Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud

Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud was appointed Minister of Energy in September 2019, becoming the first royal to serve as energy minister in Saudi Arabia's history. On July 11, 2026, he was appointed Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources in addition to his energy portfolio, signaling an expanded role for the royal and closer integration of the two sectors. Born in 1960 and the fourth son of King Salman, Prince Abdulaziz represents a departure from precedent: his appointment in September 2019 broke a tradition stretching back to the ministry's creation, as every previous oil minister had been a technocrat, not a prince.

Prince Abdulaziz received a Bachelor's degree in Industrial Management from King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals in 1982 and an MBA from the same institution in 1985. He began his career as a lecturer at King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals. At 65, he has spent more continuous years in the Saudi petroleum sector than any living official — a career that began when oil was trading at $27 a barrel and OPEC's existence was barely two decades old.

Career History

• Minister of Energy and Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources (2019–present)
• State Minister for Energy Affairs (2017–2019)
• Assistant Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources (2005–2017)
• Deputy Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources (1995–2005)
• Director, Economic and Industrial Research Division at King Fahd University's Research Institute (1985–1987)

Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman Al Saud is the architect of OPEC+'s production management strategy since 2019. Since his appointment, his experience of brokering oil negotiations spans three decades and helped persuade Iraqi and Nigerian officials to commit to output agreements. He achieved something his predecessor never did: bringing the quota cheats of OPEC+ to heel, with OPEC+ compliance with quotas becoming more evenly spread through effective compensation cuts. Under his stewardship, Saudi Arabia has continued to invest in maintaining oil production capacity while expanding into gas, renewable energy, and electrical grids to meet demand and enhance the energy system's capability to withstand disruptions.

What Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman could bring to Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources: unmatched institutional knowledge of energy-industrial integration, four decades of international diplomatic experience with OPEC+ members and consuming nations, and the authority to execute coordinated policy across Saudi Arabia's resource sectors—positioning him uniquely to advance Vision 2030's diversification agenda while maintaining market stability in global energy and commodity markets.