Saudi Arabia has Named Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, a Son of the King, as Energy Minister in a Royal Decree.

The appointment represents the first time a member of the ruling Al Saud family has held the energy minister post in the world’s top oil exporter.

Ariana News Agency-

Prince Abdulaziz is a longstanding member of the top crude exporter’s delegation to the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec) with decades of experience in the oil sector.

As a veteran of Opec policy-making, Prince Abdulaziz is not expected to change the kingdom’s oil policy, since he helped negotiate the current agreement between Opec and non-Opec countries to cut global crude supply to support prices and balance the market, analysts say.

In 2017, he was named minister of state for energy affairs, and has worked closely with previous oil minister Ali al-Naimi as his deputy for years.

Some industry insiders say the prince’s lengthy experience has overcome what has always been seen as the impossibility of appointing a royal to the post of energy minister in Saudi Arabia.

The ruling Al Saud family viewed the oil portfolio as so important that giving it to a prince might upset the dynasty’s delicate balance of power and risk making oil policy hostage to princely politicking, Saudi sources and diplomats say.

Saudi Arabia has had five oil ministers since 1960, and none of them has been a royal.