Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s 28-year-old son Heydar Aliyev Jr. has tagged along for meetings at the Davos World Economic Forum in Switzerland, despite having no official position in the government.
Aliyev Jr. was present in several photos shared by the Azerbaijani Presidential Administration, which did not explicitly mention his attendance or why he was there. A zoomed in photo of the nametag worn by Aliyev Jr. simply read ‘SOCAR (State Oil Company of the Azerbaijan Republic) Azerbaijan’, followed by the subheading ‘annual meeting’. Aliyev Jr.’s position in the company was not specified.
He was present in several meetings at the forum, including with the Danish wind turbine company Vestas Wind Systems, the Brazilian financial company BTG Pactual, and the Emirati logistics firm DP World.
In recent years, there have been unverified reports that Aliyev Jr. holds an unnamed position within Azerbaijan’s Economy Ministry, but there has yet to be official confirmation.
Although Ilham Aliyev is only 64, making him a fresh face compared to many other world leaders, he is entering his 23rd year as president, and there has been speculation that he has begun to prepare for the eventual handover of power to one of his children — likely Aliyev Jr.
Aytan Farhadova
