Qatar on Sunday (November 4th) announced it had drafted the head of the country's state-run oil and gas company into the cabinet, AFP reported.
Saad al-Kaabi, the president and chief executive officer of Qatar Petroleum, was made a minister of state for energy affairs during a comprehensive reshuffle.
It was not immediately clear what the new role meant for long-serving minister of energy and industry, Mohammed Salah al-Sada, also the president of OPEC.
Al-Kaabi's appointment was among a slew of significant switches announced by Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani in an unexpected reshuffle of top government positions.
The emir announced that foreign minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani also will become president of the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA), the country's sovereign wealth fund.
In another significant change in personnel, Yousuf bin Mohammed al Othman Fakhro was appointed labour minister, replacing Issa bin Saad al-Jufali al-Nuami.
The outgoing minister had overseen a programme of reform including the introduction of a minimum wage and the partial abolition of the exit visa system.
In total, there were five ministerial changes, as well as changes to the boards of Qatar Petroleum and the QIA.
