ABU DHABI - The Decision Makers.

Decision making in Abu Dhabi for oil and gas policies or projects involves a small number of people grouped in the Supreme Petroleum Council (SPC) and the board of ADNOC. The number of young Abu Dhabian university graduates joining the decision makers is increasing steadily. Under the chairmanship of Crown Prince Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed, who heads the local government of Abu Dhabi, the SPC members represent the most important sectors in the emirate. ADNOC initiates most of the decisions or projects, which must be approved by the SPC. ADNOC was restructured in October 1998.

The person to watch is Shaikh Sultan Bin Khalifa, the ambitious son of Abu Dhabi's crown prince and SPC chairman, who wants to become the emirate's day-to-day ruler when his father succeeds UAE President and Abu Dhabi ruler Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan. Aged 85, Shaikh Zayed acts more as a guiding sovereign than a day-to-day ruler. Officially the day-to-day ruler of Abu Dhabi is his first son, Crown Prince Shaikh Khalifa. But in reality Shaikh Khalifa too is not very active and much is being handled presently by the sons of Shaikh Zayed's favourite wife, Shaikha Fatima Bint Mubarak, who are only half-brothers of Shaikh Khalifa.

The SPC is in charge of the hydrocarbon sector in Abu Dhabi. Chaired by Crown Prince Shaikh Khalifa, the council consists of key members of the ruling Al Nahyan family, representatives of the local Finance Department and the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA), and the CEO of Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. (ADNOC) who is the SPC secretary-general. Abu Dhabi's ruler Shaikh Zayed, while not involved, retains final authority over important decisions.

The key SPC figures now are in the following order (1) Crown Prince Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed, who in addition to the SPC also chairs the emirate's Executive Council (local govt.) and other institutions; (2) ADNOC ex-chairman Shaikh Tahnoun, who is deputy chairman of the SPC as well as the governor of the Eastern Province whose capital is Al Ain; (3) Shaikh Zayed's top advisor and representative Ahmad Bin Khalifa Al Suwaidi, who attends most important SPC meetings; (4) ADIA's CEO Shaikh Ahmad Bin Zayed, who took over from Mohammed Habroush Al Suwaidi; (5) ADNOC's CEO and SPC Secretary General Yusuf Bin Omeir Bin Yusuf, who built up his career at ADIA; and (6) other members include UAE Deputy Premier Shaikh Sultan Bin Zayed and UAE Chief of Staff Shaikh Mohammed Bin Zayed.