GECF was established following its inaugural Ministerial Meeting held in Tehran, Iran, on 19-20 May 2001. Representatives from major gas-exporting nations convened to foster cooperation and dialogue between producers and consumers and to promote a stable and transparent global gas market.

Initial structures included annual Ministerial Meetings and technical Expert Meetings. Key early milestones included the establishment of a Liaison Office to facilitate data collection and project coordination (2003), formation of an Executive Bureau (precursor to today’s Executive Board) to strengthen governance (2004-2005), initiation of strategic studies on global gas supply and demand modeling and gas pricing mechanisms.

A major turning point came on 23 December 2008 with the 7^th Ministerial Meeting in Moscow, Russia, where the GECF was officially established as a full-fledged international intergovernmental organisation. The Forum adopted its founding legal documents -the GECF Agreement and Statute- laying the foundation for its modern institutional structure. Doha, Qatar, was designated as the GECF Headquarters.

In 2009, Mr. Leonid Bokhanovskiy was appointed the Forum’s first Secretary General. Under his leadership, the Secretariat was launched in Doha, in-house research capabilities were developed, and international cooperation with organisations such as the United Nations, IEF, and IEA was prioritised.

The early 2010s marked significant progress in GECF’s institutional and diplomatic profile. The Forum convened its 1^st Gas Summit of Heads of State and Government in Doha on 15 November 2011, reinforcing the organization’s political relevance. The 2^nd Gas Summit, hosted by Russia in Moscow on 1 July 2013, resulted in the Moscow Declaration, reaffirming the commitment to long-term contracts, gas pricing based on oil indexation, and stronger producer-consumer dialogue.

Regular Ministerial Meetings further enhanced coordination among Member Countries and supported internal development, including the launch of the GECF Global Gas Model.

In 2014, HE Dr S.M. Hossein Adeli (Iran) became the second Secretary General. His tenure was marked by efforts to elevate the GECF's global standing by introduction of the Monthly GECF Lecture Series and other outreach initiatives, greater engagement with international stakeholders and think tanks.

His term was renewed in 2015 during the 17th Ministerial Meeting in Tehran, reflecting confidence in his leadership.

HE Dr Yury Sentyurin (Russia) assumed office as the third Secretary General following his appointment at the 19^th Ministerial Meeting in Moscow on 4 October 2017. A seasoned diplomat and government official, he brought deep experience in international energy affairs.

During his tenure the GECF expanded its research and forecasting activities, greater focus was placed on global dialogue with international energy organizations and forums. He continued advocating for the fundamental role of gas in a sustainable energy future and emphasized the significance of long-term contracts.

On 1 January 2022, HE Eng. Mohamed Hamel (Algeria) became the fourth Secretary General, following his appointment at the 23^rd Ministerial Meeting chaired by Bolivia in November 2021.

A veteran of the global energy sector, Eng. Hamel brought decades of experience, including 7 years as Senior Advisor to the Algerian Minister of Energy and Mines, long-standing involvement with the GECF Executive Board and strategic working groups, leadership roles at OPEC, including Chairmanship of the OPEC High-Level Committee and Audit Committee.

Under his leadership, the GECF continued to extend with Mozambique, Mauritania and Senegal joining as Observer Members and South Africa as a Dialogue Partner, to evolve as a cornerstone of global energy dialogue, championing the interests of gas-exporting nations and promoting the role of natural gas in the energy transition.