Saudi Aramco has appointed Yasser al-Mufti, one of its most experienced executives, to head a newly created Mergers and Acquisitions Department. The move is part of a drive by Aramco to restructure itself into a leaner, more agile company on a par with its international publicly traded peers.

Mr Mufti has had an impressive career path at Saudi Aramco and is considered as a prime candidate for the top job in the future. He was formerly head of strategic transformation, his last job before he was moved to head up the new M&A department in what would appear a logical next step. He is also former OPEC governor for Saudi Arabia. (CONTINUED - 1720 WORDS)