named president of Aramco Overseas Company before becoming a senior vice president in July 1978. Al Naimi was elected a member of board of directors in 1980 and was promoted to the newly created position of executive vice-president of oil and gas affairs in 1981. He was named president of Saudi Aramco in November 1983, being the first Saudi to hold that position. In 1988 Al-Naimi assumed responsibilities as CEO. He became the minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources on 2 August 1995 (his 60th birthday), replacing Hisham Nazer. Al-Naimi became the first oil executive to hold the office. He was succeeded by Abdullah S. Jum'ah as CEO of Aramco. Also in 1995, Naimi received an honorary doctorate from Heriot-Watt University In December 2010, the Saudi Supreme Petroleum Council, chaired by King Abdullah, asked Naimi to nominate candidates to succeed him as oil minister. In November 2014, still serving as Saudi oil minister and therefore the de facto leader of OPEC, Naimi became the primary advocate for the export organization's controversial new strategy. He argued that the oil market should be left to rebalance itself at lower price levels, strategically rebuilding OPEC's long-term market share by ending the profitability of high-cost US shale oil production. In 2016 he announced that in the next years more investment will be made in renewable energy and solar technology, as he sees great potential in this area. Naimi completed his service as oil minister in May 2016, as deputy crown prince Mohammed bin Salman took on a stronger role in Saudi oil policy. Naimi was replaced by former executive at state-owned oil company Saudi Aramco Khaled Al-Falih. In 2016 Naimi published his memoirs with the title Out of the Desert. The book gives insight into the domestic infighting and the future of Saudi Aramco. Other positions Naimi is chairman of the board of the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST). Recognition King Salman named Al-Naimi adviser to the Royal Court. Ali received an honorary degree from Seoul National University and there is an A. I. Naimi Road at S-Oil's Onsan refining complex. Naimi was named one of the most influential people in the world by Time magazine in 2008. In 2011, he was included in the inaugural 50 Most Influential ranking by Bloomberg Markets magazine. His autobiography was published in November 2016. References Ali Ali 1935 births Lehigh University alumni Living people