Draft:Fatollah Naficy

Fatollah Naficy (Persian: فتح‌الله نفیسی‎; December 21, 1908 – January 16, 2002) was an Iranian engineer, petroleum executive, and public official, widely recognized as one of the founding figures in the development of Iran’s modern oil industry. He played a prominent role in the establishment of the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) and represented Iran in the formation of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).

Early life and education

Fatollah Naficy was born in Tehran, Iran. His father, Ali Akbar Naficy (known formally as Nazem ol-Atibba), was a distinguished physician who served in the court of Qajar kings Mozaffareddin Shah and Nasereddin Shah. Nazem ol-Atibba authored several pioneering medical texts and compiled the Farhang Naficy, one of the earliest annotated encyclopedic dictionaries in Persian. Fatollah's mother, Jalileh Khajehnouri (Jamaldoleh), was a granddaughter of Sadreazam Nouri, a chancellor during the Qajar era. After completing his primary and secondary education in Tehran, Naficy received a government scholarship to study petroleum engineering in the United Kingdom. He attended the University of Birmingham, where he became one of the first Iranians to study oil engineering and refining at a university level. He graduated with a BSc in 1931, followed by technical training in Romania and at the Llandarcy refinery in Wales.

Career

In 1932, Naficy returned to Iran to complete his military service, graduating as a second lieutenant in the artillery corps. In 1933, he joined the Anglo-Persian Oil Company (APOC) as an area engineer in the Masjid-e-Soleiman oilfields, later holding positions as control and production engineer. In 1938, dissatisfied with APOC's treatment of Iranian staff, he resigned and joined the Iranian Ministry of Finance. He later served in various roles across the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Industry and Mines. In 1942, he was appointed Director of the Petroleum and Mining Revenues Department. Following a brief period in the private sector, Naficy joined the Supreme Planning Board in 1947, where he led the team responsible for the industrial, mining, and petroleum components of Iran’s First Seven-Year Development Plan. When the Plan Organization of Iran was formed in 1949, he was named Deputy Managing Director for Technical Affairs. In 1951, Naficy became Chairman and Managing Director of the newly formed Iran Oil Company, which was established to explore for oil in areas outside of existing foreign concessions. He later served as Secretary to the Iranian delegation during the 1953 negotiations with an international oil consortium. Following the nationalization of Iran’s oil industry, Naficy was appointed Deputy Managing Director and Chief Coordinator of the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC). From 1954 to 1969, he oversaw NIOC’s exploration and production operations and, from 1962, also managed refining, distribution, and sales. He was instrumental in negotiating joint agreements with several international oil companies, including ENI, Atlantic Richfield, Phillips Petroleum, Elf Aquitaine, and others. Naficy also played a significant role in OPEC’s early development. He represented Iran at its first four conferences and co-authored the organization’s founding statutes alongside Venezuelan and Saudi delegates.

Later life and legacy

After retiring from public service in 1969, Naficy taught petroleum economics at the University of Tehran’s Faculty of Economics. He also served as a consultant to international oil companies and represented Iran at global energy forums. He was twice elected Vice President of the World Petroleum Congress (1963–1967; 1975–1979). Naficy left Iran during the 1979 Islamic Revolution and settled in France. He was fluent in Persian, English, and French. He passed away in Los Angeles, California, on January 16, 2002. He was married to Pourandokht Pourdavoud, daughter of scholar Ebrahim Pourdavoud, and had four children.

External links

• Photograph of Engineer Fatollah Naficy (1908–2002)