The Saudi Arabian oil minister, considered by some experts to be the most influential person in the international petroleum industry, will headline a symposium focusing on the oil market during the Kennedy School of Government's 50th anniversary celebration in early September, officials announced yesterday.

His Excellency Ahmed Zaki Yamani, a Harvard Law School alumnus, will speak on the future of the oil industry on September 4 at the Energy and Environmental Policy-Center-sponsored event, one of a series of K-School festivities slated to coincide with Harvard's 350th celebration.

"We were looking for the person who has had the most impact on the oil industry in the last 15 years and may most affect it in the future," said Henry Lee, the center's executive director. "And there is one name that comes readily to mind-and that is Yamani."

Sheik Yamani is Saudi Arabia's representative to the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), a cartel of oil-rich nations currently experiencing severe problems in the glutted market. The Saudis, largely viewed as the leader of OPEC, are the largest petroleum producers in the world.

Speaking arrangements with Yamani were finalized this past week in Geneva when William Hogan, K-School professor of Political Economy, travelled to Switzerland on his way to Tokyo, especially to meet with the Saudi minister.

The K-School's 50th anniversary festivities, scheduled for September 4-6, will consist of seven symposia on topics ranging from nuclear war to Medicare and two special evening forums. In addition, the K-School will publish a commemorative book as well assponsor debates in New York and San Franciscoduring the fall.

Officials announced earlier that Secretary ofDefense Caspar W. Weinberger '38, Sep. Edward M.Kennedy '54 (D-Mass.) and several former Cabinetofficials were among the list of distinguishedspeakers attending the Kennedy School celebration.

"We want to communicate to the Harvardcommunity and beyond," said Albert B. Carnesale,academic dean of the K-School, "what the School'smission is, what our goals are and what are theproblems we are hoping to solve."

Officials said yesterday that Sen. Daniel P.Moynihan (D-NY), a past K-School Godkin Lecturer,will speak at an evening forum on September 3,entitled "America's Poor: What is to be Done." TheSchool has not yet confirmed speakers for thefollowing night's panel, "Roosevelt to Reagan:Presidential Leadership from 1936-1986."

Moynihan, a former Harvard Governmentprofessor, has frequently written on the effectsof poverty