With two major projects under way in Qatar for Shell and the Government of Qatar, namely Pearl GTL (Gas to Liquids) and Qatargas 4, and the many billions of dollars to be invested accordingly, Shell is committed to being a good corporate citizen and recognises its responsibility to give back to the people of Qatar.

As such, in partnership with several public and private sector Qatar organisations, Shell has developed and backed a range of social initiatives - from the Qatar Shell Research and Technology Centre, which will provide technology transfer in sub-surface technologies, to the Intilaaqah programme, which offers training and support to young entrepreneurs wishing to establish their own businesses. Shell is also backing several sporting and cultural programmes for the enjoyment of members of the general public.

‘Shell in the Middle East’ talks to Andy Brown, Country Chairman for Shell Companies in Qatar and Managing Director of Pearl GTL, and to two of Shell’s partners in its social initiatives programme for Qatar...

“Since Qatar Shell opened its offices in Doha in 2002, Shell has invested a great deal of time and energy in developing partnerships and relationships with Qatari society through a variety of social initiatives,” says Andy Brown, Country Chairman for Shell Companies in Qatar and Managing Director of Pearl GTL (Gas to Liquids).

“Shell’s investment in these social initiatives is, of course, quite apart from the contribution the company will make to Qatari society through its multi-billion dollar investments in the Pearl GTL project, Shell’s largest equity investment anywhere in the world to date, and Qatargas 4, an integrated 7.8 million tonne per annum LNG [Liquefied Natural Gas] project.

“In developing Pearl GTL we are determined to take account of not only the environmental impacts but also the social effects of our project. That is why we executed an ESHIA [Environmental, Social & Health Impact Assessment] and not just the EIA [Environmental Impact Assessment] mandated by the Qatar Government. It is because of this that we have formed a Pearl GTL SD [Sustainable Development] Advisory Committee, co-chaired by QP [Qatar Petroleum], but also comprising representatives from RLIC, the Supreme Council for the Environment and Natural Reserves, Qatar University, the Planning Council and The Social Development Centre to help us develop our Sustainable Development Programme.

“One example of our commitment to Qatari society,” says Andy, “is the development of a materials off-loading facility [MOF] at Ras Laffan Port, just a few kilometres from the location of the Pearl GTL site in Ras Laffan Industrial City [RLIC].

“Pearl GTL will require well over a million freight tonnes of material and equipment. Normally, much of this material and equipment would be delivered to Doha Port then transported by road 90 kilometres north to Ras Laffan Industrial City. The new MOF will clearly reduce HSE [Health, Safety and Environment] impacts of our activities, especially in terms of road traffic incidents associated with such a massive road transport operation.

“Shell will also be placing a great deal of emphasis on the welfare, health and living conditions of the 35,000-plus workers who will be coming to Qatar to help build Pearl GTL. A special accommodation camp, the Pearl Village, is being built for these workers that will be equipped with catering, communications, sporting and other leisure facilities, as well as a safety training centre.

“Of course we must not forget that the products from Pearl GTL are high quality and cleaner and can offer significant improvements in air quality to countries around the world.

“But Shell is also looking beyond the business aspects of its presence in Qatar to the wider community and has developed, in partnership with various public and private sector Qatari organisations, a portfolio of social investment initiatives.

“Shell will be in Qatar for the long term and we feel that in order to be a good corporate citizen it is our responsibility to contribute to Qatari society and assist wherever we can.

“One area in which we have begun to focus, and which will grow, is training, the transfer of technology and learning. Shell’s flagship operation in Qatar is the Qatar Shell Research and Technology Centre [QSRTC], which has been operating out of temporary premises for over two years now. I am pleased to announce that the QSRTC will move into custom-built, state-of-the-art facilities within the Qatar Science and Technology Park, which is a part of the Qatar Foundation, by the end of 2007.

“The QSRTC currently employs 18 people who are active in a variety of research and development projects. These include a centre of expertise for carbonates reservoir modelling and, as sulphur will be one of the by-products from the GTL manufacturing process, a sulphur management project.

“The QSRTC team is truly multi- cultural, with experts from Qatar, The Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Germany, America, Egypt, Malaysia, India, Oman and South Africa.

