Youcef Yousfi, born on October 2, 1941, is a former Prime Minister of Algeria and a prominent energy expert. He began his career in academia as a senior lecturer and later professor of chemical engineering at the National Polytechnic School and the Houari Boumediene University of Sciences and Technologies in Algiers. He also served as director of the Chemistry Institute there and acted as an adviser on petroleum affairs to the Ministry of Industry and Energy. Yousfi entered politics as Chief of Staff to President Liamine Zéroual, followed by appointment as Minister of Energy and Mines. In 1997, he was elected to the National People's Assembly and chaired the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) in 1998 and 1999. He served as Algeria's Permanent Representative to the United Nations from 2006 to 2008, returned as Minister of Energy and Mines from 2010 to 2015, and briefly acted as Prime Minister from March to April 2014.