Prince Abdul Aziz bin Salman was appointed energy minister by royal decree on Sunday, replacing Khalid Al-Falih, who had held the post since May 2016.  Prince Abdul Aziz had served as minister of state for energy affairs at the Ministry of Energy, Industry and Mineral Resources since 2017. He had also served as deputy minister of petroleum and mineral resources since 2015, and was an assistant to the minister from 2004 to 2015, undersecretary at the ministry from 1995 to 2004, and adviser to the minister from 1987 to 1995. Prince Abdul Aziz served as director of the department of economic and industrial studies at King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals from 1985 to 1987. He headed the team formed by the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources and Saudi Aramco to prepare the Kingdom’s oil strategy, as well as the team charged with updating the strategy. He also played a role in putting forth the first strategy endorsed by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) at its ministerial conference in 2005, when he chaired the committee of OPEC oil and energy ministers to prepare its long-term strategy. Prince Abdul Aziz is a member of the High Committee for Hydrocarbons, the board of directors of King Abdul Aziz City for Science and Technology, and the board of directors of King Abdullah City for Atomic and Renewable Energy. He attained his bachelor’s degree in industrial management from King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals in Dhahran in 1982, and his MBA from the same university in 1985.