In spite of the significant progress made so far, more needs to be done to encourage the development of managerial professionals to supervise the growth of the oil industry in the Western Region of the United Arab Emirates, it has been argued.

At a forum of Western Region Municipality (WRM) managers held this week, general manager H E Hamoud Humaid Al Mansouri pointed to the achievements which have already been made in developing industry professionals over the past few years.

Specifically, the organisation has taken on 130 local professionals through a recent recruitment drive, while a centralised IT infrastructure is also beginning to pay dividends by allowing for more efficient communications and knowledge sharing between workers in the oil and gas industry.

Mr Al Mansouri stated: "The strategic importance of the Western Region and its contribution as an economic driver to the prosperity, growth and development of the United Arab Emirates is enormous.

"As the Western Region Municipality grows we would like to ensure our senior level managers are equipped with the appropriate tools, resources and support for delivering efficient service."

According to BP's 2008 Statistical Review of World Energy, oil reserves in the UAE currently stand at 97.8 billion barrels, sufficient to maintain the current production level for a further 92 years.