Cairo, February 11, 2026 – The Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, Methanex Egypt, and the Engineering and Science Services (ESS) of the American University in Cairo (AUC) celebrated the graduation of the first cohort of Egypt’s Process Safety Management (PSM) Professional Diploma, marking a key milestone in strengthening process safety capability and culture across the Egyptian oil, gas, and petrochemical sector.

The graduation ceremony was held at the American University in Cairo, in the presence of H.E. Eng. Karim Badawi, Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources; Dr. Ahmad Dallal, president of the American University in Cairo; Dr. Lotfi Gaafar, dean of the School of Science and Engineering at AUC; Rich Sumner, Methanex Corporation’s president and CEO; Brad Boyd, Methanex Corporation’s senior vice-president of corporate resources; and Mohamed Shindy, Methanex Egypt’s managing director, alongside key representatives from the ministry, Methanex Egypt and AUC.

This milestone marks the successful completion of the diploma for the first cohort of students made up of 32 professionals from leading oil, gas, and petrochemical companies over an intensive four months. Through a blend of in-person and online learning, structured assessments, and applied projects, participants gained a strong foundation in core process safety management principles, enabling them to apply these practices within their organizations and contribute to safer, more reliable operations across the Egyptian energy sector.

The professional diploma was developed under the protocol signed in May 2025 between the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, AUC’s ESS, and Methanex Egypt, building on the 24 PSM standards and guidelines previously developed by the Ministry and Methanex and issued by the Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation in 2022. Under this agreement, Methanex Egypt has committed to sponsoring 150 Ministry candidates over three years, with the first cohort of 32 professionals now successfully graduated. Support will continue for the remaining cohorts, reinforcing long-term, sector-wide capability.

In his remarks, Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Karim Badawi emphasized that investing in human capital and implementing process safety standards are fundamental pillars of the Ministry’s strategy to advance the petroleum sector. He noted that this program represents a successful model of collaboration between global companies and leading academic institutions to strengthen a culture of occupational safety, ensuring the protection of lives and the sustainability of production processes. He affirmed that the diploma embodies the longstanding and fruitful partnership among the sector, AUC and Methanex Corporation.

Mohamed Shindy, Managing Director of Methanex Egypt, commented: “The graduation of the first cohort of the PSM Professional Diploma is an important milestone in our long-standing partnership with the Ministry and AUC. We are proud to see these professionals equipped to embed process safety into every facet of operations across the Egyptian energy sector and we remain committed to continuing our sponsorship of future cohorts as part of our investment in sector-wide capability building.”

AUC President Ahmad Dallal noted that the graduation of this first cohort of professionals marks an important milestone in the partnership between the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, Methanex Egypt and AUC. “We collaborated with the Ministry and Methanex to design a program that is rigorous, relevant, and grounded in real operational needs. This is the kind of partnership that creates value—where government, industry and academia work together to address real priorities and to build lasting institutional capacity,” Dallal said. He also noted that strong process safety systems protect lives, assets and the environment, while supporting reliability, efficiency and long-term competitiveness. He added that by preparing professionals who can apply standards with confidence and consistency, the program helps strengthen the foundations of Egypt’s energy sector and reinforces its long-term resilience.

This diploma is the result of years of collaboration between the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources and Methanex Egypt to embed PSM into the country’s oil, gas, and petrochemical sector, progressing from raising awareness, to establishing national PSM standards, and now to building professional capability for a safer future. Since 2018, this partnership has delivered tangible milestones including the development of 24 national PSM standards and guidelines, the launch of Egypt’s first official PSM website (www.psmegypt.com), the publication of the “Towards Safer Processes in the Oil, Gas and Petrochemical Industries” book, and the organization of multiple sector-wide PSM conference and knowledge sharing sessions. Together, these initiatives have laid the groundwork for stronger process safety culture and practices, positively impacting the industry and supporting a safer energy future for Egypt.