Khalid al-Falih
Photographer: Fayez Nureldine/AFP/Getty Images
Naimi, 80, had held the post since 1995, and was one of OPEC’s longest-serving and most influential ministers. Al-Falih, born in 1959, was running Saudi Aramco, as the world’s largest petroleum company is known.
Like his predecessor, Al-Falih isn’t a member of the Saudi ruling family, and his appointment by King Salman is in keeping with the nation’s practice of promoting non-royals to manage its petroleum industry.