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Kazakh Official Reveals Details of Water Summit Co-Chaired with Saudi Arabia, France

Kazakhstan’s First Vice Minister of Water Resources, Bekniyaz Bolat (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Kazakhstan’s First Vice Minister of Water Resources, Bekniyaz Bolat (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Kazakh Official Reveals Details of Water Summit Co-Chaired with Saudi Arabia, France

Kazakhstan’s First Vice Minister of Water Resources, Bekniyaz Bolat (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Kazakhstan’s First Vice Minister of Water Resources, Bekniyaz Bolat (Asharq Al-Awsat)

A Kazakh official has outlined plans for a trilateral summit to organize a global event under the “One Water Summit” initiative.

The summit, which will be chaired by Saudi Arabia, Kazakhstan, and France, and supported by the World Bank, aims to build alliances, make commitments on water resources, and find practical solutions to global water issues.

Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat, Kazakhstan’s First Vice Minister of Water Resources, Bekniyaz Bolat, said the summit is a key step toward the UN Water Conference in 2026.

The main goals of the summit include water sharing, expanding efforts to protect freshwater ecosystems, exploring innovative financial solutions, and minimizing water resource impact through measures like reducing water footprints and sharing information.

Bolat outlined seven key measures to address climate change, including developing strategies for adaptation, involving stakeholders like the private sector, and using new technologies. The plan also focuses on efficient water use in agriculture, water-saving irrigation, drought-resistant crops, and updating infrastructure.

Bolat stressed that the summit reflects Kazakhstan’s commitment to international cooperation, offering participants the chance to share knowledge and efforts on water management.

This collaboration will help introduce innovative techniques for measuring, managing, and using water, aiming to adapt to changing water cycles and preserve resources.

A key focus is investment in infrastructure, especially joint projects to modernize water systems. On November 12, 2024, Kazakhstan signed a $1.153 billion loan agreement with the Islamic Development Bank during the COP29 climate summit in Baku.

Strategic Cooperation with Saudi Arabia

Bolat also discussed opportunities for strategic cooperation between Saudi Arabia and Kazakhstan, particularly in environmental and natural resource management.

Both countries face climate change challenges, including water scarcity and desertification. Collaborative projects on restoring reservoirs, water-saving technologies, and anti-desertification efforts are seen as vital for strengthening ties.

He highlighted the potential for shared knowledge, with Saudi Arabia’s expertise in desalination and Kazakhstan’s projects like the Aral Sea restoration. Participation in global climate initiatives will further deepen this cooperation.

Adapting to Climate Change

Kazakhstan is actively working to adapt its water sector to climate change. Bolat emphasized the need for proactive measures to ease pressure on water resources.

In response to water shortages, Kazakhstan has focused on sustainable water management, including renewing reservoirs to store a record 75 billion cubic meters of water this year—15 billion more than last year. Over 12 billion cubic meters of this came from floodwaters.

He also mentioned ongoing work to modernize water infrastructure, which improves efficiency and ensures stable water supplies, even during droughts.

As a country reliant on transboundary rivers, Kazakhstan is committed to working with neighboring countries. Thanks to “water diplomacy,” it has secured sufficient water supplies for its southern regions, with water deliveries exceeding expectations.

Bolat concluded by emphasizing Kazakhstan's dedication to responsible water use, including implementing water-saving technologies, supporting farmers with modern irrigation methods, and promoting sustainable water practices among its citizens.

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Business

Iran Attacks Wipe Out 17% of Qatar’s LNG Capacity for Up to Five Years

QatarEnergy's CEO and state minister for energy affairs, Saad al-Kaabi (File/Reuters) 
QatarEnergy's CEO and state minister for energy affairs, Saad al-Kaabi (File/Reuters) 
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Iran Attacks Wipe Out 17% of Qatar’s LNG Capacity for Up to Five Years

QatarEnergy's CEO and state minister for energy affairs, Saad al-Kaabi (File/Reuters) 
QatarEnergy's CEO and state minister for energy affairs, Saad al-Kaabi (File/Reuters) 

Iranian attacks ‌have knocked out 17% of Qatar's liquefied natural gas (LNG) export capacity, causing an estimated $20 billion in lost annual revenue and threatening supplies to Europe and Asia, QatarEnergy's CEO and state minister for energy affairs told Reuters on Thursday.

