Hi everyone,

I hope you're all having a great week.

A quick background about me: I'm a petroleum engineer who completed my studies in the UK, holding an MSc in Petroleum Engineering. I have no MBAs or economics background of any sort. Upon graduation, I joined Schlumberger, an O&G firm providing technical services for industry giants like BP, Shell, and Total. While I enjoyed the job and the compensation, I disliked the uncertainty and remote locations, often situated in the middle of the sea or desert. With every fluctuation in oil prices or conflict, job security became a concern.

Having always been interested in consulting, I decided to pursue it two years into my O&G career. However, I didn't join a strategy firm; instead, I joined PwC in London as an Associate Management Consultant. I opted not to join at the Senior Associate level, believing I lacked consulting skills and preferring to undergo associate-level training. In hindsight, I wish I had applied directly to a strategy firm. While at PwC, I supported a couple of Strategy& projects and found myself in love with them. However, I didn't enjoy the regular management consulting projects as they lacked strategic challenges. Despite intense case preparation, I realised it wasn't necessary for PwC.

Now, 1.5 years into my PwC job, I'm on track to become a Senior Associate in a couple of months. I'm a British national and an Arabic speaker, and I've always wanted to work in the Middle East (I want to leave europe for good), either as a strategy consultant or a petroleum engineer (not anymore as a Pet. Eng.). At 27, I feel like my career change has set me back compared to my peers. I'm considering reapplying to strategy firms, but I'm hesitant due to setting myself to start from scratch, again. I'm unsure if my application would be considered given my age and lack of experience.

My question is, what advice would you offer me at this point? What could be the best path I could jump on right now? I'm currently studying on weekends and in my free time to prepare for potential applications to MBBs in the Middle East, particularly Strategy&. However, I'm unsure if they consider applicants without MBAs or from non-target schools. 

Note: when I say ME, I mean in terms of preference, Dubai / UAE, Lebanon, Qatar, Saudi, or Lebanon. 

Thank you all in advance for your input, I truly appreciate it.