The Middle East Energy

Saudi Arabia is accelerating efforts to take its industrialisation process to the next level, moving from the processing of feedstocks – particularly hydrocarbons – towards utilising the resulting petrochemical materials for the manufacture of finished products. Rising demand on both the national power grid and on raw materials, however, could have an impact on the rate at which new developments are realised.

Plans for a major new refinery and record exports to Asia have led to heady estimates of Kuwait’s oil revenues for 2012 and the sector is looking to innovative techniques to extract huge reserves of heavy oil.

With a growing population and increasing demands on scarce natural resources, Jordan is hoping that a major desalination project will be instrumental in helping the Kingdom tackle its water shortages.

As Oman looks to renewable energy as a way to meet the increasing calls on its national electricity grid, investors are eyeing the Sultanate as a base for the production of technology needed to convert the rays of the sun into energy and profits.

With demand for electricity and water rising quickly, authorities in Abu Dhabi have taken steps to reduce consumption, including the introduction of a billing system that will indicate usage more clearly to consumers. Meanwhile, a recent study by an international consultancy firm shows that the introduction of some power-saving techniques could reduce electricity demand in the UAE by up to 50%.

Thanks to growing global demand for plastics in 2011, Kuwait’s petrochemicals companies reported improved financial results last year. Moreover, the sector looks set to expand, with the government investing in new facilities and taking steps to ensure that the industry has a sufficient supply of natural gas.