In November 2014, still serving as Saudi oil minister and therefore the de facto leader of OPEC, Naimi became the primary advocate for the export organization's controversial new strategy. He argued that the oil market should be left to rebalance itself at lower price levels, strategically rebuilding OPEC's long-term market share by ending the profitability of high-cost US shale oil production. Naimi completed his Service as oil minister in May 2016, as deputy crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman took on a stronger role in Saudi oil policy.