DHAHRAN, Saudi Arabia Aug 7: Saudi Aramco. the world's largest oil company, has appointed its former vice president of international operations as acting chief executive officer and president, sources said Sunday, reports AP.

Former chief executive officer All bln Ibrahim al-Naimi, who was named Saudi Arabia's oil minister last week, is being replaced by Abdullah Jum'ah. said a Dhahran-based executive with ties to-the company.

The new chief executive is said to be a close friend of Nairn!, who will remain chairman of Saudi Aramco. and as such will still control the company he started to work for at the age of 12 in 1947.

Hisham Nazer. oil minister for 10 years, was ousted in a cabinet shake-up by King Fahd announced last Wednesday.