On behalf of our faculty and staff, I warmly welcome you to the Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering at Khalifa University.
Our department brings together engineering education, research, and industrial collaboration to address challenges in energy, water, materials, and the environment. We prepare students to become capable engineers, thoughtful problem-solvers, and responsible leaders who can contribute to the UAE’s development and the wider global community.
Our educational approach combines strong foundations in science and engineering with practical experience, creativity, and sound judgment. We encourage students to ask meaningful questions, challenge assumptions, and connect knowledge across disciplines. Alongside technical competence, we emphasize effective communication, teamwork, professional ethics, and the highest standards of health, safety, and environmental responsibility. Our goal is to equip graduates not only to begin successful careers, but to continue learning and adapting as technologies and industries evolve.
Our faculty and researchers contribute expertise across chemical and petroleum engineering. Our research spans water and environmental technologies, food and biotechnology, advanced materials and catalysis, low-carbon energy, and artificial intelligence for product and process systems, alongside reservoir engineering, enhanced oil recovery, and well and production systems. Together, these strengths allow us to advance fundamental knowledge while developing practical solutions for industry and society.
Collaboration is central to our work. Our connections with industry, academic partners, and Khalifa University’s research centers and institutes bring education and research closer to real engineering challenges. These partnerships enable students and researchers to gain experience, exchange ideas, and help translate discoveries into useful technologies and practices.
Above all, we strive to create a welcoming and supportive community in which students, faculty, and staff feel valued and encouraged to contribute. We believe that mentorship, a sense of belonging, and the confidence to take initiative are essential to both personal growth and academic success.
Whether you are a prospective student, a researcher, an industry partner, or an alumnus, I invite you to explore our website, learn more about our programs and research, and discover the people behind our work.
For further information, please contact us at: cheg@ku.ac.ae or visit us in person.
We look forward to welcoming you to our community and working together to advance engineering solutions for a more sustainable future.
Professor Ali Elkamel
Chair, Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering
Khalifa University
Chemical Engineers work in an industry, where physical transformation of matter takes place. Following is a list of industries they work:
Most Chemical Engineers work in offices, laboratories, or industrial plants. Others may spend time outdoors at construction sites and oil and gas exploration and production sites, where they monitor or direct operations or solve onsite problems. Not all chemical engineers wear hard hats, nor do they work solely in chemical plants. Although the specific responsibilities of Chemical Engineers vary among industries — and even within companies. Typical functions include:
On the other hand, the graduates of the Petroleum Engineering program will find various opportunities in National Oil Companies (NOCs), International Oil Companies (IOCs), and Service Companies. Accordingly, our graduates find jobs in ADNOC, Dragon Oil, and Sharjah National Oil Company (SNOC), Exxon Mobil, BP, Total Energies, and various service industries, such as Schlumberger, Baker Hughes, Halliburton, Al Masaood Oil Industry, etc. Also, the UAE has an initiative of in-country-value (IOC) by which local students are guaranteed a job in other IOCs and service companies. Along with the industrial organizations, academic institutes in the UAE and wordwide also look for talented students to apply for the graduate programs and research support positions.
Petroleum engineering graduates can be specialized in different jobs including:
The Chemical Engineering Department at Khalifa University is at the forefront of innovative and high impact, cutting-edge research activities. It hosts a variety of research programs in fundamental as well as applied research in various chemical engineering spectrums and field. Our research work have received various Abu Dhabi, UAE, GCC and international recognition. Our department family comprises of diverse, accomplished, internationally renowned and distinguished professor that are doing significant contribution from Khalifa university to Abu Dhabi’s 2030 vision of a sustainable knowledge-based economy. Focus areas of the department research are as follows;
These areas represent key domains in which we like to offer expertise and research solutions. Our ultimate goal is to achieve practicable and pragmatic solutions, to offer the potential of creating new knowledge, and make important gains against the challenges faced by our shareholders and partners. The following research themes & centers are represented by department faculty members:
The Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering is supported by a comprehensive portfolio of teaching and research laboratories that enable high-quality education, advanced research, and industry-relevant innovation. These state-of-the-art facilities support undergraduate instruction, graduate research, and externally funded projects, and are complemented by interdisciplinary research centers and shared university-wide infrastructure.
Departmental laboratories are strategically designed to support experimental and applied research across chemical engineering, petroleum engineering, energy systems, advanced materials, and sustainable processes. Together, these facilities provide a robust and dynamic environment for education, scientific discovery, and meaningful collaboration with industry and academic partners.
The department maintains modern teaching laboratories that support hands-on learning and reinforce fundamental engineering concepts. These laboratories are integral to undergraduate education and are carefully aligned with program learning outcomes and professional practice expectations established by accreditation bodies.
Teaching laboratories support experimental activities in areas including fluid mechanics and heat transfer, mass transfer and separation processes, chemical reaction engineering, process control and instrumentation, and petroleum production and surface facilities.
