OPEC appoints Saudi national as new head of research

The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) on Tuesday appointed Saudi Arabia’s Ayed Al-Qahtani as director of the Secretariat’s research division, it said in a statement.

Al-Qahtani has served as advisor to Saudi energy minister Khalid Al-Falih since July 2016.

He had previously led Saudi Aramco's Global Economic & Energy Outlook, and served as senior project manager for global energy scenarios at the World Energy Council and vice-chair of the Riyadh-based International Energy Forum’s Industry Advisory Committee. 

Meanwhile, Algeria’s Abderrezak Benyoucef was appointed head of OPEC’s Energy Studies Department, while Iran’s Behrooz Baikalizadeh was named head of the Petroleum Studies Department, the producer group said.