Al-Ghais assumes office as OPEC Secretary-General

Haitham Al-Ghais of Kuwait, on Monday, assumed office as the new Secretary-General of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).

Al-Ghais was appointed as the new chief of the Vienna-headquartered OPEC in January 2022, for a period of three years.

Speaking, Al-Ghais said he looked 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.”

An OPEC press release stated that Al-Ghais served as deputy managing director for international marketing at the Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC) before taking up the role of OPEC chief.

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He was also Kuwait’s governor for OPEC from 2017 to 2021.

Al-Ghais succeeded the late OPEC Secretary-General, Mohammad Barkindo, who died on July 5.

Late Barkindo was appointed Secretary-General of OPEC in June 2016 for a period of three years, but took office on August 1, 2016, succeeding the Libyan Abdallah Salem el-Badri, who had been Secretary General since 2007.

Barkindo, who steered the group through the creation of the OPEC+ Alliance, was due to step down at the end of July 2022, after six years at the OPEC top job.

The Star