Petroleum Engineers From Kurdistan Recognized at Global SPE Event
The SPE Kurdistan Section has won the 2026 President's Award in Houston, becoming the only section from the MENA region among six global recipients.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - The Kurdistan Section of the Society of Petroleum Engineers has received the organization's 2026 President's Award, becoming one of only six SPE sections worldwide to win the recognition this year.
The award was presented during the Society of Petroleum Engineers' Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition (ATCE), held in Houston, United States, from Oct. 21 to 23.
According to the Kurdistan Section, it was the only SPE section from the Middle East and North Africa region to receive the award in 2026.
The annual conference brought together thousands of engineers, energy-sector executives, researchers and other oil and gas professionals from different countries for technical discussions and professional networking.
A delegation representing the Kurdistan Section attended the award ceremony.
The group included Rabun Dizayi, President of the SPE Kurdistan Section; Saeed Masifi, the section's Membership Officer; and Shwan Dizayi, President of the SPE London Section.
The international SPE organization also expressed appreciation for the Kurdistan Regional Government's Ministry of Natural Resources and international companies operating in the Kurdistan Region.
The recognition reflected their support and cooperation with programs intended to develop the oil and gas sector and strengthen the technical and scientific skills of local engineers and specialists through international projects and professional engagement.
The award provides the Kurdistan Section with additional international recognition within one of the petroleum industry's major professional organizations.
The Society of Petroleum Engineers brings together professionals working across different parts of the global energy industry, with its sections serving as local and regional platforms for technical exchange, professional development and cooperation.
For the Kurdistan Section, the 2026 President's Award marks an international acknowledgment of its activities and participation within that wider professional network.
The recognition also places petroleum engineers and energy specialists from the Kurdistan Region alongside other SPE sections selected globally this year.
The award does not itself measure the wider performance of the Kurdistan Region's energy industry, but it represents professional recognition for the section's work and its engagement with international engineering and technical institutions.
The Kurdistan Section described the achievement as an opportunity to further strengthen knowledge exchange and professional development among local petroleum specialists.
Its participation in the Houston conference also provided Kurdistan Region engineers with direct exposure to international industry leaders, researchers and technical developments across the oil and gas sector.