Plain sailing for Gulf offshore
Saudi Arabia and the UAE are pressing on with offshore drilling activity despite the slump
OFFSHORE rig activity in the Gulf is standing up surprisingly well to the stiffening breeze of austerity from a sustained period of low global oil prices. Saudi Arabia and the UAE in particular continue to offer opportunities for service companies that are fast vanishing in other corners of the globe. Saudi oil minister Ali Al-Naimi insists that while the kingdom is being forced to take a range of cost-cutting measures, energy-sector development plans will continue. It is understandable, he said in October 2015, that “when prices fall, companies and governments reduce expenditure. But sustained and steady investment is important for an industry with such long-term horizons.” His business-as-
Also in this section
24 December 2025
As activity in the US Gulf has stagnated at a lower level, the government is taking steps to encourage fresh exploration and bolster field development work
23 December 2025
The new government has brought stability and security to the country, with the door now open to international investment
23 December 2025
A third wave of LNG supply is coming, and with it a likely oversupply of the fuel by 2028
22 December 2025
Weakening climate resolve in the developed world and rapidly growing demand in developing countries means peak oil is still a long way away
