Sovereignty is a fundamental right any country should have. If this is respected by all countries in this world peace shall remain in this world. These thoughts were echoed during a teta-a-teta session IIK reporter had with Mr. Mohammad J. Alfawaz (MJF), CEO of Middles East Oilfield Services Co. W.L.L. A computer and Business Administration Honors Graduate from Oregon State University, USA, this gentleman was full of spirit, bubbling with enthusiasm and shared his thoughts freely and the words were coming straight out of his heart. Sitting on the 27th floor of a high-rise building (Panasonic Tower) and overlooking the beautiful city of Kuwait though the large glass paneled walls, the scenic splendor added excitement to the already enterprising interview with Mr. Mohammad who worked in various capacities in different sectors related to oil and gas industry after his return to Kuwait in the year 2008. True to his hard-working nature he rose to through the ranks of corporate ladder – from electric wireline logging engineer to Wireline manager in Schaumberg in Saudi Arabia, Indonesia and Norway; Vice President of business development of Al- Dorra Group in Kuwait and then established his own company as an entrepreneur and now the CEO of Middles East Oilfield Services Co. W.L.L. (MEOFS). Despite his busy schedule he is an active member of professional societies like the SPE, KSE.

Talking to such a person who rose in the corporate world through his sheer, hard and sincere work was truly an eye opener as the readers will find out going through this article:

IIK: What does India mean to you personally?

MJF: I like your question very much, as India means a lot to me. Why do I say this? There is long historical relationship between India and Kuwait to the extent that Kuwait had used Indian currency, rupees, until a few decades back. Coming to the personal level, my grandfather used to travel to India a lot in those times to do some trading and he used to bring back home fond memories of India and he also he used to speak Hindi to a great extent. In my mind India became a second home. When I was in America as a student, my neighbors were Indians whom I always used to look upon for their intelligence. Secondly, I wish to state that India despite of having limited resources, huge population to maintain has, over the years, strode like a giant in many fields like science, engineering, IT fields, consumer industry, space programs etc. Coming to space program, India can send rockets to the space for putting satellites in orbits for a fraction of the cost that NASA has done. This is happening not only in India, but Indians are making an impact across the globe as well. This is possible only if we have the diligent minds working hard and sincerely which is a trait among most Indians and this what I like in most Indians. I am also a big fan of Indian food though my tolerance level of spices is low (laughs out). I always hear of the words Taj mahal, Maharaja and I learn a lot about Mahatma Gandhi. So, when I visit India, I will make a visit to all those places where I can get the feel of Indianness.

IIK: Its great to hear such good thoughts about India from your good self, sir. Now coming to Kuwait, for us Indians, Kuwait is a peace-loving country inviting us to stay on their soil and work. We wish to know the corner stone of this deep-rooted peaceful nature of Kuwait.

MJF: Yes, you are correct in stating that Kuwait is a peace-loving country. Kuwait has always strived to be an independent state and not to interfere with other countries internal affairs. Kuwait takes care of its development first like improving the infrastructure within the country, improving life quality of its residents and citizens and then out of a moral obligation, lends financial support to assist other Arabic speaking countries and other foreign countries which are less fortunate. Kuwait does it out of goodwill and humanity. Kuwait does not do it to gain any political mileage, gain advantage of any kind out of that country’s natural resources. Hence Kuwait is a peace-loving country, and this comes form deep within the heart of the Amir and of Kuwaitis.

IIK: Beautifully said sir and this is so true of what you said of Kuwait. It respects the sovereignty of other countries. Now that you have talked about India and Kuwait nations, we wish to know at the personal level your interactions with Indians and how you perceive their professionalism?

MJF: You have asked a pertinent question here. I am a CEO of a company and I have high expectations starting from myself as CEO and cascading down to the various layers of the company. Let me state frankly that the very first employee of this company was an Indian. He stayed with us for about eight years and did his bit before he had to move on. Now as CEO of a company, I do not give any preference to any nationality. I treat everybody equally and care for their performance, their commitment to work and their seriousness for their jobs. If you are not serious about your job, you will just be wondering around aimlessly. As CEO of a company, I am accountable for the company’s growth even as a Captain is responsible for the ship safety and smooth sailing. Now, what I appreciate in most of my Indian employees is that they are committed and most importantly they are loyal to their employers. When they work with you, they work for you with all their heart. So much so, that I trust them with my secrets. My personal assistant is an Indian who has my full trust. They don’t sell you, especially when they feel you are a genuine person. I appreciate the Indian loyalty and hard work.