Cairo: In what is considered a milestone towards strengthening safety practices across Egypt's oil, gas, and petrochemical sectors, the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources (MoPMR), the Engineering and Science Services (ESS) of the American University in Cairo (AUC), and Methanex Egypt have signed a protocol to develop the country's first professional Process Safety Management (PSM) Diploma. The diploma aims to equip sector professionals with the technical knowledge and practical skills needed to implement the 24 national PSM standards and guidelines published by the Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation through its partnership with Methanex Egypt.

According to State Information Service Egypt, Methanex Egypt, the country's only Methanol producer, will secure the diploma's development funding and technical support, in collaboration with the MoPMR and the AUC. Over the next three years, Methanex Egypt will sponsor 150 candidates from the Ministry, with the possibility to expand the scope of the program in the future.

AUC's role will involve overseeing the academic framework, venue logistics, assessments, and professional certification. Meanwhile, a Technical Committee comprised of representatives from the three parties will be responsible for following the development, planning, and delivery of the professional diploma.

The signing ceremony was held at the AUC in the presence of the Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, Karim Badawi. The event was attended by representatives of the three signatory entities alongside key representatives from the Canadian Embassy and Methanex Egypt.

Mohamed Shindy, Managing Director of Methanex Egypt, remarked on the significance of the protocol, stating that this initiative marks a significant milestone in advancing Process Safety Management in Egypt. Shindy emphasized the role of Methanex Egypt as a driving force in providing the core content and expertise needed to bring the 24 national PSM standards and guidelines to life.

Highlighting the importance of the collaboration, Geologist Alaa El Batal, Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources' First Undersecretary and Supervisor, commented on the Ministry's strategic direction to institutionalize process safety and elevate operational excellence across the sector. El Batal noted that partnering with Methanex Egypt and AUC is an important step in building a knowledge-based workforce capable of upholding safety at every level.

Since 2018, Methanex Egypt has played a leading role in advancing Process Safety Management (PSM) across Egypt's oil, gas, and petrochemical sector through its collaboration with the MoPMR. The partnership has delivered key milestones including the joint development of 24 national PSM standards and guidelines, the launch of Egypt's first official PSM website, the publication of the 24 documents overview 'Towards Safer Processes in the Oil, Gas and Petrochemical Industries' book, and a series of knowledge-sharing sessions aimed at building sector-wide capability.