Mohamed Hamel assumed office as the fourth Secretary General of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF).
Hamel, an Algerian, began his term at the 23rd GECF Ministerial Meeting and will hold the office for two years beginning January 1, 2022.
The GECF is an 18-country energy organisation made up of the world’s leading natural gas producers.
“Natural gas will continue to play a crucial role in the future in alleviating energy poverty, fuelling economic growth, and expanding prosperity, whilst at the same time contributing to the protection of the environment, both at the local level in terms of air quality improvement and at the global level in terms of climate change mitigation,” Hamel said in a statement.
Hamel had previously served as a member of the OPEC board of governors, a member of the executive committee of IEF, and a member of the executive board of the GECF. He has also played an advisory role to the OPEC secretary general, in addition to the Minister of Energy and Mines of Algeria.
The new GECF Secretary General began his career at Algeria’s state-owned Sonatrach, where he eventually held the role of Vice President of Strategy and Planning.