Falih has been nominated to succeed Abdallah S. Jum'ah as president and CEO of Saudi Aramco effective Jan. 1, Ali I. Al-Naimi, Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, announced here on Sunday. The minister said Al-Falih's appointment has been approved by the Supreme Council for Petroleum and Mineral Affairs headed by King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques. Jum'ah is to retire at the end of this year upon his request following 40 years of service to Saudi Aramco, including nearly 14 years as president and CEO. Naimi lauded Jum'ah's outstanding service to the Kingdom's petroleum industry and wished him great happiness and success in the future. Jum'ah succeeded Ali Al-Naimi, as president of Aramco in 1995. He is a graduate of American University in Beirut and completed the Program for Management Development at Harvard University in 1976. Al-Falih, currently executive vice president of Operations, has worked for Saudi Aramco for almost three decades and rose to senior management positions in the oil and gas sectors, including exploration and producing, refining and international operations. Al-Falih is in his fifth year as a member of the company's Board of Directors. Al-Falih thanked the Saudi Aramco Board of Directors for recommending him for this position. He expressed his profound gratitude to King Abdullah and the Crown Prince for the valued trust they have placed in him. He pledged to do his utmost, with the help of Saudi Aramco's distinguished management team and its highly qualified workforce – administrative and technical – to continue the progress of the Saudi oil and gas industry at this time of development and mega-projects. Al-Falih commended Jum‘ah for his wise leadership in positioning Saudi Aramco among the world's top companies and preparing it for the future. He vowed that he will strive to preserve the company's position as a leader in production and reserves, in technology, and in its capable and productive workforce. Al-Falih also pledged his very best efforts toward fulfilling the vision of the Kingdom's leadership to contribute to the continued prosperity and well-being of the people of Saudi Arabia and people all over the world. Al-Falih also served as chairman of the board of the South Rub Al-Khali (SRAK) joint venture between Shell, Total and Saudi Aramco, and is a member of the International Advisory Council of King Abdullah University of Science & Technology (KAUST). He was recently appointed by King Abdullah to the founding board of trustees of KAUST. Al-Falih joined Saudi Aramco in 1979 and was sponsored to study at Texas A&M University in College Station, where he earned a bachelor of science degree in mechanical engineering in 1982. During the following decade he worked in Project Management as a senior project engineer. His various assignments included working on major oil and gas production projects as well as refining projects. __
