faculty of Georesources and Materials Engineering https://www.gfz-potsdam.de/en/staff/magdalena.scheck-wenderoth/sec40"

Dr. 26 years diverse global experience (Structural Geology & Geomechanics Expert), in reservoir studies for exploration, appraisal and field development with operators and service companies in the Middle East, Europe, Asia and S.E Asia. .Extensive experience in conducting high resolution, integrated studies within carbonate, clastic and unconventional reservoirs worldwide, encompassing the majority of depositional systems for exploration, appraisal and development projects

Dr. Mahmoud Alnazghah is a highly accomplished geologist with specialization in sedimentology and reservoir characterization. He received his Bachelor's degree in Geology from Durham University and completed his Master's and doctorate degrees at the University of Texas at Austin with a focus in carbonate sedimentology. Throughout his career, Dr. Alnazghah has worked with leading oil and gas company, applying his expertise in sedimentology, well log analysis, and reservoir modeling. He played a pivotal role as a co-chair in organizing and leading technical workshops. In addition, he has collaborated with diverse international research teams and conducted fieldwork in different geological settings. Field expeditions involved collecting rock samples, measuring geological sections, and studying the interactions between different geological processes. The results of the work have been published in esteemed scientific journals. Driven by a profound inquisitiveness and a commitment to advancing the field, Dr. Mahmoud Alnazghah continues to contributing to the sustainable exploration and utilization of Earth's natural resources.

Ali Al-Lazki: Subsurface Instructor at Learning and Development Academy, previously Quantitative Interpretation Geophysicist in Exploration Directorate both at Petroleum Development Oman. Ali’s PhD in Geophysics and Seismology from Cornell University, USA; MSc in Geophysics, University of Tulsa, USA; and Earth Sciences BSc, Sultan Qaboos University, Oman. Ali held Assistant Professor at Earth Sciences Department, SQU, 2002–2012. SQU Research involved integration of regional scale seismology, geophysics and geology to decipher crust and mantle rheology-structure. Ali’s QI experience in rock properties, impedance-AVO inversion, micro-seismic, microgravity, gravity-magnetic modeling.

Mr. Salah El Ekhfifi is an exploration geologist at NOC Libya with seven years of experience. He has delivered presentations on diversified subjects both locally and globally and has spoken at conferences such as Tunisia Oil Gas Summit 2019 and Africa Oil Week 2018. Salah has served as a committee member for several technical workshops and conferences and is a country representative for AAPG Africa Region Leadership. He was also the general chair of the Benghazi International Geoscience and Engineering Conference in 2022.

Dr. Thomas Steuber is currently Professor in the Earth Science Department of Khalifa University of Science and Technology, Abu Dhabi. Previously, he joined the Petroleum Institute, Abu Dhabi, in 2005 from Ruhr-University Bochum, Germany, where he served as Hochschuldozent (Associate Professor) and Acting Chair of Sedimentology and Isotope Geology from 1999 – 2005. From 1996 – 1999, while at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Germany, he was holding the prestigious Heisenberg-Fellowship of Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG), after an appointment as Hochschulassistent (Assistant Professor) at the University of Cologne, Germany. He earned his PhD from the University of Cologne in 1989 with a thesis on the biostratigraphy, sedimentology, and isotope geochemistry of Triassic sedimentary rocks in Beotia, Greece.

Geologist with a Masters Degree, with special emphasis on basaltic flows prior to Deccan traps. Currently involved in creating value added solution to natural resources.

Osman Abdelghany received his B.Sc. in Geology with Honors and M.Sc. in Stratigraphy and Micropaleontology from Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt respectively. He obtained his Ph.D. in 1996 from Vienna University, Austria. He is currently Associate Professor of Stratigraphy and Micropaleontology at United Arab Emirates University. Osman is a member of the Emirates Society of Geosciences (ESG), European Association of Geoscientists and Engineers (EAGE), Geological Society of Africa (GSA), Geological Society of Egypt (GSE), Egyptian Society of Paleontology (ESP), American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG), Emirates Natural History Group- Al-Ain Chapter (ENHG). He is particularly interested in Cretaceous/Tertiary stratigraphy and foraminifera and published a lot of papers in national and international magazines.

Dr. Thomas Steuber is currently Professor in the Earth Science Department of Khalifa University of Science and Technology, Abu Dhabi. Previously, he joined the Petroleum Institute, Abu Dhabi, in 2005 from Ruhr-University Bochum, Germany, where he served as Hochschuldozent (Associate Professor) and Acting Chair of Sedimentology and Isotope Geology from 1999 – 2005. From 1996 – 1999, while at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Germany, he was holding the prestigious Heisenberg-Fellowship of Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG), after an appointment as Hochschulassistent (Assistant Professor) at the University of Cologne, Germany. He earned his PhD from the University of Cologne in 1989 with a thesis on the biostratigraphy, sedimentology, and isotope geochemistry of Triassic sedimentary rocks in Beotia, Greece.

Dr. 26 years diverse global experience (Structural Geology & Geomechanics Expert), in reservoir studies for exploration, appraisal and field development with operators and service companies in the Middle East, Europe, Asia and S.E Asia. .Extensive experience in conducting high resolution, integrated studies within carbonate, clastic and unconventional reservoirs worldwide, encompassing the majority of depositional systems for exploration, appraisal and development projects