Abdulkarim al-Ghamdi, EVP gas at Saudi Aramco, speaking at the Middle East Gas Conference in December
Letter from Dubai: Unsung hero gas finds its voice
No longer can the energy source be considered a sidekick to oil in the Middle East and neither should it step aside for less convincing alternatives
The IEA’s declaration of a golden age of gas in 2012 was predicated on the rise of US shale. The Paris-based organisation’s more recent proclamations that suggest this age is now ending, ushering in a new era of electricity, are also very Western-focused. For the Middle East, it is hard to separate electrons from gas molecules and, if anything, a ‘golden age of Middle East gas’ is only just beginning. The statistics make a pretty compelling case. Gas accounts for around 75% of electricity generation across the region, and it will comprise more than four-fifths of the power mix by the end of the decade. Meanwhile oil, which makes up some 20% of electricity use, is set to see its share fall to
Also in this section
19 January 2026
Newfound optimism is emerging that a dormant exploration frontier could become a strategic energy play and—whisper it quietly—Europe’s next offshore opportunity
16 January 2026
The country’s global energy importance and domestic political fate are interlocked, highlighting its outsized oil and gas powers, and the heightened fallout risk
16 January 2026
The global maritime oil transport sector enters 2026 facing a rare convergence of crude oversupply, record newbuild deliveries and the potential easing of several geopolitical disruptions that have shaped trade flows since 2022
15 January 2026
Rebuilding industry, energy dominance and lower energy costs are key goals that remain at odds in 2026
