Patrick Cooke: ALL BLOG POSTS
The global oil industry had yet to recover from the price crash of 2014-15 by the time the pandemic hit in early 2020, which meant that upstream operators and service providers were already grappling with cost-related challenges and falling profit margins.
Backed by a high credit rating, advanced oil and gas production and storage capacity, and a deep sovereign wealth fund, Qatar was able to tap international debt markets to fund an effective economic response to the pandemic, while its relatively small population was well served by a modern health care system guided by clear government policy geared towards prevention as well as treatment.
Kuwait’s economy is characterised by a number of factors that helped it to withstand the severe strains caused by the pandemic.