Letter from the Middle East: Selling off the family silver
Auctioning minority stakes in NOCs’ assets may fill short-term budget holes, but they are no guarantee of long-term change
Gulf countries may appear to be reaching for the Thatcherite handbook in pursuing part-privatisations and attracting outside capital into their oil industries at a time of fiscal stringency and growing pressures for diversification. But, on a closer look, raising funds and driving limited organisational improvements have so far been more prominent than any deep transformation. Leading the way Abu Dhabi’s Adnoc has blazed the trail, selling over the past three years minority stakes in its refining subsidiary, drilling company and oil and gas pipeline networks, as well as raising a $3bn bond for its oil export pipeline. It has also formed joint ventures with international partners in fertilise
Also in this section
26 April 2024
While the US has been breaking records for its premium grade crude, there are doubts over whether you can have too much of a good thing
26 April 2024
Slowing demand growth and capacity expansions will squeeze refiners in coming years
25 April 2024
Some companies with assets in Israel have turned towards Egypt as tensions escalate, but others are holding firm despite rising tensions
24 April 2024
But even planned exploration activity is unlikely to reverse declining output from mature fields