Qatargas has become the first company in Qatar to achieve accreditation for its professional engineers development programme, from the Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE) and Institution of Engineering Technology (IET).

Qatargas Operating Officer – Engineering and Ventures, Sheikh Khalid Bin Abdulla Al-Thani, received the certification of accreditation on behalf of Qatargas, at a special ceremony held at the company's Doha headquarters on Monday 6th February. His Excellency Mr. John Hawkins, the British Ambassador to Qatar, as well as senior officials of Qatargas also attended the event.

Commenting on this achievement, the Sheikh Khalid Bin Abdulla said:

"These accreditations underline Qatargas' commitment to maintaining the highest international standards, while ensuring that we will have qualified and competent national engineers to manage our operations and contribute towards the continued success of Qatargas and the State of Qatar. It is also a clear indication that Qatargas provides the right environment and opportunities for young engineering graduates to develop their skills and excel in their profession. It is a matter of great pride for us that our standards are being recognised to be on a par with the best in the world."

During the same event, Qatargas' Surveillance Division Manager, Ibrahim Bawazir was acknowledged as the first chartered engineer Qatargas has produced, when he was presented with a certificate confirming him as a chartered member of IChemE and Julia Calleja, Development Specialist at Qatargas was awarded an honorary Fellowship of the IChemE for services to the profession and for bringing engineering world standards in technical training to Qatar.

The accreditations were recommended and approved by the IChemE and IET following a detailed and thorough evaluation of Qatargas as a suitable training organisation.

Neil Atkinson, Director of Qualifications, IChemE said:

"The professional development programme for engineers at Qatargas has the strong support of the company's senior management. Qatargas has demonstrated a clear commitment to professionalism and a desire to become a premier organisation. The site environment provides outstanding opportunities for training and exposure to world class process technology, in addition to a robust safety culture."

Recognising the significant achievement by Qatargas, the Qatar University, College of Engineering, Professor and Head of Chemical Engineering Department, Dr. Farid Benyahia BSc (Hons) MSc PhD CEng FIChemE stated that:

"I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Qatargas for achieving IChemE accreditation of their training programme. It's a significant move in the context of the National Development Strategy (NDS). This will open the door to its chemical engineers to progress towards chartered status."

The accreditation indicates that Qatargas' training and development programme meets the highest standards and that the company has committed qualified staff and resources to the professional development of engineers.

In the long term, this will help Qatargas to continue to attract and retain focused, committed engineering graduates, enabling the company to cultivate a highly skilled and professional, engineering staff.

The Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE) is the global professional membership organisation for people who have an interest in and relevant experience in chemical engineering. IchemE is the only organisation to award Chartered Chemical Engineer status. The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) is Europe's largest professional body of engineers with over 150,000 members in 127 countries.

LNG World News Staff, February 8, 2012