Former £686 Million Oil CEO: How Mahdi Sajjad Went From Working in a Kebab Shop to Discovering 550 Million Barrels of Oil

In this episode of The Energy Executive 360 Podcast, we sit down with Mahdi Sajjad, founder of Euphrates Energy, to explore an extraordinary four-decade career across the global oil & gas industry, spanning Iran, Iraq, Syria, Africa, Brazil, the Gulf of Mexico and beyond.From suddenly losing everything and working in a kebab shop in London, Mahdi went on to recover £242 million of debt from Iran, become a CEO in his early 30s, build Gulfsands Petroleum into a company worth almost £700 million, and help discover a 550 million-barrel oil field in Syria.Mahdi gives a rare insight into what it takes to build oil & gas businesses in some of the world's most complex markets—from navigating sanctions and geopolitical risk to negotiating deals, trusting local expertise, managing commodity cycles and making decisions with millions of dollars at stake.We also discuss the future of Syria's oil & gas industry, its potential role as an energy corridor between Iraq and the Mediterranean, and why Mahdi is returning to the country through Euphrates Energy with ambitions to build another upstream business.But this conversation goes far beyond energy.Mahdi reflects on seeing shares once worth approximately £36 million fall to a fraction of that value, serious health challenges, walking away from the company he helped build, why he refuses to live with regret and why, at 67, he still doesn't believe in retirement.What You’ll Learn⬛ How losing everything in 1980 transformed Mahdi's life⬛ How he recovered £242M from Iran in just 18 months⬛ Why he told a CEO “I'm here to take your job”—and eventually did⬛ How Gulfsands grew into an oil company worth almost £700M⬛ How a forced $4M acquisition created a major opportunity in Syria⬛ The extraordinary story behind a 550M-barrel Syrian oil discovery⬛ Why trusting two local geologists changed the future of Gulfsands⬛ What operating through sanctions, political instability and $10 oil taught him about risk⬛ Why Gulfsands was eventually forced to leave Syria⬛ Why Mahdi walked away following a major shareholder battle⬛ Why he doesn't regret seeing shares once worth £36M collapse in value⬛ Why Syria could become a strategically important energy corridor between Iraq and the Mediterranean⬛ Why he questions Syria reaching 1M barrels per day in the near term⬛ Why he is returning to upstream oil & gas through Euphrates Energy⬛ Why relationships, confidence and local knowledge have defined his career⬛ Why, after everything he's experienced, Mahdi still doesn't believe in retirementChapters[ADD CHAPTERS]Follow Mahdi Sajjad & Euphrates EnergyMahdi Sajjad’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mahdi-sajjad-903741208/Euphrates Energy: https://www.euphrates-energy.com/The Energy Executive 360 with Emilio FaulmataFollow Emilio on all Platforms:https://linktr.ee/EmilioFaulmataTEE360 Studio:https://www.emiliofaulmata.com► TEE360 Future Energy Leaders NetworkJoin the TEE360 Network: https://www.skool.com/tee360-global-energy-network-7260/aboutA global community connecting ambitious young professionals, entrepreneurs and students with the people shaping the future of energy.#MahdiSajjad #OilAndGas #Syria #SyriaEnergy #OilExploration #EnergyIndustry #OilDiscovery #MiddleEastEnergy #Iraq #Iran #Upstream #EnergySecurity #Geopolitics #EuphratesEnergy #GulfsandsPetroleum #TheEnergyExecutive360