Oxford Energy Podcast – The Middle East and the Geopolitics of the Energy Transition

How are the Middle East oil and gas exporters dealing with the forces shaping the energy transition? Will the hydrocarbon sector continue to play a key role in the economies of the Middle East? Will oil and gas exporters struggle or thrive in a carbon-constrained world?

In this podcast, Bassam Fattouh and Ahmed Mehdi tackle these questions and offer a contrarian perspective on the pathways ahead for Middle East oil and gas exporters. They provide a snapshot into the adaptation strategies being deployed by the various Middle East hydrocarbon producers and the challenges and opportunities ahead. Both Fattouh and Mehdi argue that hydrocarbons will remain a core competitive advantage of Middle East oil and gas exporters’ economies and a critical tool for adapting to the challenges faced by the energy transition. Technological deployment, the falling costs of renewables and the growing role of gas in the global energy system provide opportunities to capture cost efficiencies, reduce emissions and build resilience. The policies and decision-making of Middle East exporters will not only have implications for oil and gas markets going forward, but for the pathway of the energy transition itself.

By: OIES