Saudi Arabia’s former Minister of Petroleum and Natural Resources Ali Al-Naimi has penned a memoir that offers “a rare insight into decades of domestic infighting over the future of state-run Saudi Aramco,” Reuters reports.
Out of the Desert: My Journey from Nomadic Bedouin to the Heart of Global Oil, published by Portfolio Penguin, “describes the battles waged by the influential industry veteran including fending off Western attempts to gain control of oil giant Aramco’s best assets…Even though the book holds back from detailing any political jostling within the secretive Saudi royal family and government, it gives a clear idea that various factions have often pushed for different paths for Saudi Aramco,” Reuters reports.
Al-Naimi discusses several instances throughout his career “when he fought top executives from Western companies including U.S. giant Exxon Mobil trying what he describes as winning lucrative deals via good connections with some Saudi officials.”
