Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi

Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi is one of the most powerful figures in global energy, serving simultaneously as Qatar's Minister of State for Energy Affairs, CEO of QatarEnergy (formerly Qatar Petroleum), and chairman of Industries Qatar. This concentration of roles gives him unparalleled influence over Qatar's entire hydrocarbon value chain — from upstream LNG production through midstream processing to downstream petrochemicals and fertilizers that Industries Qatar represents. Industries Qatar operates as a holding company for Qatar's major industrial assets: QAPCO (Qatar Petrochemical Company), one of the Middle East's largest ethylene and polyethylene producers; QAFCO (Qatar Fertiliser Company), a major urea and ammonia producer; and Qatar Steel. All these businesses benefit from Qatar's extraordinary natural gas reserves — the world's third largest — which provide low-cost feedstock that gives Industries Qatar a structural cost advantage over competitors in Europe, Asia, and the Americas. Al-Kaabi's decisions on QatarEnergy's massive North Field LNG expansion (which will increase Qatar's LNG capacity by over 60%), feedstock allocation to Industries Qatar's subsidiaries, and global gas pricing dynamics are the primary drivers of the company's earnings. His dual role as both energy minister and industrial chairman ensures that Industries Qatar's strategic interests are aligned with Qatar's national energy policy.