Kuwait named Deputy Prime Minister Anas Al Saleh as acting oil minister to replace Ali Al Omair who became minister of public affairs and retained his role as state minister for parliamentary affairs, according to an official decree.
Al Saleh, born in 1972 and holder of a bachelor degree in business administration from Portland University in the US, is also Finance Minister, according to Kuna.
The change in portfolio comes days before Al Omair was due to represent Kuwait at the meeting of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) on December 4 in Vienna to discuss the group’s production level amid a slump in prices due to a global glut.
The official news agency Kuna did not say why Omair was leaving the oil minister’s post. Sources familiar with the matter told Reuters about ten days ago that Omair was expected to be replaced; he had tried recently to introduce some changes to the management of state oil companies but was blocked.
Earlier this month, Al Omair swaped the chief executive officers of state companies Kuwait Oil and Kuwait Foreign Petroleum Exploration, unit known as Kufpec.
However, Omair’s departure is not expected to mean any change in the oil policy of the OPEC member; Kuwait’s oil policy is set by the country’s Supreme Petroleum Council.
Kuna also reported that Electricity, Water and Public Works Minister Ahmad Khaled al Jassar had resigned. Sheikh Mohammed Abdullah al-Mubarak was named acting electricity and water minister.
Kuwait is the fourth-biggest producer in Opec, and pumped 2.82mn barrels a day of crude in October, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.
