He succeeded Nigerian Mohammed Barkindo, in office since 2016, in this public function of the Organization of Oil Exporting Countries (OPEC).
Le Monde with AFP
The Kuwaiti Haitham Al-Ghais has been appointed, Monday, January 3, Secretary General of the Organization of Oil Exporting Countries (OPEC), the cartel has announced on the eve of its monthly meeting.
This veteran, with experience of several decades in the sector, will take office in August, for three years. He will replace the Nigerian Mohammed Barkindo, in position since 2016, while the OPEC faces the challenge of the recovery of the black gold demand after the shock of the Pandemic of Covid-19.
The Secretary General of OPEC has no executive power; It is the public figure of the organization and sometimes acts as a diplomat to facilitate discussions between countries with divergent interests, such as Saudi Arabia and Iran, or more recently with the United Arab Emirates. “Mr Al-Ghais is a Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC) veteran (KPC), including the Office Director in Beijing and London, and” OPEC Governor for Kuwait 2017 to June 2021 “, Specifies L organization in a communiqué .
The organization, located in Vienna, Austria, “expresses its gratitude” to Mr. Barkindo “for his direction during his two consecutive terms”. Under the leadership of the latter, OPEC associated themselves with ten other countries, including Russia, in an OPEP + agreement signed in 2016.
While the Group lost in the market with the growth of shale oil in the United States, this Alliance has allowed producers to limit their black gold extractions since the appearance of the Covid pandemic. -19. An effort that brought classes after a shock on the market very marked in April 2020, but suffering from criticism of consumer countries, including the United States.