“Currently QSRTC has an Omani geologist, Sulaiman Al-Kindi, on a development assignment and the team includes six Qataris, two of whom are ladies, working on various research programmes.

“Another project under way at QSRTC involves research into applications which can be developed to utilise the water and biosludge which will also be by-products from the GTL process.

“Qatar’s Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Agriculture has recently agreed to collaborate with the QSRTC on a range of joint research projects. This collaboration will include studies into the re-use of industrial water for irrigation, agriculture in saline soil conditions and the re-use of biosludge as a soil improver.

“The QSRTC will also facilitate the participation of Wageningen University from The Netherlands to provide support for these research activities.

“To increase awareness and understanding of sustainable development, and to assist in the implementation of sustainable development in Qatar, Shell is also sponsoring a Professorial Chair in Sustainable Development at Qatar University.

“Through this academic partnership, Qatar University’s academic syllabus is introducing the concept of sustainable development to students. This will enable students to understand the importance of the aspects of sustainable development in taking Qatar forward into the future. The programme focuses on key elements of Qatar’s development and concentrates on balancing wealth generation and industrial development with environmental protection and social development.

“Continuing on the education front, in May 2006 Shell and its partners launched Intilaaqah in Qatar, a programme designed to train young entrepreneurs to establish and manage their own businesses. This programme has been successfully launched by Shell around the world under the name LiveWire and has been rolled out across the Middle East in several countries.

“The first year of Intilaaqah in Qatar has been even more successful than we projected and the statistics are very encouraging, with the programme’s website receiving an average of 3,821 ‘hits’ a month.

“So far we have held seven workshops entitled ‘Bright Ideas’ to listen to the ideas of young entrepreneurs and help them progress those ideas into reality. Over 75 candidates have completed this course to date.

“A second group of workshops, entitled ‘Become a Successful Owner Manager’, has provided assistance to over 20 candidates, and two candidates have already started up new businesses.

“Shell is also working, in collaboration with the Supreme Council for the Environment and Natural Reserves, on the establishment of a biosphere reserve in the northwest of the country. We helped fund the nomination file for this project, called Al-Reem Biosphere Reserve, to be recognised by UNESCO.

“The biosphere will cover around 1,200 square kilometres, which is 10.4 per cent of Qatar’s land mass, where a variety of different habitats are to be found. Biosphere reserves differ from national protected areas and wildlife parks and are established by countries working with UNESCO to promote biodiversity conservation and sustainable development, and are based on local community efforts and sound science.”

Andy then moves on to say, “Children are the future of any society and their safety, particularly on the roads, is of paramount importance. In partnership with Al Jazeera Children’s Channel [JCC], a leading pan-Arab youth television channel funded by the Qatar Foundation, Shell has helped develop a road safety awareness campaign to target young children and their parents and make them more aware of the dangers related to road traffic.

“On-air, this campaign comprises a series of 30-second 3D animations entitled ‘Entebeh’, which is Arabic for ‘Be careful’. These 15 3D animations started airing in April 2007 and will run until the end of 2007.

“Shell will also work with JCC on a debate programme for children that will deal with the topic of road safety. This programme will air during the second half of the year.

“Another unique component of our social investment programme is our sponsorship of the Wheels ’n’ Heels fund raising event, which falls under the umbrella of Reach Out To Asia,” says Andy. “Reach Out To Asia is a Qatari NGO [non-government organisation] established under the auspices of the Heir Apparent, His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, guided by Her Excellency Sheikha Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani and devoted to progressive education, research and community welfare in Asia. We have been associated with this event as title sponsors for the last two years, demonstrating our support for Qatar’s exemplary contribution of humanitarian assistance.

“Each year Wheels ’n’ Heels has attracted thousands of people who have walked, skated or cycled through an event course for charity. Needless to say, one of the most visible and enthusiastic groups at the event has been the Qatar Shell staff and their families, without whom we would not have been able to fully demonstrate our company’s commitment to the cause,” he explains.

When it comes to sports in Qatar, football is considered to be the national pastime and is followed avidly by people of all ages.