Through structured laboratory sessions and design-based experiments, students gain practical experience with industry-standard equipment, rigorous data analysis techniques, and essential laboratory safety practices, strengthening the vital connection between theoretical knowledge and real-world engineering application.
Departmental research activities are conducted primarily through leading and participating in interdisciplinary research centers and centers of excellence operating at the university and national levels. These centers provide shared infrastructure, coordinated research programs, and platforms for large-scale, multi-investigator projects that address complex engineering challenges.
Center for Catalysis and Separation (CeCas) Advanced research in catalytic processes and separation technologies for chemical and energy applications
Center for Membranes and Advanced Water Technology (CMAT) Innovative membrane development and water treatment solutions for sustainability
Food Security and Technology Center (FSTC) Interdisciplinary research addressing food processing, preservation, and security challenges
Research and Innovation Center on CO₂ and Hydrogen (RICH) Leading research in carbon capture, utilization, and hydrogen energy technologies
Research and Innovation Center for Graphene and 2D Materials
Pioneering work in graphene and two-dimensional materials for advanced applications
Participation in these centers enhances collaboration with industry, government agencies, and academic partners worldwide, while expanding access to specialized facilities and competitive research funding opportunities.
Departmental laboratories host a wide range of experimental equipment supporting research, teaching, and collaborative projects. Equipment access is organized by capability area and coordinated through designated laboratory supervisors in accordance with training, safety, and scheduling requirements.
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3D Printing |
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Equipment |
Supervisor |
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Location |
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Bioprinter |
Laboratory Supervisor |
Department Contact |
Designated Research Lab |
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Polymer 3D printer (SLA) |
Laboratory Supervisor |
Department Contact |
Designated Research Lab |
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Resin 3D printer (DLP) |
Laboratory Supervisor |
Department Contact |
Designated Research Lab |
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General-purpose desktop 3D printer |
Laboratory Supervisor |
Department Contact |
Designated Research Lab |
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Chromatography |
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Equipment |
Supervisor |
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Gas chromatography systems |
Laboratory Supervisor |
Department Contact |
Designated Research Lab |
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Liquid chromatography systems |
Laboratory Supervisor |
Department Contact |
Designated Research Lab |
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Dewatering |
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Equipment |
Supervisor |
Contact |
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Solid–liquid separation and dewatering units |
Laboratory Supervisor |
Department Contact |
Designated Research Lab |
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General Laboratory & Process Equipment |
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Equipment |
Supervisor |
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Location |
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Bench-scale reactors and process units |
Laboratory Supervisor |
Department Contact |
Designated Research Lab |
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General chemical engineering laboratory equipment |
Laboratory Supervisor |
Department Contact |
Designated Research Lab |
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Mechanical Testing |
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Equipment |
Supervisor |
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Mechanical testing frames |
Laboratory Supervisor |
Department Contact |
Designated Research Lab |
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Materials evaluation and load frames |
Laboratory Supervisor |
Department Contact |
Designated Research Lab |
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Elemental, Surface & Particle Analysis |
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Equipment |
Supervisor |
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Elemental analyzers |
Laboratory Supervisor |
Department Contact |
Designated Research Lab |
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Surface and particle characterization systems |
Laboratory Supervisor |
Department Contact |
Designated Research Lab |
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Microscopy |
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Equipment |
Supervisor |
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Optical microscopy systems |
Laboratory Supervisor |
Department Contact |
Designated Research Lab |
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Access to advanced electron microscopy systems |
Facility Manager |
Central Facility Contact |
Shared / Central Facility |
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Rheometry |
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Equipment |
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Rheometers and flow property measurement systems |
Laboratory Supervisor |
Department Contact |
Designated Research Lab |
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Spectroscopy |
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Equipment |
Supervisor |
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FTIR spectroscopy systems |
Laboratory Supervisor |
Department Contact |
Designated Research Lab |
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UV–Vis spectroscopy systems |
Laboratory Supervisor |
Department Contact |
Designated Research Lab |
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Raman spectroscopy systems |
Laboratory Supervisor |
Department Contact |
Designated Research Lab |
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Thermal Analysis |
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Equipment |
Supervisor |
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Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) |
Laboratory Supervisor |
Department Contact |
Designated Research Lab |
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Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) systems |
Laboratory Supervisor |
Department Contact |
Designated Research Lab |
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X-ray Imaging |
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Equipment |
Supervisor |
Contact |
Location |
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X-ray imaging and analysis systems |
Facility Manager |
Central Facility Contact |
Shared / Central Facility |
Departmental laboratories are complemented by shared and centralized facilities operated at the university level. These facilities provide access to advanced fabrication, characterization, and analytical tools that support interdisciplinary research and collaboration across multiple departments and research groups.
Access to these facilities enables departmental researchers and students to leverage state-of-the-art infrastructure beyond individual laboratories, supporting high-impact research projects and large-scale, collaborative initiatives that require specialized equipment and expertise.