Tariq al-Roumi, an oil industry veteran with almost five decades of experience, was appointed by Emiri decree as Kuwait’s new oil minister on 29 October. Mr Roumi replaced finance and economic affairs minister Nora Suleiman al-Fassam who took over the portfolio on an acting basis in September when Emad al-Atigi resigned (MEES, 27 September).
The new minister has served in the sector since joining Kuwait Oil Co in 1976 where he later became a member of the board of directors. In 1984, he transferred to parent-firm KPC, until his retirement in 2013. Mr Roumi was later brought back as chairman of Kuwait Oil Tanker Co in October 2023. The appointment of a professional from within the sector is a welcome boost to Kuwait’s oil development plans, as the ministry has suffered from a revolving door in recent years. Kuwait is making steady progress to boost crude oil capacity from 2.9mn b/d to its end-year 3.2mn b/d target (MEES, 26 July) alongside a renewed focus on offshore exploration (MEES, 20 September). (CONTINUED - 166 WORDS)