His passion for unique accessories and antiques is beyond compare, and his office is a testament to this
Most people are passionate about something, and this passion can start at an early age, and over time turn into a hobby. Some people tend to be more passionate by nature, which drives them to take more interest in this hobby and dedicate more time to it, turning them into professionals and specialists in their particular area of interest. Those people tend to be the happiest when engulfed in the world of their passion.
This is precisely the case for today's guest, Head of the Offshore Oil Spills Division in the Oil Leak Management Team, Captain Ahmed Al-Awadi. We like to call him "son of the sea", as he is fond of everything related to the ocean, as well as decor, which he considers himself an expert in. His passion is a combination of the two, which includes assembling and manufacturing marine accessories, and he roams the planet in search of his materials, through which he has become acquainted with specialists all over the world who help him accumulate the rarest and most distinctive of materials.
If you visit his office, this passion of his will be evident wherever your eyes land, as he is completely surrounded with antiques and marine accessories. While our session with him was already fulfilling enough, due to the great experience and brilliance in his field that he shared with us, the contents of his office are enough to take the visitor on a visual journey through dreams of venturing the high seas, with him as the Captain. We would like to invite you to become better acquainted with his marvelous world in this article.
Identification card
We initially asked Al-Awadhi to introduce himself to us, and he stated that he joined Kuwait Oil Company on September 21, 1999 from the associate Kuwaiti Oil Tankers Company. He is a sea captain who has held many positions in the Company over time, currently heading the Offshore Oil Spills Division in the Oil Leak Management Team.
Being a sea captain, he considers himself a “son of the sea", and as a result of the nature of his job and his love for it, he has acquired a hobby of collecting marine antiques and accessories, a hobby that has grown with him since childhood. This passion has grown so much over the years that once he reaches any port or country, the first thing he does is research how to obtain unique pieces and antiques. He then buys them and brings them back to Kuwait to place them, not only in his office, but also at home. He has indicated that the more his office grows, the more pieces he can display.
Decor expert
Al-Awadhi explained that while he holds a special place in his heart for marine decorations, he loves decoration in general as well. Many of his friends and colleagues now consider him a decor expert, and always seek his feedback and opinion on how to decorate their offices. He stresses that he is eager to provide feedback to them and loves seeing offices with tastes similar to his own.
He has developed this hobby into choosing gifts for the Company, by purchasing them from specialized stores, then gifting them in the name of the Company when he is on a business trip abroad. He hopes for a unique and distinctive piece to be made available to every KOC employee sent abroad by the Company, so that they may exchange these pieces with their counterparts, helping them become better acquainted with the KOC.
The hats initiative
Al-Awadhi successfully created an official sailor hat that bears the Company's logo which he designed himself, driven by his love for offering souvenirs from the Company when he travels abroad on business trips.
He also noticed that the Public Relations and Information Teams, which are specialized in souvenirs, did not have any marine related memorabilia, so he took the initiative to make the hats himself. He has gifted one of them to former CEO Jamal Jafar during his honoring ceremony, and he has made other hats that he hopes to present to all officials in the Company as an expression of his appreciation and respect.
He explained that, by virtue of his work in a Team affiliated to the Marine Operations Group, he would like to see marine souvenirs in the CEO's office, considering that marine decorations are very elegant. He has expressed his willingness to help execute this idea in the event that he was asked to do so.
Al-Awadi stressed that his passion for the sea and his pride in the Kuwait Oil Company make him eager to wear the Company's marine uniform when meeting other people, and he hopes to see more employees wear it during their external meetings.
Distinguished office
When it comes to his office, everything must be organized and there should not be too many colors. Every piece in his office has a meaning behind it and nothing is there by chance. Although his hobby is somewhat extravagant, he enjoys it and will not let go of it.
Al-Awadhi did not expect the positive impact his office would leave on those around him, until Team Leader of the Human Resources Team in the Export Operations & Marine Operations Group Abdul Rahman Al-Shammari visited him, and drew his attention to just how remarkable his office was, and how everyone should get to know his hobby.
