Kuwaiti Appointed as New OPEC Secretary General After Barkindo's Death

Kuwaiti Haitham Al Ghais will assume the role of the new Secretary General of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) following the death of the current Secretary General, Mohammed Barkindo, at the age of 63. Barkindo passed away less than a month before he was set to leave his position. During their meeting in January, OPEC ministers appointed Haitham Al Ghais as the new Secretary General, with plans for him to officially take on the role starting in August 2022. However, following Barkindo's death, this transition may occur sooner than planned. Haitham Al Ghais has extensive experience in the oil sector as well as in the Kuwait Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In 1990, he graduated from the University of San Francisco in California with a degree in political science. He is fluent in six languages, including Arabic, English, German, Portuguese, Spanish, and French, and he also speaks Chinese.