All change in Kuwait's energy sector

Kuwaiti energy officials are hoping that the recent wholesale shake-up of senior management will herald a calmer future

Simple statistics can sometimes tell a story better than words. Take the case of the number of oil ministers appointed in two neighbouring Middle Eastern states. Saudi Arabia has had only two since 1995: Ali Naimi and the current minister Khaled al-Faleh. Kuwait is a very different proposition. When Khaled al-Fadhel took over at the oil ministry in late December he became the fourth person to hold the job in just two years. Since the beginning of this century, few Kuwaiti oil ministers have remained in the job for more than a year. Against this chronically unsettled background it is little wonder that Kuwait's energy sector longs for a period of political stability. Few expect this to come s