Kuwait’s Haitham al Ghais takes office as new OPEC chief
ViennaiTAustriaT– Haitham al Ghais of Kuwait on Monday took office as secretary general of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) at the organization’s secretariat in Vienna, Austria.
Ghais was appointed by acclamation for a three-year term at the special meeting of the OPEC Conference held on January 3, 2022. He succeeds the late secretary general of OPEC, Mohammad Sanusi Barkindo.
In a press statement released by OPEC, Ghais said, “It is a great honour for me to be at the helm of an organization that has been instrumental in supporting a stable and sustainable supply of oil to the world for more than 61 years.”
“Throughout its history, OPEC has been at the forefront of promoting dialogue, cooperation and partnerships to achieve its mission. Today, I look forward to working with all our member countries and our many partners around the world to ensure a sustainable and inclusive energy future which leaves no one behind,” the secretary general added.
Ghais – a respected oil technocrat and well-known OPEC figure – brings a great wealth of experience from both his diplomatic background, as well as his extensive experience in the energy and oil sectors in both OPEC founder member Kuwait and internationally. His career in the global oil industry spans 30 years. He advised six Kuwaiti oil ministers on the global oil market and its developments over the past years.
Ghais is also a veteran of the Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC). He served at KPC’s offices in Kuwait, Beijing and London. Before taking the position of OPEC secretary general, he was the deputy managing director for international marketing at KPC.
Ghais was a leading member of Kuwait’s delegation to the meetings of OPEC and the Declaration of Cooperation (DoC) between OPEC member countries and non-OPEC oil-producing countries.