Oil and gas

A worker is seen at the Gathering Center 15 (GC 15) oil facility 28 March 2005 in the northern Al-Rawdhatain oilfield, 80 Kms from Kuwait City.

Kuwait renews Shell deal as it seeks to hit 4-million-bpd capacity target

Kuwait, which has one of the lowest costs of production in the world, has lagged behind its regional peers in expanding oil production capacity.

This picture shows a poster depicting King Abdulaziz bin Saud (L), the founder of the modern kingdom of Saudi Arabia, King Salman bin Abdulaziz (C), and Crown Prince Mohammed in Riyadh on April 16, 2023.

China’s Sinopec, Saudi Aramco to establish $4B energy venture: What to know

The joint venture will engage in port operations, crude oil transportation and other activities at the refinery and petrochemical complex in the Gulei Port Economic Development Zone in Zhangzhou, in China's Fujian province.

Demonstrators gather outside the thermal power station in Nasiriyah in Iraq's southern Dhi Qar province to demand the construction of a new station for their region, to allow the province to deal with the chronic power cuts and palliate electricity outage that weight on the daily life, on Sept. 4, 2024.

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Turkey stops electricity sales to Iraq after Baghdad fails to settle $70M+ bill

Turkey halted electricity exports to Iraq over unpaid dues, straining ties as Baghdad faces a summer power crunch and unresolved Kurdish oil disputes.

Amberin Zaman

By Amberin Zaman

Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture

Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar face uneven 2025 growth as trade tensions rise: IMF

While Gulf economies face only the Trump administration’s baseline 10% tariffs, the levies have already impacted oil prices and revenue, especially for rentier states like Saudi Arabia.

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UAE’s ADNOC inks deal with China’s largest offshore producer as US tariffs bite

COONC

United Arab Emirates

Analysis

Why low oil prices under Trump are unlikely to curb Middle East output

Excess flammable gasses burning from gas flares at the Havana oil field, west of the multi-ethnic northern Iraqi city of Kirku, Oct. 17, 2017.

In Bristol, reporting on regional business, climate change, AI, tech

Qatar and Russia to up investment by $2B as emir visits Moscow

Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani at the Kremlin in Moscow, on April 17, 2025.

China's oil imports highest since 2023 amid Iran crude spike: What to know

Cheng Xin/Getty Images

Vladimir Putin, Abdelmadjid Tebboune

Analysis

Algeria’s Tebboune uses reliable partner status to secure Russian arms

Russia's invasion of Ukraine put Algeria in an awkward place, as it plans to walk the diplomatic tightrope with Russia and the West.

In Bristol, reporting on regional business, climate change, AI, tech

A general view of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia pavilion at COP26 on Nov. 10, 2021, in Glasgow, Scotland.

Analysis

Saudi Arabia's carbon credit exchange: climate action or greenwashing?

Sixteen firms, including Aramco, Saudi Airlines, Saudi Electricity Company and NEOM subsidiary ENOWA, bought more than 2.2 million tons of carbon credits in Nairobi on Wednesday.

By Salim A. Essaid

Shlomi Amsalem/GPO

Israel, Cyprus make strides toward EastMed undersea electricity cable

Cypriot Energy Minister George Papanastasiou's visit to Israel is another step in joint efforts to promote the Euro-Asia undersea electricity cable project.

A picture taken on September 15, 2019 shows the entrance of an Aramco oil facility near al-Khurj area, just south of the Saudi capital Riyadh. - Saudi Arabia raced today to restart operations at oil plants hit by drone attacks which slashed its production by half, as Iran dismissed US claims it was behind the assault. The Tehran-backed Huthi rebels in neighbouring Yemen, where a Saudi-led coalition is bogged down in a five-year war, have claimed thi weekend's strikes on two plants owned by state giant Aramc

Saudi Aramco tops Middle East companies for 2023: Forbes

The Saudi oil giant continues to perform well on the back of oil prices. The list also revealed strong performances by several Moroccan banks.

Presidents Nicolas Maduro and Ebrahim Raisi during their meeting in Tehran. June 11, 2022

Iran's president travels to Nicaragua, Cuba, Venezuela in anti-US blitz

The visit will take the Iranian president to three leftist countries with which Tehran shares both American sanctions and a vigorous anti-American agenda.

A man rows a stand-up paddle flying an Israeli flag near a sailing boat and a yacht in the Mediterranean sea off the coast of Tel Aviv on April 26, 2023, as Israel marks Independence Day (Yom HaAtzmaut), 75 years since the establishment of the Jewish state. (Photo by JACK GUEZ / AFP) (Photo by JACK GUEZ/AFP via Getty Images)

Israel advances EastMed undersea electricity cable connecting with Europe

In Paris meetings with international bodies, Energy Minister Israel Katz is promoting Israel's plans for a subsea electricity cable that would connect to other countries in the region and Europe.

MIKHAIL KLIMENTYEV/SPUTNIK/AFP via Getty Images

MBS holds call with Putin, talks oil prices as Blinken visits Saudi Arabia

The IMF projected that Saudi Arabia’s economic growth will slow to 2.1% in 2023 from its 3.1% forecast in May, after the kingdom cut more oil production on Sunday.

Activists for the independence of the Western Sahara wave flags and banners reading "Sahara: Only Pace!" during an annual protest organised by the state coordinator of associations of solidarity with the Sahara in Madrid on November 11, 2016 marking the 4th anniversary of the tripartite Madrid agreements demonstrators deem illegal. - The Western Sahara is a territory bordered by Morocco and Algeria and disputed by Spain and Morocco who both claiming sovereignty. (Photo by GERARD JULIEN / AFP) (Photo by GERA

Analysis

One year on, Algeria-Spain blockade shows little sign of easing

Since Algeria imposed trade sanctions on Spain on June 8, 2022, both economies have lost out on billions of dollars in business.

In Bristol, reporting on regional business, climate change, AI, tech

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman meets with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro at Al-Salam Palace in Jeddah, June 5, 2023.

Analysis

Venezuela's Maduro visit to Saudi Arabia is another signal to US

Venezuela’s Minister of Foreign Relations Yvan Gil said Monday that cooperation projects in oil and gas, petrochemicals and infrastructure were addressed in Jeddah.

By Salim A. Essaid

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud.

Blinken heads to Saudi Arabia with Israel ties on agenda

Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s much-anticipated visit to the kingdom comes after years of strain over the price of oil and human rights.

Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro waves as he leaves Itamaraty Palace in Brasilia on May 30, 2023, after a summit with other South American leaders. Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is hosting his fellow South American leaders Tuesday for a "retreat" aimed at strengthening ties in a region where left-wing governments are newly back in style. (Photo by Sergio Lima / AFP) (Photo by SERGIO LIMA/AFP via Getty Images)

Why is Venezuela's Maduro visiting Saudi Arabia?

The Venezuelan president's visit to the kingdom is the first since 2015, on his way back from Turkey where he attended Recep Tayyip Erdogan's inauguration.

Israeli gas fields

Israel announces new natural gas field off its coast

The official announcement on the discovery of the Katlan-Orca natural gas field off Israel's coast paves the way for hydrocarbon exploration company Energian to seek development and exploitation permits.