In the dynamic world of international energy, the United Arab Emirates finds itself at a special crossroads—trading on its heritage as an oil giant while pursuing a vision of a diversified, sustainable, and innovation-driven future. Guiding this transformation are leaders whose strategic vision and leadership are shaping the future. One such prominent leader is Sultan Ahmed Alghfeli, the Chief Strategy Officer of Emarat—Emirates Petroleum Company P.J.S.C.
Sultan’s journey is not just a testament to professional resilience, but also a reflection of how adaptability, human-centric leadership, and strategic thinking can drive monumental change. His narrative, rich with cross-industry experience and transformation leadership, captures the essence of modern Emirati excellence—rooted in purpose, powered by innovation, and guided by people.
A Cross-Industry Odyssey: From Oil Fields to Customer-Centric Frontlines
Sultan’s professional journey is as complex as it is motivating. He started in the conventional core of the UAE economy—oil and gas—in a cost-center organization that worked in oil refining and gas processing. This initial exposure to industrial processes provided him with a strong operational background, but his path was never meant to be straightforward.
Shifting from institutional oil and gas to a contractor-based system brought him closer to the heartbeat of implementation. But it was in 2001 that a dramatic change took place—Sultan made a conscious transition from oil and gas to the telecom sector, stepping into a pure commercial space. This move was not opportunistic; it was personal and strategic.
“I needed to relocate to establish a home of my own,” he says. This geographic imperative coincidentally fell in with the launching of a national initiative—Thuraya Satellite Telecommunications. It was a start-up venture, full of promise, and Sultan saw in it not just an opportunity to serve a national cause but also an opportunity to widen his professional scope.
The transition exposed him directly to the customer experience—a significant shift from his previous work. This exposure to frontline operations, customer analytics, and big data was a strong foundation for his subsequent roles, especially in Emarat, where customer-centricity is now an integral ethos.
Strategic Leadership Forged in Transformation
When Sultan became the CSO at Emarat, he had already gained a unique depth of experience in commercial, operational, human resource, IT, and billing functions. These different verticals gave him an integrated view of business dynamics—a pre-requisite for effective strategy leadership.
His rise to CSO was not a coincidence; it was the culmination of persistent alignment with transformation imperatives in each organization he worked for. “Every milestone in my career coincided with an opportunity for transformation, fueled by a leadership vision to go from good to great,” Sultan states.
At Emarat, that change is about much more than meeting numbers—it’s about embracing the UAE’s national purpose, reimagining the organization’s identity, and future-proofing its role as a mobility hub in a rapidly changing energy world.
Philosophy and Values: Aspirations Over Limitations
When queried about the essential philosophy that motivates his strategic thinking, Sultan is quick to respond: “You have to scale up your resources to be in line with your ambitions. Never lower your ambitions to your current capabilities.”
This is the strategy that Emarat operates on. It is not reaction-led; it is vision-driven. Strategic building at Emarat is about driving the benchmark, questioning assumptions, and resetting what’s possible. It’s about imagining results beyond the immediate horizon and empowering teams to take that step.
No less critical is execution on strategy, which Sultan calls “the joy of problem-solving.” To him, there is immense pleasure in facing what seems to be an unconquerable problem and dissecting it until it succumbs to creativity, teamwork, and determination.
Building Buy-In and Execution through Co-Creation
Sultan is well conscious that strategy without implementation is merely theory. At Emarat, strategic planning is a co-creation process. “You create buy-in in development—not in implementation. It’s too late then,” he asserts.
This model guarantees that business unit leaders become stakeholders right from the start. By owning the initiatives, they don’t merely approve strategic roadmaps —they commit. This deeply ingrained ownership manifests as accountability, flexibility, and most importantly, results.
His leadership philosophy is rooted in empowerment and clarity. He practices leading by example and empowering his teams with tools, authority, and autonomy. Every project or initiative has a well-defined owner, and when ownership is taken, the organization supports them wholeheartedly.
Future-Ready Transformation: From Fuel Stops to Mobility Destinations
Though Emarat is well known to operate fuel stations, Sultan is changing what that image entails. “We are not fuel stations. We are mobility hubs,” he declares.
