Bassam Fattouh is the director of the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies and a professor at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London. He specializes in international oil pricing systems, OPEC pricing power, security of Middle Eastern oil supplies, and the dynamics of oil prices and oil price differentials. He has published a variety of articles on oil and gas topics and his publications have appeared in academic and professional journals. Fattouh served as a member of an independent expert group established to provide recommendations to the 12th International Energy Forum Ministerial Meeting for strengthening the architecture of the producer-consumer dialogue through the IEF. He also acts as an advisor to governments and industry and is a regular speaker at international conferences. He earned a PhD in economics from the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London.