Sameh Sabry to lead Wintershall Dea’s new business unit in MENA

German oil and gas producer Wintershall Dea said on Thursday its activities in Algeria, Egypt, Libya, and the UAE will be under one joint business unit for the MENA region, under the leadership of Sameh Sabry.

Sabry’s appointment is effective as of February 1.  With 23 years of experience, including several leadership positions in MENA countries and Germany, Sabry has extensive expertise and regional insights.

Since 2019, he assumed his latest position as senior vice president and managing director of Wintershall Dea’s business unit in Egypt. Prior to this, he was the managing director of Wintershall Dea’s business unit in Algeria.

“Our long-standing activities in the MENA region are characterized by trust, partnership and cooperation. We see the new MENA BU as the right setup and path into the future, towards new technologies and opportunities.” Sabry said.

Within the new MENA BU, Thomas Ruttmann has been mandated for Wintershall Dea’s activities in Algeria and Libya, and Jan Himmerkus for the UAE.

Wintershall Dea’s activities in the MENA region started in Libya back in 1958. The company has been a partner in Algeria since 2002 and is set to celebrate its 50th anniversary in Egypt in 2024. It supports its operating countries by supplying energy which is crucially needed and developing low-carbon energy solutions on the path to a net-zero world.

Recent developments:

The shareholders of Wintershall Dea (BASF and LetterOne) and Harbour Energy plc (Harbour) signed a business combination agreement in December 2023 to transfer Wintershall Dea’s E&P business and carbon capture and storage (CCS) licences to Harbour.

Closing of the transaction is due for the fourth quarter of 2024. In parallel, the restructuring of Wintershall Dea announced in September, a move aimed to contribute to a stronger focus on the company’s strategic priorities, will be partially implemented following the sale announcement.