Letter from the Middle East: Green shoots of recovery
There are many reasons to be cheerful across the Mena oil and gas patch
The hard times of 2020 are behind many oil and gas companies in the Mena region, with exploration increasing and projects stalled by the impact of Covid-19 regaining momentum. In a further sign of recovery, nearly $60bn in upstream opportunities is set to come to market this year. Saudi Arabia has consolidated its position as the world’s largest oil exporter, and the normalisation of ties with Qatar and its Gulf Cooperation Council neighbours has led to further economic growth in the Kingdom. As easing Opec+ cuts take effect, Saudi Aramco looks set to embark on a revamped strategy to increase gas production and commit to further gas-to-power projects in order to free up more oil for export.

Also in this section
1 May 2025
The NOC’s dire financial situation and maturing fields has left the authorities with little choice but to reduce crude expectations
30 April 2025
With a new board appointed to lead NNPC and moves by President Tinubu to exert control in the Delta region, there is renewed hope the country will be able to turn the corner and rebuild production to former peaks
30 April 2025
While economic weakness and the electric vehicles trend have hit oil demand growth, petrochemicals and jet fuel show more nuanced changes across the barrel
30 April 2025
The company will use methane-rich gas produced from local coal to temporarily replace lost supplies from Mozambique