Wintershall Dea announced that as of 1 February, its activities in Algeria, Egypt, Libya and the United Arab Emirates will be led under a joint business unit for the MENA region. These changes to the company’s international business are part of the broader company restructuring announced in September 2023, the company said in a press release.

Sameh Sabry has been appointed to lead the newly established business unit. With 23 years of experience, including several leadership positions in MENA countries and Germany, Sameh Sabry brings extensive expertise and regional insights to his new position. Since 2019, he assumed his latest position as Senior Vice President and Managing Director of Wintershall Dea‘s business unit in Egypt. Before that he was the Managing Director of Wintershall Dea’s business unit in Algeria.

Sameh Sabry says: “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.” Within the MENA BU, Thomas Ruttmann will be responsible for Wintershall Dea’s activities in Algeria and Libya, Jan Himmerkus for the United Arab Emirates

Wintershall Dea’s activities in the MENA region started in Libya in 1958. The company has been a partner in Algeria since 2002 and will celebrate its 50th anniversary in Egypt in 2024. The company 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.

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