Dana Gas, the Middle East's major publicly-listed natural gas company, has announced the appointment of Patrick Allman-Ward as the new Group CEO for the company with effect from Sept. 1.

The company, which is listed on the Abu Dhabi Exchange (ADX) and recently announced the successful re-financing of its $ 1 billion sukuk, conducted an extensive executive search process after the retirement last year of its CEO Ahmed Al-Arbeed, who remains a member of the board.

The incoming CEO is an accomplished international energy executive with over 30 years of experience in the oil and gas industry in many senior positions, in the Middle East-Gulf region in particular.

He also brings with him an in-depth knowledge of Dana Gas as the current GM of Dana Gas Egypt, having joined the company in 2012 after a successful career with Shell International.

Adel Khalid Al-Sabeeh, chairman of the board of Dana Gas, said: "Patrick Allman-Ward brings deep industry experience, invaluable knowledge of our business and a proven record running the Dana Gas team in Egypt and developing strong relationships with government authorities. Patrick will be focused on driving our next phase of growth in Egypt, the UAE and the Kurdistan Region of Iraq as we prepare to expand into new areas throughout the Middle East-North Africa region."

Allman-Ward said: "Dana Gas is an extremely well-respected energy company with a successful track record and strong growth potential throughout the region. I am honored by the appointment and very excited at the prospect of working with the Board and the management team to continue developing our assets, lead the expansion into new areas, reduce our receivables position and above all achieve maximum value for our investors."