Several topics will be raised by OPEC oil ministers during their meeting on Thursday, 14 June: the fall in oil prices to less than $100 a barrel and whether this is in the interest of a global recovery, which will push demand for oil up once again, as well as the selection of a new secretary general for the organization, to replace Libya's Abdullah al-Badri, whose term official concludes at the end of this year. The two items are of essential importance for OPEC. Market conditions should be studied, in order to maintain the desired price level. The second item, which requires a consensus solution, is selecting a new secretary general from a number of candidates. Up to now, there are two official candidates, Saudi Arabia's Dr. Majed al-Munif, and Iraq's Thamer al-Ghadban. So far, Iran has yet to officially put forward a candidate. OPEC is now facing huge challenges with the large rise in prices, followed a decline in their level. It has yet to become clear whether the global economic situation will continue to see the dangers of huge financial crises in Europe, and a recession and slowdown in the Chinese economy. Moreover, the political situation in the region is experiencing massive tension, including the crisis between Iran and the west over its nuclear program, and the Syrian regime's war against its people. OPEC now aspires to become an international organization, and establish relationships with major international institutions, such as the International Energy Agency, the European Union, and others. Amid such critical conditions and challenges, OPEC can only select a highly-qualified and distinguished person for its top post. The Saudi candidate, Dr. Majid al-Munif, has a Ph.D. in Economics from Oregon University in the United States, and wrote his dissertation on oil prices. He is a veteran of the Ministry of Petroleum; he is a member of the Energy and Economy Committee in the Majlis al-Shura and took part in drafting the Kingdom's oil strategy. He represented Saudi Arabia on the OPEC Board of Governors for eight years, after serving as the country's representative on OPEC's Economic Committee, which authors a detailed report on the situation of the oil market. Whoever wants a precise and scientific description of the oil market always resorts to Dr. al-Munif's expertise as a teacher to analyze these conditions. He is also a professor at King Saud University, and has been an active participant in OPEC conferences since 1987, alongside the Saudi oil minister. Al-Munif has long experience in the activities of OPEC and its disputes, the methods of debate, and the testing of states' policies inside the organization. He actively took part in the preparation for establishing the Global Economic Forum, the Arab Energy Club, and the Oxford Energy Club. He speaks English well and this is an important factor in the work of OPEC, internally and externally. Saudi Arabia previously put forward a competent candidate, Suleiman al-Harbash, who is now the director general of the OPEC Fund for Development, and who was disqualified because of his stance on Iran. Certainly, the requirement of a unanimous selection of the secretary general always prevents qualifications winning out over politics. Majid al-Munif's qualifications for the post make him the best candidate to lead OPEC, which he knows well from the inside and the outside. He is a representative of the biggest country in the organization, in terms of production, and the key state in working for the stability of oil markets. It is hoped that OPEC ministers will choose the path of competence in selecting Majid al-Munif. But unfortunately, Iran has always worked against appointing the most competent person, even if OPEC remains without a secretary general for years. After al-Harbash failed to be selected, Kuwait put forward a very qualified candidate, Dr. Adnan Shehab al-Din, who works as a director of research, and he enhanced the Secretariat-General's activities, in scientific and distinguished fashion. Shehab al-Din garnered the support of Gulf Cooperation Council countries in OPEC, and a number of others, but Iran set down preconditions for accepting his nomination, which finally ruled him out. The question now is how to overcome the obstacle of Iran, which always blocks this best candidate for the position. This could delay a discussion of the matter until future conferences, but al-Badri's six-year term is ending, and the mandate is for three years, renewable once only. Will OPEC remain once again without a head, in light of the critical challenges and dangers?
