Cairo, May 5, 2025 – The Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, the Engineering and Science Services (ESS) of the American University in Cairo (AUC), and Methanex Egypt signed a landmark tripartite protocol to develop Egypt’s first professional Process Safety Management (PSM) Diploma—a significant milestone in the journey to strengthen process safety practices across Egypt’s oil, gas, and petrochemical sectors.
The signing ceremony was held at the AUC, in the presence of H.E. Eng. Karim Badawi, Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources. The event was attended by Geologist Alaa El Batal, First Undersecretary and Supervisor for HSE, Energy Efficiency, and Climate at the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources; Ahmad Dallal, President of the American University in Cairo (AUC); Dr. Lotfi Gaafar, Dean of the School of Science and Engineering at AUC; and Mohamed Shindy, Managing Director of Methanex Egypt, alongside key representatives from the Ministry, the Canadian Embassy, Methanex Egypt, and AUC.
This collaborative initiative brings together the public sector, academia, and industry to introduce a comprehensive and pioneering professional program that will enhance sector-wide capabilities and embed a robust process safety culture within Egypt’s energy industry. The diploma aims to equip sector professionals with the technical knowledge and practical skills needed to implement the 24 national PSM standards and guidelines published by the Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation through its partnership with Methanex Egypt.
As part of the signed collaboration protocol, Methanex Egypt will provide the diploma development funding and technical support to the development of Egypt’s first professional PSM diploma, in collaboration with the Ministry and the AUC. Over the next three years, Methanex Egypt will sponsor 150 candidates from the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, with the expectation of expanding the program in the future. AUC will oversee the academic framework, venue logistics, assessments, and professional certification, while a Technical Committee comprised of representatives from the Ministry, AUC, and Methanex Egypt will oversee the development, planning and delivery of the professional diploma.
Reflecting on the collaboration protocol signing, Mohamed Shindy said: “Signing this protocol marks a significant milestone in our leadership journey to advance Process Safety Management in Egypt. Methanex Egypt is proud to be the driving force behind the technical development of this diploma program, providing the core content and expertise needed to bring the 24 national PSM standards and guidelines we developed to life. Through this initiative, we are not only strengthening our partnership with the Ministry but also investing in future generations for a safer, more resilient future for the entire sector.”
Highlighting the importance of signing the collaboration protocol, Geologist Alaa El Batal, Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources First Undersecretary and Supervisor, commented: “The collaboration reflects the Ministry’s strategic direction to institutionalize process safety and elevate operational excellence across the sector. Partnering with Methanex Egypt and AUC is an important step in building a knowledge-based workforce capable of upholding safety at every level”.
Dr. Lotfi Gaafar, Dean of the School of Science and Engineering at the AUC, commented: “We are honored to join forces with the Ministry and Methanex Egypt on this important initiative. By combining our academic strengths with industry expertise, we are helping to shape a safer and more sustainable future for Egypt’s energy sector.”
Since 2018, Methanex Egypt has played a leading role in advancing Process Safety Management (PSM) across Egypt’s oil, gas, and petrochemical sector through its collaboration with the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources. This partnership has delivered key milestones including the joint development of 24 national PSM standards and guidelines, the launch of Egypt’s first official PSM website, the publication of the 24 documents overview “Towards Safer Processes in the Oil, Gas and Petrochemical Industries” Book, and a series of knowledge sharing sessions aimed at building sector-wide capability. Methanex has also fostered industry-wide dialogue through its annual PSM conference, reinforcing its commitment to knowledge exchange and continuous improvement. These collective efforts rooted in Methanex’s commitment to the principles of Responsible Care have positively impacted over 330 companies in the sector, driving a safer, more sustainable, and resilient energy future for Egypt.