Circular economy for the SASREF refinery expansion project SASREF+: Alignment with the Saudi Green Initiative

Wael Al-Blaies has worked for 19 yr at Saudi Aramco, focusing on multiple engineering and project management projects. He earned a chemical engineering degree and an MS degree in risk management and process safety from Heriot-Watt University. Al-Blaies has assumed several leadership positions in the company since 2016, including Supervisor of the Flare, Gas Processing and Flow Assurance group, Division Manager of downstream process engineering and H2 systems engineering divisions and Fourth Industrial Revolution Center. He now works as the Manager of the Liquid-to-Chemical Program Technical Support Division.

Ibrahim Alabbas is a chemical engineer with > 7 yr of experience at Saudi Aramco, specializing in petroleum refining, with a focus on hydroprocessing units. Throughout his career, he has played a key role in major industrial initiatives and is currently contributing to one of the largest liquids-to-chemicals projects in the Middle East. Alabbas has also led multiple corporate-wide decarbonization initiatives, where he jointly developed an innovative in-house solution known as Emissions Management System (EMS). EMS is a tool designed to monitor and abate carbon emissions across operations with > 100 facilities.   

Khaled Alshehri is a seasoned technical expert with > 10 yr of experience in the oil and gas industry. He earned an MS degree in chemical engineering from King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), and an MBA from Swiss Business School. With a strong background in central engineering, Alshehri has provided critical support to refinery operations and projects, leveraging his technical expertise to drive business growth and optimization. Notably, he has played a key role in the pre-commissioning, commissioning and startup of major refineries, including the Yasref and Jazan refineries. Alshehri serves as a Supervisor of Project Engineering in the Liquid-to-Chemical Program Technical Support Division, where he is applying his technical and business acumen to deliver project excellence with a unique blend of technical expertise and business savvy. 

Bader AlFaqeer is a specialist in refinery and petrochemical planning and has 9 yrs of experience. During this time, he has led and supported the development of major capital projects from initiation through pre-FEED, supporting the full front-end planning cycle. His experience spans a range of corporate business initiatives and the shaping of downstream master plans to support long-term strategic goals.

Diwakar Rana is a Principal Process Engineer at Fluor Corp. He has more than 20 yr of experience within the energy industry. As Fluor's Process Lead for Sustainability, he assists clients in developing the decarbonization roadmap strategy for net-zero and advancing the circular economy. Before joining Fluor, Dr. Rana served as a Consulting Manager at Accenture, and a Technology Development Manager at DuPont. He holds three U.S. patents in process and reactor design and catalysis, which help oil refiners reduce both CAPEX and OPEX while minimizing their environmental footprint. He has authored several books and industrial papers within the energy industry covering topics such as sustainable fuels and energy security. He earned a BE degree (Honors) in chemical engineering from Deenbandhu Chottu Ram University of Science and Technology in India, an MS degree in chemical engineering from the Illinois Institute of Technology, U.S., and a PhD in chemical engineering from Washington State University, U.S. Dr. Rana has been a Licensed Professional Engineer for the State of Texas since 2008.

Abdulrahman Almotairy serves as a Circular Economy Expert within Saudi Aramco’s Environmental Protection Department. In this role, he drives the integration of circular economy principles and sustainable practices across industrial operations. His focus areas include resource efficiency, waste reduction and promoting the reuse, refurbishment and recycling of materials to maximize value retention and minimize environmental impact. With a background in environmental sciences from the University of Manchester, Almotairy brings a strong foundation in sustainability. Since joining the company in 2020, he has gained cross-functional experience as an Environmental Coordinator in the Eastern Region terminals, and as an Operations Engineer in the Safaniyah onshore production facility. This experience enabled him to bridge operational needs with strategic sustainability goals, supporting the company’s vision for a more resilient and regenerative future.