Petroleum Development Oman (PDO) has become the first organisation in the Middle East to achieve the People Development Partner status from the CIPD.

This is the first organisation to achieve such status outside of the UK. The occasion was celebrated at a signing ceremony at the company’s HQ in Oman, with Peter Cheese, chief executive of the CIPD, in attendance. 

PDO is the leading exploration and production company in the Sultanate of Oman. Over the past six years, PDO has worked closely with the CIPD to invest in increasing the impact of its people function through CIPD qualifications and experience assessments. It has also provided entry-level jobs for people professionals and worked closely with the CIPD to help its team thrive through training and continuous professional development.

Stuart Dunlop, Regional Director MENA, at the CIPD, said: “We’re delighted to recognise PDO as our first People Development Partner in the Middle East. The award demonstrates an exceptional degree of commitment to developing people professionals. By achieving this status, PDO has shown a clear commitment to its people professionals and the wider workforce they support. We look forward to continuing our work together.”

PDO People Director Farid Al Harthy said: “We are honored to have achieved PDP status from the CIPD, which recognises our commitment to developing our people and building a world-class human resources function. This is a significant achievement for PDO, and we are proud to lead the way in the Middle East."