With Sultan’s strategic vision at the helm, Emarat is looking for expansion in areas of aviation fuel, natural gas distribution, LPG, and logistics, and so on. But what makes the vision so unique is the customer. The transition of Emarat as a customer-oriented marketing company signifies that it’s not about the product—it’s about the experience.
Whether powering internal-combustion-engine or electric vehicles, Emarat is attuned to what the customer holds dear—convenience, service quality, and brand trust. “We are not biased towards a particular energy source; we are biased towards customer preference,” Sultan explains. This subtle yet potent shift in orientation is driving Emarat’s entire future strategy.
Harnessing Technology and Market Intelligence
When asked how Emarat translates complicated market information into actionable plans, Sultan’s answer demonstrates pragmatism and vision. “Our plans are data-driven and financially stringent. But they are never set in stone.”
In a world where market conditions and technologies evolve rapidly, flexibility is key. Emarat continuously de-risks its strategies by maintaining a pipeline of innovation. “We plan thoroughly, but we recognize change is inevitable. So, we innovate constantly,” he notes.
Digitization, big data, and AI are already part of Emarat’s customer experience and operational efficiency. But Sultan feels the actual disruption lies elsewhere, it’s about enhancing the customer experience. “AI won’t replace people, but it will enable us to serve customers better, faster, and more intuitively.”
Workforce Strategy: Talent as a Strategic Asset
Underpinning Sultan’s strategic vision is a people-first ethos. “Our transformation is not about numbers only. It’s about people. They are our most valuable social assets,” he explains.
Clarity, empowerment, and accountability are the foundations of Emarat’s people strategy. Leaders stand up to take ownership of their goals, monitor their progress, and work together to close performance gaps. Success is rewarded, and failure is used as a learning experience.
Notably, this culture nurtures leadership training and succession. Sultan refers to it as “training by fire” that identifies not only the star performers but also the future generation of leaders for Emarat. It is a disciplined but dynamic methodology that develops organizational strength.
Balancing National Priorities with Global Vision
As a government-linked company, Emarat is deeply tied into the national energy objectives of the UAE. Sultan, however, sees it as no straitjacket but as a mission. “Our aim is to execute on the national cause and achieve top dollar on our assets,” he describes.
Strategic alliances, backward integration, and inter-industry collaboration are essential to this equilibrium. Emarat might be at the tail end of the Oil and Gas value chain, in retail distribution, but it overperforms with powerful alliances, intelligent logistics, and an unremitting obsession with value creation.
Most importantly, Emarat’s support for the national mission is not conformity—it is contribution. “We innovate, pioneer, and push the envelope, in all directions,” Sultan stresses.
Green Energy and the Road to Sustainability
In a time of energy transition, how does Emarat remain current? For Sultan, the key is to be modern. “The fast-paced development in alternative fuels and low-carbon demand makes our future more exciting, not more uncertain,” shares Sultan.
Sustainability is no buzzword to Emarat—it’s a business necessity. The company is going out of its way to embrace renewable energy alternatives, alternate fuels, and energy-saving technologies. But still, the anchor is the customer. Emarat does not take a bet on one energy; it flexes with changing tastes, ensuring that it will always be tomorrow’s mobility destination of choice.
Leadership that Inspires, Vision that Endures
Sultan’s observations on leadership have the quality of being both earthy and visionary. He is frank to talk about errors, acknowledging, “We do make them. But we own them. We learn. And we move forward.”
This combination of modesty and audacity is perhaps what gives his leadership such strength. He is convinced that strategic plans have to be flexible, adaptive, and continually geared toward the ultimate goal—even when the route shifts.
Transformation at Emarat, he asserts, is not about short-term victories. It is about creating an institution that is quick to respond, innovative, and fundamentally committed to the country’s future. And that takes not only performance, but organizational well-being—a place where individuals are respected, vision is communicated, and leadership is predictable.
A Strategic Legacy in the Making
In a region characterized by progress and ambitious vision, Sultan is a strategic leader who recognizes that real change is not just about structures and systems—but about people, purpose, and potential.
At Emarat, he is crafting a legacy. One that remakes the definition of a fuel company for the 21st century. One that puts customers first, innovation at the frontier, and national advancement at its core.
And by doing so, Sultan is not just planning. He, along with the capable people of Emarat, is cocreating the future.
