Ali Al-Naimi, Saudi Arabia's former minister of energy and mineral resources, is the first recipient of AAPG's Presidential Award for Global Leadership.
The Executive Committee recently created the award to recognize and honor individuals who have distinguished themselves in the global energy arena through their vision and leadership.
"His Excellency Ali Al-Naimi has been an influential figure on the world's energy stage for many decades, first as president and CEO of Saudi Aramco and then as minister of petroleum and mineral resources of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and currently as counselor to the Royal Court," said David Curtiss, AAPG executive director, during the opening ceremony of GEO2018 in Bahrain on Monday, where Al-Naimi was presented the award by AAPG President-Elect Denise Cox.
Al-Naimi is a geologist whom Curtiss characterized as "a vocal and dedicated supporter of science and technology, and equipping and training a skilled professional workforce in the energy sector advancing the interests of the Kingdom."
"Petroleum is a strategic resource. It underpins global economic growth, is the foundation of modern societies, and reliable, affordable energy is lifting billions out of poverty in the developing world," Curtiss added. "His Excellency has been a persuasive communicator of this important message and he's done it with the heart of a geologist, a steward of Earth's natural resources."
GEO, or the Middle East Geosciences Conference and Exhibition, began Monday, March 5 and continues through Thursday, March 8.
It is a biennial exhibition alongside a technical conference organized by AAPG's Middle East and Africa regions with the support of the European Association of Geoscientists and Engineers the Society of Exploration Geophysicists as the premier showcase of oil and gas exploration technology and services in the Middle East.