Fahad Al‑Bani is a visionary, results‑driven executive with about three decades of leadership experience in the oil and gas industry. He brings a global perspective, strong interpersonal capabilities, and a proven ability to build high‑performance, safety‑driven cultures.
He most recently served as Vice President of Unconventional Resources at Saudi Aramco, where he led one of the company’s most strategically significant portfolios.
With deep expertise in reservoir engineering, drilling, completions, and stimulation operations, Fahad has overseen large‑scale projects, his leadership has consistently emphasized performance, innovation, safety, and cost efficiency.
Among his notable achievements, Fahad led Saudi Aramco’s largest efficiency optimization campaign, through integrated planning, digitalization, and lean execution. He has repeatedly exceeded corporate KPIs across safety, environmental performance, well delivery, and operational reliability.
Fahad has been at the forefront of industry advancement, championing technologies such as tubingless completions, walking rigs, and unitized wellhead systems. He also co‑developed a rotary steerable system with U.S. experts, significantly enhancing reservoir exposure and recovery.
With his strong advocacy for national talent development, Fahad has established structured mentoring, coaching, and workforce planning programs aligned with long‑term organizational priorities.
Fahad holds a Petroleum Engineering degree from King Saud University and completed the Executive Development Program at IMD Business School in Switzerland.
Mikael Gren
Chief Operating Officer (COO)
Mikael is a seasoned professional with over 25 years of experience in the oil and gas industry, specializing in drilling operations, asset management, and leadership development. His career spans senior roles across diverse countries and cultures including Saudi Arabia, Norway, India, and South Africa.
Mikael’s experience includes both onshore and offshore assignments, with his most recent role being Global Director of Operation Excellence. He has managed large fleets of rigs, established new operations, led operational expansions and critical support functions. He brings a wealth of knowledge in operational excellence, contract negotiation, cost management, workforce planning and optimization, with a strong track record of driving innovation and efficiency in challenging environments.
Mikael holds a Master of Science in Management from Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen - Scotland, and a Marine Engineer degree from the Marine Engineering School in Faroe Islands.
Farid Mustafayev
Chief Financial Officer (CFO)
Farid brings over 24 years of global corporate finance experience, including 15 years in senior leadership roles focused on financial strategy and M&A execution. He most recently served as M&A Portfolio Manager at SLB in London, where he led the acquisition and integration of strategic businesses. Prior to that, he was HR Director for Global Finance, driving talent development across SLB’s finance organization.;
Throughout his career, Farid has held several key leadership roles. As Finance Director for Russia & Central Asia, he oversaw operations across six countries and led a team of over 350 professionals.
In his role as Finance Director for Global Well Services, he managed financials for SLB’s largest product line across 80 countries, driving global performance. He also served as Finance Director for Saudi Arabia & Bahrain, leading finance for SLB’s largest GeoMarket.
Farid holds both Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees in Economics, with a specialization in Finance and Credit, from Azerbaijan State Economic University.
Salwa Helal
Chief Supply Chain Officer
Salwa Helal is the Chief Supply Chain Officer of Arabian Drilling. In Salwa’s early career, she joined the Egyptian Drilling Company in 1990 and built her profession there across different roles and positions for 33 consecutive years, during her service period, Salwa’s visionary allowed her to be part of various instrumental teams, including Maersk Drilling's company (Moller Supply Services) in Houston/USA, Finance, Commercial, and Purchasing till eventually holding the position of Chief Procurement Officer from July 2006 to January 2023. Her long journey with EDC was full of fruitful learning opportunities with several business education where she had studied three graduate diplomas in Management; Supply Chain and MIPP and graduated from the faculty of arts and business administration from the American University in Cairo, in addition to being licensed analyst of PI.
Sara Ali
Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO)
Mrs. Sara is the CHRO of Arabian Drilling. She has over 20 years of extensive experience in Human Resources and a comprehensive track record of implementing effective HR practices. Prior to joining Arabian Drilling, Mrs. Sara served as the Global Functions HR Head at SLB in London, where she was responsible for leading the company's strategy for talent acquisition, talent management, succession planning, policies, personnel administration, organization design, and compensation and benefits. She also served as the HR Services Manager at SLB in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, where she led the HR team for the service portfolio and spearheaded the voice of the customer program and innovations to enhance the overall customer experience. Sara has also contributed within the Recruitment, Training & Development and Compensation & Benefits functions. Prior to this, she held positions in the HR & Communications departments within SLB Mena, as well as the Olayan Group. Mrs. Sara holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from King Faisal University and an MBA from Arabian Gulf University.
Zaurayze Tarique
Chief Commercial Officer
Zaurayze brings nearly three decades of leadership experience across global energy services and drilling operations, with a strong track record of driving growth, improving profitability, and building high-performing organizations through disciplined execution and close collaboration with customers and stakeholders.
Prior to joining Arabian Drilling, he served as Managing Director for SLB Pakistan & Yemen. During his career with SLB, he held multiple senior leadership roles including Vice President Supply Chain, Vice President Marketing & Technology, and Vice President Global Operations, gaining deep exposure across international markets and complex operating environments. Zaurayze began his career with SEDCO FOREX in 1998 and was part of the Arabian Drilling family from 2001 to 2005, where he managed land and offshore operations, led shipyard upgrades, and supported major rig construction programs.
He holds an MBA in Finance from Rotterdam School of Management, Netherlands, and a BSc in Electrical Engineering from UET, Pakistan.
Mohammed Almadi
Chief Internal Audit Officer
Mohammed Almadi brings with him more than 20 years of experience in auditing, fraud prevention, risk management, governance, and compliance.
His vast experience, successful record, and professional qualifications will support Arabian Drilling’s success and growth. Prior to joining Arabian Drilling, Mohammed held several key positions where he established and led the Internal Audit function in accordance with the Institute of Internal Auditors standards and best applicable practices within different leading organizations such as Al-Nahdi Medical Company and King Abdullah Economic City.
In addition, he has served on committees such as the Ethics and Compliance Committee and the Audit and Risk Committee with his previous employers. Mohammed holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Imam Mohammed bin Saud Islamic University – Saudi Arabia, and holds major professional certifications including CIA, CFE, CRMA, and ACPA.
Bassem ElShawy
Investor Relations & Communications Director
Bassem ElShawy is a seasoned strategic investor relations and financial communications advisor with experience spanning more than 25 years. Prior to joining Arabian Drilling, Bassem served as Senior Vice President at Teneo, KSA, where he developed investor relations strategies, advised C-suite executives, and led financial communications for several IPOs and M&A transactions in the Saudi Stock Exchange.
Previously, he was the Head of Strategy & Investor Relations at MEPCO, where he established the investor relations function and contributed to the company's transformation strategies. Earlier in his career, Bassem led investor relations in various sectors. He was the Investor Relations Senior Manager at Emaar Misr, Investor Relations Manager at Asiacell Telecommunications, Director of Investor Relations and Board Secretary at GB Auto, and Investor Relations and Shareholder Affairs Manager at Orange Egypt.
Bassem holds an MBA from Maastricht School of Management, Netherlands and he is a Certified Investor Relations professional from IRS-UK.
