Opinion Development Roxana Mohammadian-Molina: Signposts on Saudi’s road to 2030 For UK companies doing business in Saudi Arabia and the ones that want to join them, the next year is all about Vision 2030 December 23, 2022
Energy Oman seeks proposals for large-scale green hydrogen projects Hydrogen Oman SPC (Hydrom) has released the request for proposals (RFP) for the first round of its public auction process to award large-scale integrated green hydrogen projects to developers, state-run Oman News Agency reported. The country aims to award the first land blocks in 2023 to meet its 2030 production target of at least one […] December 21, 2022
Analysis Sustainability Green deals jump as Middle East returns to pre-Covid levels Mergers and acquisitions activity in the Middle East has returned to pre-pandemic levels, with green deals on the increase. A Boston Consulting Group analysis shows the Middle East recording 283 deals valued at $23.8 billion in the first three quarters of 2022, an increase of 16 percent compared to the same period last year. The […] December 19, 2022
Banking & Finance Saudi’s Neom signs agreements to fund green hydrogen project Neom Green Hydrogen Company (NGHC) has signed facility agreements with local, regional and international banks and completed a commitment letter with the Saudi Industrial Development Fund (SIDF) for the $5 billion green hydrogen production facility in the Neom mega project. The financing for the world’s largest green hydrogen production facility is structured with significant participation […] December 19, 2022
Economy China signed ‘$50bn of deals’ with Gulf nations in three days China signed investment deals worth an estimated $50 billion with Gulf nations during President Xi Jinping’s three-day visit to Saudi Arabia last week. The $50 billion figure was reported by Bloomberg, citing the Saudi investment minister Khalid Bin Abdulaziz Al Falih, but details of the agreements struck during the first Arab-China summit have not been […] December 12, 2022
Energy Aramco and Shandong to explore refining projects in China Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Aramco), the kingdom’s energy giant, and Shandong Energy Group are exploring collaboration on integrated refining and petrochemical opportunities in China. The companies have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) which includes a potential crude oil supply agreement and chemicals products offtake agreement, supporting Aramco’s role in building a thriving downstream sector […] December 11, 2022
Energy Morocco mulls hydrogen energy deal with Asia’s richest man Morocco is ramping up plans to become a major producer and exporter of green hydrogen, and the investment deals reportedly on the table include with Indian billionaire Gautam Adani. Named as Asia’s richest person, Adani is the chairman and founder of Adani Group, a multinational conglomerate with interests spanning the port development, industrial, logistics, and […] December 8, 2022
Analysis Energy Adnoc chasing global growth with latest venture Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc) is creating a dedicated unit for low carbon solutions and international business. It is an attempt to monetise the decarbonisation strategy mandated to it by its board and the wider UAE government. But the company must ensure that any future overseas work does not cannibalise that of the Abu […] December 7, 2022
Energy Oman’s OQ to study feasibility of producing green fuels Oman’s energy firm OQ has signed a memorandum of cooperation with shipping major AP Moller-Maersk, Japan’s Sumitomo Corporation and Muscat-based Asyad Group to study the feasibility of producing and supplying green fuels, state-owned Oman News Agency reported. The memorandum seeks to discuss the commercial and technical feasibility of producing and supplying green ammonia and green […] December 7, 2022
Energy Dubai firm plans $1.1bn clean energy investment in Egypt Dubai-based Amea Power announced on Wednesday that it has achieved a financial close to deliver 1 gigawatts (gw) of wind and solar energy projects in Egypt. The 500mw wind and 500mw solar projects, represent $1.1 billion of investment into the Egyptian economy and takes the company’s clean energy portfolio to 2gw in the country. Amea […] December 1, 2022
Manufacturing Omani firm to invest over $4bn to produce green steel Jindal Shadeed Iron & Steel, owner of a steel complex at Sohar Port, plans to invest over $4 billion in the production of green steel. The initiatives aim to establish an integrated steel plant – one of the largest plants in the GCC – in the special economic zone in Duqm, complete with renewable and […] December 1, 2022
