The Middle East Energy

In April 2018 the foundation was laid for one of the sultanate’s largest engineering ventures – the $7bn integrated refinery at Duqm. Indeed, according to industry media, its construction will account for some 8% of Oman’s entire GDP in the years preceding its completion in 2022. The refinery will form a key part of the country’s overall oil...

The recent period of low global oil and gas prices has led to an increased incentivisation to streamline and rationalise the hydrocarbons sector’s administrative and corporate structures. Oman is a key player in this attempt to streamline, and recently there has been significant merging and rebranding of organisations that have traditionally...

Oman has made some major moves to diversify its energy mix, as indicated by the commissioning of new renewable energy (RE) projects. The sultanate has set a precedent by bringing RE into the oil and gas upstream via new innovative schemes.

With no fresh surface water and an average rainfall of just 110 mm per year, Kuwait depends heavily on desalination to meet its fresh water requirements. Rapid growth in the country’s resident population, coupled with some of the world’s highest per capita consumption levels, has fuelled demand and contributed to a serious water problem. As...

In early 2019 contracts could be signed for a 1-GW solar photovoltaic (PV) power plant in Kuwait, marking a significant step forward on emir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah’s pledge to generate 15% of the country’s energy needs from clean, renewable sources by 2030. While the oil-producing country may wish to play its part in...

The energy sector is the backbone of Kuwait’s economy, accounting for roughly 90% of both exports and government revenue. Ambitious mega-projects led by state-owned companies responsible for the extraction, processing and marketing of oil and gas also drive the non-oil economy by supporting tens of thousands of jobs in engineering,...