HARISH MUHAMMED BASHIR AN OIL & GAS INDUSTRY WIZARD WITH ONSHORE & OFFSHORE EXPERIENCE

The summer of 1938 was at its peak as the American-owned oil well in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, continued its pursuit beyond the depth of 1,440 meters.

- Sujith Vasudevan

With more than 25 years of experience in the highly competitive oil and gas industry in the Middle East, Harish has been instrumental in Astra Engineering & Construction Group's exceptional growth over the past eight years. Today, Astra Engineering & Construction Group is emerging as one of the fastest-growing companies in the region.

• Hobbies: Travelling and exploring new destinations (Harish established a travel company in 2022-Afthab Harish Tours LLC)

• Favorite Cuisine: South Indian Cuisine

Voila! On March 3rd, they drilled into what would soon be identified as the largest source of petroleum in the world. The Middle East's physical, human, and political geography and the world changed forever. However, it took decades for the Arabian Peninsula to capitalize on this fortune. By the 1990s, when the world was ready to take flight with the technology revolution, the Middle East was establishing itself as a global powerhouse, being the world's energy source. Amidst such a competitive market, the industry intrinsically became competitive, and professionals who would go on to become the beacon of this industry had their baptism of fire. When Harish Muhammed Bashir, CEO & Managing Director, Astra Engineering & Construction Group joined Galfar-Oman in 1999, he was immediately exposed to enormous challenges the industry posed. Clutching his passion, perseverance, and sheer willingness to learn and adapt fast, Harish came out on top. After Oman in 2001, he joined companies in the UAE, working with offshore fabricators, installation companies, and government oil and gas operators, further deepening his industry expertise and network. Something he did exceptionally well was gain experience in both onshore and offshore projects, which eventually led to his entrepreneurial venture.