Saudi Total, a joint venture between Zahid Group and Total, has appointed Hisham Atalla as its new general manager.

A graduate of architecture engineering from Cairo University, Atalla has over 20 years of experience in the oil and gas industry. He joined Total Egypt in 1998, handling various roles in sales, strategy, operations and senior management.

“I am excited to join the Saudi Total team and to work with Zahid Group, a close partner of Total. Together we will continue the journey of establishing Total as the preferred brand in the market,” Atalla said, commenting on his new role.

Atalla replaces Nizar Raydan, who relocated to Geneva, Switzerland, to take on the role of global supply head of the base oil department with Total. During his tenure in the kingdom, Raydan oversaw the opening of Saudi Total’s blending plant in King Abdullah Economic City in October 2013.

The partnership between Saudi-based Zahid Group and Total began in 2007 with the formation of Saudi Total, which specializes in the manufacturing and marketing of automotive, industrial and marine lubricants. The partnership was last year when Zahid Group became a shareholder in Total’s Marketing and Services affiliate, Total Maroc.