Muscat – After nearly eight years at the helm, Simpson steps down following a distinguished international career in the energy sector, and is succeeded by Moutaz Al Riyami, a seasoned Omani energy executive with extensive industry experience.

Simpson, a veteran of the global oil and gas industry, brought over three decades of leadership to CCED. His career includes senior roles across Asia, Australasia, India, and the Middle East, with a proven track record of managing complex operations and multi-billion-dollar portfolios. Prior to joining CCED, he spent 16 years with BG Group, holding various global operational roles, later leading BG India and overseeing a landmark $27 billion strategic project in Australia. He also served as COO and subsequently CEO of Drillsearch, an Australian-listed exploration and production company now part of Beach Energy.
Stepping into the role of Managing Director is Moutaz Al Riyami, who brings with him a strong background in upstream operations, corporate strategy, and energy transition planning. Al Riyami has served as Executive Director of Corporate Development at Petroleum Development Oman (PDO), where he played a pivotal role in shaping PDO’s long-term vision and strategic direction.

Al Riyami joined PDO in 2001 as a Trainee Well Engineer after graduating from Sultan Qaboos University with a BSc in Engineering. Over a 15-year span, he held several senior leadership roles across well engineering, project management, corporate planning, and asset management. In 2015, he joined Shell’s global headquarters in The Hague as part of the Shell Scenario Leadership Team, contributing to the Energy Transitions Programme. In 2017, he was appointed General Manager for Safety & Environment within Shell’s Upstream Non-Operated Ventures (NOV) Leadership Team.

With his deep technical knowledge, strategic insight, and international experience, Al Riyami is expected to drive the next chapter of growth and innovation for CCED.