Middle East Economic Survey

VOL. LIV

No 21

23-May-2011

IRAN

NIOC Head Seen As Contender For Irans Petroleum Portfolio

Ahmad Qalebani, Managing Director of the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC), is viewed as a strong contender to replace Masoud Mirkazemi as Irans next Minister of Petroleum. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has taken over the oil portfolio on a temporary basis, having on 15 May ousted Mr Mirkazemi under the pretext of a merging of the energy and petroleum ministries, as...