The Middle East Energy

With plentiful supplies of natural gas, Qatar has over the years looked for alternatives to its liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports, from investments in industrial facilities to value-added processing. One increasingly viable option is the manufacturing of gas-to-liquid (GTL) products, which are enjoying growing demand by the global marketplace.

As one of the world’s largest consumers of water and electricity on a per capita basis, Qatar is looking to reduce its utilities usage. However, with the demand for water likely to outstrip supply in the near future, the government is also taking steps to boost capacity.

Income from Kuwait’s hydrocarbons sector looks set to rise this year as the country ramps up oil production on the back of growing demand both locally and overseas, particularly from Asia.

With the Kingdom’s first solar plant scheduled for commission by the end of 2013, and the tender for a second renewable power plant to be announced in the coming months, Bahrain is one of many hydrocarbons producers investing in alternative fuel sources.

Looking to maximise the benefit of its hydrocarbons reserves, Oman is investing in downstream oil-and-gas activities, including a new petrochemicals plant and an expansion at one of its refineries.

While Jordan has had some success in meeting the requirements of its $2bn stand-by arrangement with the IMF, fulfilling its promise to lower electricity subsidies as part of a larger plan to reduce losses at the state power utility and improve the government’s fiscal position is proving more of a challenge.