Gulf gas: clouds of confusion
Individual GCC states have settled on convoluted ways of distributing natural gas due to a lack of cooperation
The states bordering the Gulf are caught in a cat's cradle of geopolitical complexity. This is as much the case within the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) as it is between certain GCC states and Iran. The muddle is clearly illustrated by the minimal progress among the region's governments towards coordinating the development of natural gas resources and gas distribution. At the launch of The Future of Gas in the Gulf in London at the end of June, editor Jonathan Stern said political relations are a problem: "They have worsened in the 2010s, and this accounts for increased interest in LNG imports rather than the expansion of regional pipeline cooperation." At the same time, according to Ster
Also in this section
10 November 2025
The Russian firm made a significant attempt to expand overseas over the past two decades but is now trying to divest its global operations
10 November 2025
OPEC+ has proven to be astute at bringing back oil production, but mysteries around Chinese buying, missing barrels and oil-on-water have left the group in wait-and-see mode
7 November 2025
The Russian company’s German assets are under Berlin’s management and are exempt from sanctions, for now, but a permanent solution still needs to be found
6 November 2025
After years of pursuing ideologically driven climate leadership, Western powers are now stepping back under mounting political pressure and rising populist opposition—prompting concern essential climate action could be sidelined