And because he loves to travel and visits several countries by virtue of his work, he buys every distinctive marine objects that he finds. If it is light enough to carry by hand, he brings it with him to Kuwait, but in the event that it is large and heavy in weight, he has it shipped regardless of the fees he has to pay, as long as he is able to get his hands on the piece.
Hence, his office holds a rich story that is narrated through marine pieces and antiques scattered on the walls, shelves and tables, which range in size and weight, each carrying a different story and from a different source. What is even more attractive, however, is the way his collection is distributed, which reflects his extensive experience in decoration.
His own ideas
When it comes to decor, Al-Awadi said that he is not influenced by any specific style, but rather, his own ideas. He pointed out that he loves marble and manufactures it himself most of the time, as he deals with specialized workshops. At home, even minute details like his ashtray are made of marble, and he sometimes buys bits and pieces then adds to them.
He has confirmed that his home is predominantly influenced by marine decor, especially because he has some larger pieces that would not fit in his office. One such example is a brass bell from an old boat that is no longer in use and was about to be scrapped. The bell weighs thirty kilograms! He also has carpets with marine symbols and cushions with marine themed embroidery. He gushes that he is ready to roam the whole planet in search of his prized marine antiques.
Between Pakistan and Ireland
One of his favorite places to visit is scrap ship cutting sites, most of which are in Pakistan, where he goes to buy rare pieces. Pakistanis specialize in cutting ships and bringing them in to the country. And so instead of touring the world looking for some pieces, he goes directly to Pakistan to get them.
As for manufactured goods such as marine hats, he goes to Indonesia with a quantity of them, where he sits down with specialists and agrees to have them tailored to his liking. He also deals with factories in Turkey and the Philippines, and more recently in Dublin, Ireland.
On Dublin, he stated that he deals with the only entity that has marine accessories. He got to know them through his daughter, who studies medicine in Dublin. Previously, he would obtain these pieces in London, which were handmade from recycled material. However, his daughter being in Dublin helped him find a better place so he now deals with it instead.
Dearest piece
Out of his extensive collection, the dearest to his heart and the one he is proudest of obtaining is the Loadicator, which is a loading instrument that helps keep a ship balanced when loading it with goods, by guiding those in charge of loading it on how to distribute the goods in a balanced manner.
This instrument is an old manual device that is no longer in use, as this process is now carried out electronically.
He states that the device is registered with the name of the boat and the date of manufacture. He bought it from Pakistan about 20 years ago. It is English-made, with “Made in Great Britain" inscribed on it, which indicates that it is very old and rare. It being a rare piece, it cost him $500 at the time of purchase, and it is most likely priceless now.
Future ambition
He affirmed that no one in his family influenced his passion, but he goes back to a picture he has of himself when he was seven years old where he is holding a boat's steering wheel, then another similar picture from when he was in maritime college, proving that his love for marine pieces has thrived since childhood.
Even in Kuwait, Al-Awadhi knows where to go to manufacture such parts in good quality. Although they are more expensive, he is happy to deal with people who craft these parts by hand.
As for his future ambitions, he stated without hesitation that he is thinking of opening the first marine store in Kuwait. He added that he does not want to wait and wishes to open it at the earliest opportunity, but because of his work and current obligations, he is forced to postpone this dream to the future, indicating that this store will not be the end, but rather the beginning of a new phase for him. He feels that this step will be a great success, because when he posts pictures of some of his pieces on his Instagram account, he receives a lot of questions and inquiries.
An esteemed Captain
We concluded by discussing the certificates of appreciation hanging on the walls of his office, all of which he earned through his service at the KOC, due to his continued participation in many events and projects.
He stated that when he joined the Company, he was at the rank of 2nd Mate and Tug Master, and that KOC gave him the opportunity to complete his studies, so he obtained the rank of 1st Mate, then Master Foreign-Going from Alexandria, which is the highest marine rank, expressing great thanks to the Company for granting him this higher degree, then he became Marine Pilot and Head of the Offshore Oil Spills Division for around the past four year.