Mr. Hesham Zubari is the Chief AI & Innovation Officer with Dragon Oil. He graduated in Petroleum Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin in 1986 and is a Cambridge certified CTO. With 38 years in the oil, gas, and energy sectors, his career commenced as a reservoir simulation engineer at Bahrain Petroleum Company in 1986, leading to positions such as Deputy CEO at Tatweer Petroleum in 2013 and Senior Advisor to the Minister of Oil of the Kingdom of Bahrain in 2017.

He is currently serving on the SPE International Board of Directors as the MENA Regional Director and chairs the SPE Middle East Council, which is responsible for managing SPE focus topics and events in the region. He is also a member of the SPE International Technical Content Committee.

His experience includes working in oil, gas, and energy with top CEOs and ministers in Bahrain, authoring and co-authoring over 13 technical papers on innovation and the management of mature assets, and chairing major SPE and AAPG events. Zubari's insights have been highlighted in reputable publications such as Forbes and MEES, underscoring his influence on the future of the energy industry.

In 2023, he was awarded an honorary Ph.D. by the International Maritime Club (IMC) for his leadership and contribution to the community. He is also the recipient of the 2021 SPE Regional Award for his contributions to the oil and gas community.