The Middle East also holds a significant role in global gas production
Shifting sands alter balance of power in Middle East
The region’s political situation and internal relationships are changing amid the growing influence of Russia and China
The Middle East can be divided into three categories of regional alliances: allies of Iran, allies of Saudi Arabia, and allies of Turkey. The allies of Iran consist of the Assad regime in Syria, Iraq’s federal government, Hamas and Islamic Jihad in Gaza, the Houthi rebels in Yemen and Hezbollah and the Amal Movement in Lebanon. All of these groups have been embroiled in internal crises, including territorial disintegration and political upheavals, as a result of regional competition. The allies of Saudi Arabia include the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)—excluding Qatar—as well as Egypt, Sudan and, to some extent, Jordan. Saudi Arabia also wields significant influence over Sun
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13 April 2026
Turkmenistan is moving ahead with a modest expansion of the giant Galkynysh field to sustain gas deliveries abroad, but persistent delays to other key pipeline projects and geopolitical risks continue to constrain its export ambitions
13 April 2026
Expensive electricity has forced out swathes of energy-intensive industry and now threatens the country’s ability to attract future investment in datacentres and the digital economy
13 April 2026
For GCC producers, the ceasefire may prove more destabilising than the war itself: exports remain constrained, and control over Hormuz has shifted in ways that could endure
9 April 2026
The April 2026 issue of Petroleum Economist is out now!
