Qatar brings energy boss into cabinet in surprise reshuffle

Qatar, one of the world's biggest energy suppliers, surprisingly announced Sunday it had drafted the head of the country's state-run oil and gas company into the cabinet.

Saad al-Kaabi, the president and chief executive officer of Qatar Petroleum, was made a minister of state for energy affairs in the first comprehensive reshuffle since the start of a Gulf diplomatic crisis which has seen Doha isolated by neighbouring former allies.

For the past 17 months, a group of countries including Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Bahrain have frozen all diplomatic and political ties with Doha, accusing Qatar of seeking better relations with Iran and supporting radical extremism.

It was not immediately clear what the new role meant for long-serving minister of energy and industry, Mohammed Salah al-Sada, also the current president of OPEC.

Qatar is the world's top liquified natural gas exporter.

Kaabi has been a high-profile figure during the regional political stand-off and recently announced Qatar would boost natural gas production.

His appointment was among a slew of significant switches announced by ruler Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani in an unexpected reshuffle of top government positions.

The emir announced that the country's foreign minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, will also 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 minster, 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.

However, Qatar faces continued scrutiny over its treatment of a large migrant labour workforce in the run-up to hosting the 2022 World Cup.

In total, there were five ministerial changes, as well as changes to the boards of Qatar Petroleum's and the QIA.