THE TEAM
Majid H.Jafar
Founder
Majid Jafar is the CEO of Crescent Petroleum, the Middle East’s oldest private oil & gas company, and Vice-Chairman of the Crescent Group of companies which includes interests in port management, logistics, contracting, private equity and real estate. He is also Managing Director of the Board of Dana Gas (PJSC), the first regional, private-sector integrated natural gas company in the Middle East, in which Crescent is the largest shareholder. His previous experience was with Shell International’s Exploration & Production and Gas & Power Divisions.
In addition to his professional commitments, Majid Jafar currently serves as Chairman of the Middle East-North Africa Business Council and Chairman of the Oil & Gas Independents Community at the World Economic Forum, Co-Chairman of the Business Backs Education campaign launched with the GEMS Foundation, and Vice-Chairman of the Global Energy Initiative (GEI). He is also a Board Member of: the Carnegie Middle East Advisory Council, the Arab Forum for Environment and Development (AFED), the Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT) Industry Advisory Council, and the Iraq Energy Institute, as well as an active member of: the GCC Board Directors Institute, the Royal Institute for International Affairs (Chatham House), the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), the Young Presidents Organization (YPO), the Young Arab Leaders organization (YAL), and an Accredited Director of the Institute of Directors (IoD Mudara).
Majid Jafar attended Eton College and graduated from Cambridge University (Churchill College) with Bachelor and Masters Degrees in Engineering (Fluid Mechanics and Thermodynamics). He also holds an MA (with Distinction) in International Studies and Diplomacy from the University of London’s School of Oriental & African Studies (SOAS), and an MBA (with Distinction) from the Harvard Business School.
Ambassador AhsanUllah Khan
Senior Advisor
Ambassador Khan is currently Senior Advisor on the Arab Stabilization Plan. He is Former Special Envoy of Pakistan to the Middle East; Former Minister of Petroleum and Natural Resources of Pakistan; Former Ambassador of Pakistan to UAE and Former Roving Ambassador of Pakistan.
He was awarded the Independence Medal of First degree by HH President Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of UAE.
Patricia McCall
Executive Director
Patricia McCall is currently the Executive Director of the Arab Stabilization Plan.
She was previously the Regional Director for the Middle East for Duke University. At Duke, she was responsible for the University’s expansion in the region including the development of regional research initiatives, the Dubai campus, public-private partnerships, degree development and outreach for the University. Prior to Duke, McCall was the Head of Research at Jasper Consult, a Dubai-based consulting and corporate finance firm where she conducted regional economic, regulatory and industry analysis for clients. She worked as a senior consultant to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, completing an in-depth analysis of foreign direct investment and corporate social responsibility in post-conflict countries, with a focus on Afghanistan. She also worked for the International Finance Corporation (IFC), part of the World Bank Group, in Cairo, Egypt where she focused on regional investment climate and regulatory reform. McCall also worked in finance for ten years, spending six years as a senior macroeconomic and equity analyst at Banyan Fund Management and Black Arrow Fund Management with a primary focus on emerging markets in Asia.
McCall graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, VA. She received her Master’s degree in International Affairs, focusing on Middle East studies and Economic Development, from Columbia University’s Graduate School of International and Public Affairs, New York. She is Lebanese-American and is a member of the Young Arab Leaders UAE Chapter.
Email: pmccall@arabplan.org