Ali Al-Naimi
Ali bin Ibrahim Al-Naimi | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources | |
| In office 2 August 1995 – 7 May 2016 | |
| Monarchs | King Fahd King Abdullah King Salman |
| Preceded by | Hisham Nazer |
| Succeeded by | Khalid A. Al-Falih |
| President and CEO, Saudi Aramco | |
| In office 1983–1995 | |
| Preceded by | John Jacob Kelberer |
| Succeeded by | Abdallah S. Jum'ah |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 2 August 1935 Ar-Rakah, Saudi Arabia |
| Children | Reem, Rami, Nada, Mohammad |
| Residence(s) | Dhahran, Saudi Arabia[1] |
| Alma mater | Lehigh University Stanford University |
Ali bin Ibrahim Al-Naimi (Arabic: علي بن إبراهيم النعيمي) (born 2 August 1935)[2] was the Saudi Arabian Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources from 1995 to 2016.[3]
Early life and education
Born to Ibrahim, a pearl diver of the Al-Naimi tribe, and Fatima, a Bedouin of the Ajman, his parents became divorced during the pregnancy. As a consequence, Naimi was born into and lived the first eight years of his nomadic life with his mother's and stepfather's tribe. From the age of four, he tended the family's flock of lambs. His mother divorced his stepfather when Al-Naimi was eight, and Al-Naimi left the Ajmani tribe to live with his father in Al-Hasa.[4]
Naimi was born in Ar-Rakah in the Eastern Province. He joined Saudi Aramco in 1947 as a twelve-year-old office boy. Under the training programs of Aramco, he studied at International College, Beirut and the American University of Beirut, before going to Lehigh University in the United States. He obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in geology in 1962. He then earned a Master of Science degree in hydrology and economic geology at Stanford University.[5][6]
Career
After graduation, Naimi continued to advance at Aramco. He became the supervisor for the Abqaiq production department in 1969. He was promoted to assistant director and then director of production in the Northern Borders Region (1972–1975). He became vice-president of production affairs in 1975. He was appointed vice president of petroleum affairs in 1978. Al Naimi was elected a member of board of directors in 1980 and was promoted to the newly created position of executive vice-president of oil and gas affairs in 1981. He was named president of Saudi Aramco in 1983,[7] being the first Saudi to hold that position. Later, after combining the presidency and chief executive position, he was appointed to each of these roles separately.
He became the minister of petroleum and mineral resources on 2 August 1995 (his 60th birthday), replacing Hisham Nazer.[5] Naimi was succeeded by Abdullah S. Jum'ah as president and CEO of Aramco.
Also in 1995, Naimi received an Honorary Doctorate from Heriot-Watt University[8]
In December 2010, the Saudi Supreme Petroleum Council, chaired by King Abdullah, asked Naimi to nominate candidates to succeed him as oil minister.[9]
In November 2014, still serving as Saudi oil minister and therefore the de facto leader of OPEC, Naimi became the primary advocate for the export organization's controversial new strategy. He argued that the oil market should be left to rebalance itself at lower price levels, strategically rebuilding OPEC's long-term market share by ending the profitability of high-cost US shale oil production.[10] Naimi completed his service as oil minister in May 2016, as deputy crown prince Mohammed bin Salman took on a stronger role in Saudi oil policy.[3]
Other positions
Naimi is chairman of the board of the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST).[6]
Recognition
Naimi was named one of the most influential people in the world by TIME magazine in 2008.[6] In 2011, he was included in the inaugural 50 Most Influential ranking by Bloomberg Markets magazine.[11] His autobiography was published in November 2016.[12]
References
- ^ "Powerful People: #50 Ali Al-Naimi". Forbes. Archived from the original on 5 January 2015.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ "Press Background Information" (PDF). OPEC. 4 December 2013. p. 12. Retrieved 27 February 2017.
- ^ a b "Saudi Arabia just fired its oil minister". CNN. 8 May 2016. Retrieved 27 February 2017.
- ^ Al-Naimi, Ali (2016). Out of the Desert. Great Britain: Portfolio Penguin. pp. xv, 5, 7, 10–11. ISBN 9780241279250.
- ^ a b "Ali Ibrahim Al Na'imi". APS Review Oil Market Trends. Arab Press Service. 24 October 2011. Retrieved 27 March 2013.
- ^ a b c "Saudi Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Ali Al-Naimi to speak at commencement". Lehigh University. 8 May 2012. Retrieved 27 February 2017.
- ^ "Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources". SAMIRAD. Retrieved 28 August 2012.
- ^ "Honorary Graduates" (PDF). Heriot-Watt University. Retrieved 27 February 2017.
- ^ "Saudi considers Naimi's successor as oil minister". Reuters. 10 December 2010. Retrieved 6 March 2013.
- ^ "Inside OPEC room, Naimi declares price war on US shale oil". Reuters. 28 November 2014. Retrieved 12 April 2016.
- ^ "The 50 Most Influential People in Global Finance". Bloomberg Markets. 7 September 2011. Archived from the original on 16 July 2012. Retrieved 14 October 2012.
{{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ Al-Naimi, Ali (2016). Out of the Desert: My Journey From Nomadic Bedouin to the Heart of Global Oil. Penguin. ISBN 978-0241279250.
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