Egypt Oil and Gas Group (EOG) launched the fourth edition of She Is Energy event on April 14 at the Triumph Luxury Hotel in Cairo, hosting key industry leaders to reflect on the remarkable role of women who are shaping the future of energy and celebrating their accomplishments, while spotlighting work done for them through the Women in Energy Network, which is part of the EOG Committee.

Running on the theme of Inclusion as Catalyst for Growth, the event included in the morning insightful interactive sessions and breakout workshops to accelerate action and drive change for women in the energy industry.

The event was graced by the attendance of His Excellency Karim Badawi, the Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources. Badawi gave a keynote speech emphasizing the six pillars of the ministry’s strategy while underscoring the inclusion of women in the process, stating, “I am a firm believer that the ministry’s pillars are equally applicable at all levels for men and women. I have been privileged during my career by working in the field, in different countries, and in different environments. I worked personally with a lot of very successful men and women. I also saw the strength of the collaboration and the value that men and women bring by working together.”

Eleanor Rowley, Managing Director Egypt at Capricorn Energy and Egypt’s Women in Energy Network Lead shed light in her speech on the earlier held interactive session and breakout workshop, stating, “There is a rich talent within here in our industry, but they do face challenges. We heard some amazing personal stories from individual ladies. There was a lot of reverse mentoring going on in the room.”

Mohamed Fouad, CEO of Egypt & Oil Gas and EOG Committee Co-Chairman, retreated on Rowley’s speech, stating, “We recognize that fostering true gender equality and diversity requires more than internal initiatives. It demands effective communication and strategic lobbying.”

“The oil and gas industry is not just about extracting resources. It is about cultivating innovation, which thrives on diversity. Not a buzzword but a fundamental principle. Your insight, methodologies, and abilities to navigate complex challenges with both precision and empathy—these are the catalysts that transform our potential into tangible, sustainable success. Every project you lead, every team you inspire, and every negotiation you navigate leaves us with an indelible mark on our industry’s progression,” Fouad added.

“Gatherings like this provide us with moments to pause and reflect. They serve as a powerful reminder of the momentum we are creating across the energy industry,” said Dalia El Gabry, VP and Country Chair, Shell Egypt.

El Gabry also added “”The energy sector has been slowly embraced by women. Gender bias and systematic barriers have held women back. But when we exclude women, we take out half of their creativity, half of their potential, and half of their ability to solve problems. I am very blessed because at Shell, we believe that the real progress is most powerful when it is shared.”

Awards Ceremony

In the awards ceremony, Alan Linn, CEO of Cheiron Energy, directed a message to women in the oil and gas industry, stating, “I want to ensure that we put the tools in place that will allow women to develop and grow in the oil and gas business.”

“The skill sets that you are developing and the qualities that you are expressing in the documentation that you’ve provided to us are world-class, and you should be very proud of them,” Linn added in his keynote speech as one of the Juries in the awards ceremony.

The awards included five categories. Nadine El Tanahy, Senior Production Engineer at Apache, won the Young Achiever Award for her exemplary contributions and dedication to the energy sector. Mona Al Adawy, CEO of GeoEnergy Group, won the Leadership Award. Lamees Sultan, Operations and Production Supervisor at bp, won the Inspire Award for her ability to inspire and lead with vision and innovation. Yasmine El Sherbiny, Energy Transition and Sustainability Business Manager, ENPPI, won the Business Excellence Award. Alaa Bechir, Methods & Control Manager at TotalEnergies, won the Woman in HSE Award. Ivan Almeida, Exploration Venture Manager at ExxonMobil Egypt, won the Promotion of Female Talent Award.

On behalf of the Women in Energy Network, Mohamed Foaud expressed his congratulations to both Ghada Abdelhadi Kandil, Chief Representative at BNY Mellon and Pakinam Kafafi, CEO of TAQA Arabia for their role and recognition as one of the top strongest businesswomen in the Middle East by Forbes.

During the awards ceremony, the jury members were honored for bringing their insights and expertise to the process of choosing the winners for the awards, comprising Alaan Linn, CEO of Cheiron Energy; Eleanor Rowley, MD of Egypt at Capricorn Energy PLC; Heba Abdel-Kader, Assistant Chairman for Marketing at Egyptian Petrochemicals Holding Company (ECHEM); Iman Wafy, former CEO Assistant for Information Technology at Egyptian General Petroleum Company (EGPC); Kamel El-Sawi, President of United Energy Egypt (UEE); and Omneya Abdellatif, Managing Counsel LNG & Head of Legal at Shell Egypt.

The day came to a close with a lavish gala dinner as inspiring industry-leading women and men from national and international companies got to network, celebrating women’s growth, acknowledging their efforts and leadership, and recognizing their contributions to shaping the future of the energy sector.