As CEO of Egypt Oil & Gas Group, Secretary General of the Egypt Gas & Energy Association, and Egypt’s Presidency Director to the International Gas Union for the 2025-2031 term, he sits at the intersection of policy, investment, communications and industry collaboration.
1. You’ve worked across industry, associations and international organisations. How has your view of energy communications changed over the years?
Over the years, I’ve come to see energy communications very differently. It is no longer simply about explaining what the industry does; it is about explaining why it matters.
Energy today sits at the intersection of economics, national security, geopolitics, climate priorities and people’s everyday lives. Communication therefore cannot be an afterthought or something that happens after a strategy has been developed. Communication has to be part of the strategy itself.
I also believe our industry needs to become much better at connecting technical realities with human realities. We can talk about molecules, infrastructure, investment and megawatts, but ultimately people want to understand what all of this means for their economies, their jobs, their communities and their future.
Good energy communication needs to be credible, transparent and simple without oversimplifying. Above all, we need to communicate with people, not at them.
2. What communication skills will tomorrow’s energy leaders need most?
I would put clarity, credibility and the ability to listen at the top of the list.
Tomorrow’s energy leaders will operate in an environment where information moves instantly, scrutiny is constant and almost every major energy decision can become part of a wider political or social debate.
Leaders therefore need to be able to take very complex subjects and communicate them in language that different audiences can understand – governments, investors, employees, communities and the public.
But communication is not only about speaking. Listening is equally important. The strongest communicators understand their stakeholders before they try to influence them.
And finally, leaders need authenticity. People can very quickly recognise communication that feels manufactured. Credibility is built over years but can be lost very quickly. Tomorrow’s leaders will need to communicate consistently, transparently and with a clear understanding of the realities their audiences face.
3. How can industry associations help the energy sector speak with one stronger voice?
Industry associations create something individual companies cannot easily create on their own: a common platform.
Our industry is incredibly diverse. Companies compete commercially and countries naturally have different priorities, but there are issues where collaboration is essential – energy security, investment, technology, sustainability, access and the future role of different energy sources.
Associations can bring governments, companies, experts and international organisations around the same table and help turn many individual perspectives into a clearer and more credible industry narrative.
However, I would distinguish between having a stronger voice and having a single voice. We should not expect everyone to say exactly the same thing. The strength comes from acknowledging different realities while identifying common ground based on facts.
At a time when the energy debate can become highly polarised, associations have an important responsibility to bring the conversation back to evidence, dialogue and practical solutions.
4. Egypt has become one of the region’s leading energy markets. How can it continue to attract international investment?
Investment ultimately follows opportunity, stability, clarity and confidence.
Egypt has several structural advantages: its geographic position, established energy infrastructure, access to regional and international markets, a substantial domestic market, and decades of experience working with international energy companies.
But having the assets is only part of the equation. Investors also need predictability, competitive frameworks, efficient decision-making and confidence that there is a long-term vision.
I also believe communication plays a bigger role in investment than we sometimes recognise. Countries compete not only for capital but also for attention. Investors need to clearly understand where the opportunities are, what the government’s priorities are and how the country fits into the future regional and global energy system.
Egypt therefore needs to continue combining policy reform and investment opportunity with a strong, consistent international energy narrative.
5. What’s the biggest misconception people have about Egypt’s energy sector?
One misconception is to look at Egypt only through the lens of its current production or import-export balance.
That misses the bigger picture.
Egypt’s energy value is also about infrastructure, geography, market size, connectivity and regional integration. It has developed infrastructure and capabilities across natural gas, LNG, refining, petrochemicals, electricity and increasingly renewable energy.
Perhaps most importantly, Egypt sits in a unique geographic position connecting Africa, the Middle East, the Mediterranean and major global trade routes.
Energy markets naturally move through cycles. Production rises and falls, prices change and investment cycles evolve. Infrastructure and geography, however, are long-term strategic assets.
So Egypt’s energy story should not be judged by one moment in the cycle. It should be understood in terms of the platform it has built and what that platform can enable in the future.
6. How important is a strong national energy story when it comes to attracting investment, technology and talent?
It is extremely important because countries compete for attention before they compete for investment.
You can have excellent resources, infrastructure and opportunities, but if the international market does not understand your strategy or your direction, those advantages may not translate into investment.
A strong national energy story does not mean creating slogans. It means connecting policy, opportunity, infrastructure and ambition into a narrative that is clear, credible and supported by reality.
Investors need to understand where a country is going. Technology companies need to understand where they can contribute. Young professionals need to see a future they want to participate in.
That is why I see communications as part of a country’s competitiveness. A strong energy story cannot replace good policy, but good policy becomes significantly more powerful when the world understands it.
7. We’ve heard a shift from talking about the “energy transition” to “energy addition.” Why has that happened?
Because the realities of the global energy system are becoming harder to describe through the language of substitution alone.
Global energy demand continues to grow. Population growth, industrialisation, urbanisation, digitalisation and rising electricity demand are creating enormous additional requirements – particularly across developing and emerging economies.
For many years, much of the energy conversation focused on replacing one source with another. But in many parts of the world, the immediate challenge is not simply replacing existing energy. It is providing more energy to more people while simultaneously reducing emissions.
This is particularly relevant to Africa, where energy access and economic development remain fundamental priorities.
The conversation is therefore becoming more pragmatic. The challenge is increasingly about how renewables, natural gas, nuclear, storage, efficiency and new technologies can collectively meet growing demand while moving the global system toward lower emissions.
That is where the concept of energy addition becomes very relevant.
8. Do you think “energy addition” better reflects where the industry is today?
Yes, because it recognises that there is no single energy pathway for every country.
Different economies start from very different positions. Their resources are different, their infrastructure is different, their financial capabilities are different and, most importantly, their development needs are different.
Energy addition acknowledges that the future system will likely involve multiple energy sources developing alongside one another.
That does not mean stepping away from decarbonisation. Quite the opposite. We need to add cleaner technologies at unprecedented speed while also making existing energy systems cleaner, more efficient and more resilient.
For me, energy addition is therefore not an argument against energy transition. It is a more realistic description of how transition can actually happen while global energy demand continues to grow.
The objective should be straightforward: more energy, fewer emissions, greater security and broader access.
9. Finally, what’s one piece of advice you’d give to anyone trying to build a stronger energy brand today?
Build credibility before visibility.
There is enormous pressure today to communicate constantly – to be present everywhere, comment on everything and compete for attention. But visibility without substance does not create a strong brand.
A strong energy brand is built by understanding what you stand for, communicating it consistently and demonstrating it through actions.
The energy sector deals with issues that directly affect economies, national security, communities and people’s daily lives. Trust therefore matters enormously.
My advice would be: do not try to be the loudest voice in the room. Try to be the voice people trust when the conversation becomes difficult.
Because ultimately, reputation is not built by how often you communicate. It is built by whether people believe you when you do.