Summary: Saudi Arabia’s crown prince is using giga-projects to drive forward his plan to wean the kingdom off its dependency on oil revenues; the results thus far of his Vision2030 project are mixed but if oil prices hold steady MbS may yet see some of his hugely ambitious schemes come to fruition by the end of the decade.
Summary: as peak oil approaches, two decades of diversification have left the UAE relatively well cushioned against the economic downsides. However, and despite MbS’s efforts, Saudi Arabia looks like having to play catch-up into strengthening headwinds.
Summary: Saudi Arabia’s response to the market threat posed by US shale was to broker a partnership with Russia in 2016 that six years later is working very well, allowing the Saudis to exert geopolitical influence while shrugging off demands from the Biden White House.
Summary: opportunity beckons for Algeria as Europe struggles to meet its urgent need for reliable gas supplies but much needs to change in the energy, financial and industry sectors for the country to realise its full potential as a major European gas supplier.
Summary: Italy, Algeria and Tunisia share an energy nexus of interest that has the potential to alter the economic landscape for all three as Europe scrambles to free itself from its dependency on Russian oil and gas.
Summary: Italy and Europe look to Algeria to reduce their dependence on Russian gas, but the North African country’s lack of strategic economic thinking has reinforced the perception that it is an unstable partner.
Summary: the war in Ukraine presents Algeria with a unique opportunity to exploit its gas reserves as Europe scrambles to ease its dependency on Russian hydrocarbons.
Summary: whether the Ukraine crisis justifies the current outbreak of bullishness over oil remains uncertain. But what it almost certainly does do is open up new opportunities for the majority of MENA’s hydrocarbons producers.
Summary: the UAE and Saudi Arabia are best placed globally to manage the journey to zero emissions so is it time to stop the blame game and instead monitor and support their efforts?
Summary: both the UAE and Saudi Arabia have made significant commitments to net zero, for the Emiratis it’s 2050 and the Saudis 2060, but getting there will be a challenge for both Gulf states.