Energy Morocco targets 30% drop in energy costs via renewables boost Morocco’s government has announced plans to reduce energy costs for factories by 20-30 percent through a combined strategy of investing in renewable energy and the decarbonisation of industries. “The government is working on delivering clean electricity to all manufacturers at a lower cost compared to what they are paying now,” Morocco’s minister of industry and […] November 29, 2022
Energy Saudi Arabia ships world’s first consignment of blue ammonia Saudi Arabia has shipped 50 kilometre-tonnes (kmt) of low-carbon blue ammonia to South Korea, representing a new landmark in the development of decarbonisation solutions. Vessel Seasurfer, carrying 25 kmt of certified low-carbon “cradle-to-gate” blue ammonia, is expected to reach its destination between December 9 and 13, marking the world’s first commercial shipment of its kind, […] November 29, 2022
Analysis Energy UK minister stresses commitment to GCC’s clean energy transition The UK is committed to remaining a “steadfast friend and partner” to Gulf countries as they continue to drive the clean energy transition and one of the most rapid economic transformations in history. British foreign secretary James Cleverly also hailed the development of “spectacular cities” rising from empty deserts in a speech at the Manama […] November 23, 2022
Opinion Aviation Fly the environment-friendly skies Middle East airlines have led the way in showing how Gulf economies can diversify. Now they have to become pioneers of net-zero aviation too November 21, 2022
Energy Oman begins work to develop geothermal energy resources US oilfield services firm SLB is collaborating with the Omani government to develop geothermal resources in the country. The Texan company is working with Oman’s Ministry of Energy and Minerals and its sovereign wealth fund, Oman Investment Authority. This follows the completion of an extensive project to evaluate data from more than 7,000 oil, gas […] November 17, 2022
Cop28 Finance challenges burden Egypt’s clean energy goals A week before Cop27 began, the governor of South Sinai, Khaled Fouda, declared Sharm el-Sheikh “the first environmentally friendly tourist city in the Middle East.” His announcement marked the conclusion of the five-month “Green Sharm El-Sheikh” project, which introduced hundreds of electric cars, hybrid and hydrogen buses, and numerous vehicle charging points to the city […] November 8, 2022
Energy Oman launches auction for first green hydrogen land blocks Oman’s national hydrogen company Hydrom has launched the first round of public auctions of land blocks for developing green hydrogen projects, the company said in a tweet. The country unveiled its green hydrogen strategy in October and has invited international investors and developers to register for bidding on the first of several land blocks, Oman […] November 7, 2022
Energy Adnoc’s new pilot scheme to address UAE’s carbon footprint Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc) chose this week’s Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conferences (Adipec) to announce a partnership with Siemens Energy to pilot blockchain technology to certify the carbon intensity of a range of products. By using smart sensor data gathered from across Adnoc’s operational chain – from the oil well to the customer […] November 2, 2022
Analysis Energy Aramco, Adnoc and the long road to decarbonisation As some of the world’s biggest carbon emitters, the Gulf’s national oil companies have come under considerable scrutiny in recent years. Several are now ramping up their decarbonisation efforts in response to the deepening climate crisis and tougher targets for environmental, social, and corporate governance. In October last year Saudi Aramco, the world’s largest oil-exporting […] October 28, 2022
Sustainability Aramco unveils $1.5bn sustainability fund Saudi Aramco has announced the creation of a $1.5 billion Sustainability Fund to invest in technology to support energy transition. Unveiled at the Future Investment Initiative currently taking place in Riyadh, Aramco said it is among the largest sustainability-focused venture capital funds globally. Managed by Aramco Ventures, its venture capital arm, the Sustainability Fund is […] October 26, 2022
Analysis Sustainability Revealed: Gulf climate targets – and the progress so far The economies of the Middle East differ greatly in size and diversity – partly because of the distribution of oil and gas resources. Their impact on the climate varies accordingly. Governments’ willingness and ability to tackle climate change also differs. Many oil-rich Gulf states are engaged in high-profile renewable energy projects, for example, yet their […] October 26, 2022
