KUWAIT - Ahmad Rashid Al Arbeed.

The Chairman and CEO of Project Kuwait and the company which will oversee development of the four northern oilfields, Arbeed is also in charge of privatising some non-core KPC businesses including KOTC and KUFPEC. Until 2003, Arbeed used to be CEO of KOC, and took up that position in 2001 from Abdel Latif Hamad Al Torah. Until then, Arbeed used to be chairman and CEO of KUFPEC. Now KUFPEC's Chairman and CEO is Badr Al Kashti, and the CEO of KOC is Farouq Al-Zanki.

While under Arbeed, KOC had been transformed from a functional entity into an asset management company, with E&P operations in Kuwait's northern and western oilfields eventually to be undertaken by international oil firms (IOCs) under long-term service contracts. KOC will only operate the fields within the Greater Burgan area.

To become more efficient and reduce delays in project implementation, KOC in February 2002 was streamlined. Seven new directorates were set up, with one for each of northern Kuwait, Project Kuwait (in which the IOCs will be the operators), western Kuwait, south-east Kuwait, E&P development, technical services, and the administration.

To expand its technology base, KOC as a holding company has alliances with Halliburton, Schlumberger and Microsoft. KOC's five-year project management consultant (PMC) for the northern oilfields from June 2003 is Halliburton's unit Kellogg Brown & Root (KBR). Its five-year PMC for the western and south-eastern oilfields is Fluor Daniel. From late 2001 to June 13, 2003, its PMC was Parsons Engineering Corp. All these companies are from the US.

Arbeed until 1999 used to be manager of KOC's planning and fields' development department as Torah was the company's CEO. As he returned to head KOC in 2001, Arbeed became a member of a special committee chaired by the oil minister oversaw plans for IOCs to participate in the development of seven northern and western oilfields.