In October Shell and Qatar Petroleum (QP) signed a Heads of Agreement for the construction of the world's largest Gas to Liquids (GTL) plant which will be built in Qatar. Shell will invest some US $5 billion to develop upstream gas and liquids facilities and an onshore GTL plant with a production capacity of 140,000 barrels per day of GTL products. 'Shell in the Middle East' went to the signing of the agreement and talked to His Excellency Abdullah Bin Hamad Al-Attiyah, Second Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy and Industry in Qatar, and to Sir Philip Watts, Chairman of the Committee of Managing Directors of the Royal Dutch/Shell Group of Companies.

André van Strijp is General Manager of ADCO (Abu Dhabi Company for Onshore Oil Operations) - a company in which Shell has a 9.5 per cent shareholding. He talks to 'Shell in the Middle East' about his background, his career to date and the highlights of that career. He also talks about his love of travelling, and the best and the most challenging of his job postings...