“In recognition of this,” says Andy, “Shell decided last year to contribute to the development of the sport by sponsoring the two main professional football championships, called the H. H. The Emir Cup and the H. H. The Heir Apparent Cup.”

Finally, Shell has contributed to Qatar’s growing cultural agenda through a partnership with the Qatar Foundation to support a series of classical music concerts.

“We are now in the second year of the series and the concerts have been successful and extremely well received,” says Andy.

“So, Shell is very active in the community and we look forward to developing other programmes over the years to come in order to strengthen our ties with Qatar,” he concludes.

“The Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Agriculture of Qatar and the Qatar Shell Research and Technology Centre - [QSRTC] recently signed a Memorandum of Collaboration to provide a framework for joint research projects in the fields of industrial water re-use, irrigation, agriculture in saline soil conditions and the application of biotreater waste streams,” says His Excellency Sheikh Abdulrahman Bin Khalifa Al-Thani, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Agriculture.

“The signing of this agreement marks a significant milestone in the development of water and agricultural research in Qatar, and I am confident that our joint research projects with Shell will strongly contribute to the development of improved technologies in these areas.

“The Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Agriculture is committed to the development and implementation of technologies that allow for the efficient use of Qatar’s water resources and their application in the field of agriculture and the Ministry is proud to have Shell as a partner in this quest.

“The Department of Agriculture and Water Research, which is a part of the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Agriculture, has a great deal of experience in various research fields related to agriculture and water use in Qatar and currently employs some 200 staff working on four research farms and in various laboratories in Qatar,” His Excellency concludes.

“The Supreme Council for the Environment & Natural Reserves [SCENR] is responsible for all issues relating to the environment in the State of Qatar,” says Khalid Al-Maadhed, Secretary General of SCENR.

“This responsibility covers the more well-known issues concerning nature reserves in the countryside but also the equally important day- to-day issues of environmental control in a modern society.

“These include, for example, the management of all chemical and radioactive products coming into and going out of Qatar, and the evaluation and approval of Environmental Impact Assessment [EIA] studies. These constitute a big part of our job as all new projects must have been through an EIA before they can proceed.

“The really rewarding part of the job, however, is the part related to the development and management of Qatar’s natural reserves, which cover around 10.4 per cent of the country’s total land area and it is here, with the development of Al-Reem Biosphere Reserve, that Shell is providing assistance. Al-Reem Biosphere is in the northwest of Qatar and stretches from Zubarah to Zikrit, encompassing an area of some 1,190 square kilometres.

“Qatar has applied to UNESCO to have Al-Reem Protected Area registered as a biosphere reserve under the UNESCO Man & Biosphere Programme. SCENR’s application is currently going through the UNESCO assessment process.

“The first stage of the process, an examination of our application by the Technical Committee, has been successful and we are now at the final stage, awaiting the results which should be announced very soon.

“Shell has been most helpful with the work involved in the Biosphere Reserve application process and I am pleased to say that we have had a very good partnership with Shell for some time now.

“We are very happy with the way in which the relationship has grown and we hope that as we work to develop Al-Reem Biosphere Reserve Shell will become more involved in the project. Our long-term plan is to establish a management team for the Biosphere Reserve and I hope that Shell will also be part of that team.

“To support our activities in the area we intend to build and man an information centre for the Biosphere Reserve so that visitors to the area will be well informed and be able to get the most from their visits. This centre will also give us a physical presence in the area and act as our central management facility so that we can monitor the animals, visitors and human activities in the Biosphere Reserve.

“In the Al-Reem Biosphere Reserve there will be a protected core area where there will be no human interaction with the animals. However, the whole point of a biosphere reserve is for people to integrate with the environment in a regulated manner and live side by side, where possible, so in most parts of the Biosphere Reserve there will be people.

“Qatar has very sensitive flora and fauna and we want to ensure that it is protected for all time. We have an active breeding programme for the Arabian oryx and so far we have some 700 oryx in various protected areas in Qatar. We have also been able to provide breeding stocks of oryx to several of the neighbouring countries in the region - in Oman, the UAE and Kuwait.

“Our mission is to protect the environment, and I am pleased to have Shell on board, working with us in many ways,” concludes Khalid.