Oil & Gas Algeria and Egypt lead Arab LNG export decline By Nadim Kawach February 5, 2025, 6:47 PM Alamy via Reuters Arab LNG exports declined last year, primarily due to Algerian facility maintenance and Egypt halting exports to meet domestic demand Total 2024 exports fell Algeria and Egypt slump Growth for Qatar and UAE Total Arab exports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) fell last year, led by drops in Algeria and Egypt. Algeria was doing maintenance work on gas facilities and Egypt was diverting gas to meet domestic summer demand. Arab exports of the gas declined by 3 percent from 112 million tonnes in 2023 to 108.6 million tonnes in 2024, the Kuwait-based Arab Energy Organization (AEO) said in a report, according to Egypt’s Al Ahram newspaper. By contrast with Algeria and Egypt, LNG output from Qatar – which controls the world’s largest standalone gas field – and the UAE rose. “The decline during 2024 was mainly caused by a slump in Algeria’s LNG exports due to maintenance work at its gas facilities,” said the AEO, which groups 10 Arab hydrocarbon producers. “It was also due to a halt in Egyptian exports following a decision by authorities to face peak demand in the summer.” Egypt seeks long-term LNG deals as energy demand soars Energy ambitions in Algeria go beyond oil and gas Temporary LNG fix masks Egypt’s energy crunch In press comments on Tuesday, Jamal Loughani, AEO secretary general, said that Arab producers accounted for 26 percent of the global trade in LNG last year. Global supply grew by only 1.6 percent, the lowest annual growth since 2020, he said. Worldwide LNG exports could grow by around 4 percent this year to nearly 427 million tonnes, with Arab states contributing to this increase, Loughani said. Late last year, the AEO said multi-billion-dollar projects under construction in Arab countries will boost their combined LNG production capacity by nearly 90 million tonnes per year to 228 million from about 138 million tonnes per year now. Qatar, which controls the world’s third-largest proven gas deposits after Russia and Iran, is leading the Arab charge on additional capacity, seeking to almost double it to 142 million tonnes per year by 2030 from 77 million tonnes per year now. Register now: It’s easy and free AGBI registered members can access even more of our unique analysis and perspective on business and economics in the Middle East. Why sign uP Exclusive weekly email from our editor-in-chief Personalised weekly emails for your preferred industry sectors Read and download our insight packed white papers Access to our mobile app Prioritised access to live events Register for free Already registered? Sign in I’ll register later