Saad al-Kaabi said two of Qatar's 14 LNG trains and one of its two gas-to-liquids (GTL) facilities were damaged in the unprecedented strikes. The repairs will sideline 12.8 million tons per year of LNG for three to five years, he said in an interview.

“I never in my wildest dreams would have thought that Qatar would be - Qatar and the region - ⁠in such an attack, especially from a brotherly Muslim country in the month of Ramadan, attacking us in this way,” Kaabi said.

Hours earlier Iran had aimed a series of attacks at Gulf oil and gas facilities after Israeli attacks on its own gas infrastructure.

State-owned QatarEnergy will have to declare force majeure on long-term contracts for up to five years for LNG supplies bound for Italy, Belgium, South Korea, and China due to the two damaged trains, Kaabi said.

“I mean, these are long-term contracts that we have to declare force majeure. We already declared, but that was a shorter term. Now it's whatever the period is,” he said.

ExxonMobil Impact and Byproducts

QatarEnergy had declared force majeure on its entire output of LNG, after earlier attacks on its Ras Laffan production hub, which came under fire again on Wednesday.

“For production to restart, first we need hostilities to cease,” he said.

US oil major ExxonMobil is a partner in ‌the damaged ⁠LNG facilities, while Shell is a partner in the damaged GTL facility, which will take up to a year to repair.

Texas-based ExxonMobil holds a 34% stake in LNG train S4 and a 30% stake in train S6, Kaabi said.

Train S4 impacts supplies to Italy's Edison and EDFT in Belgium, while Train S6 impacts South Korea's KOGAS, EDFT and Shell in China.

The scale of the damage from the attacks has set the region back 10 to 20 years, he said.

“And of course, this is a safe ⁠haven for a lot of people, to have a safe place to stay and so on. And that image, I think, has been shaken.”

The fallout extends well beyond LNG. Qatar's exports of condensate will drop by around 24%, while liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) will fall 13%. Helium output will fall 14%, and naphtha and sulphur will both drop ⁠by 6%.

Those losses have implications ranging from LPG used in restaurants in India to South Korea's chipmakers which use helium.

The damaged units cost approximately $26 billion to build, Kaabi said.

No work is currently taking place on Qatar's massive North Field expansion project, which could be delayed for more than a year, he ⁠said.

“If Israel attacked Iran, it's between Iran and Israel. It has nothing to do with us and the region,” he said.

“And so now, in addition to that, I'm saying that everybody in the world, whether it's Israel, whether it's the US, whether it's any other country, everybody should stay away from oil and gas facilities.”

The Ras Laffan Industrial City covers an area of 295 sq. km, roughly one-third the size of New York City.

In addition to LNG processing, it also houses other gas-related facilities, including a gas-to-liquids plant, LNG storage facilities, condensate splitting units, and an oil refinery.

In 2025, the Ras Laffan LNG facility accounted for approximately 19% of global LNG exports, according to ship-tracking data compiled by Bloomberg.

Its shipments also represented more than a fifth of total gas consumption in India, Taiwan, and Pakistan, according to Energy Institute data.

 

 

Business

IMF Says it's Updating Assessment of US Economy to Reflect Impact of Iran War

An American Flag on the US Capitol Building is seen in Washington, US, August 31, 2023. REUTERS/Kevin Wurm/File Photo
An American Flag on the US Capitol Building is seen in Washington, US, August 31, 2023. REUTERS/Kevin Wurm/File Photo
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IMF Says it's Updating Assessment of US Economy to Reflect Impact of Iran War

An American Flag on the US Capitol Building is seen in Washington, US, August 31, 2023. REUTERS/Kevin Wurm/File Photo
An American Flag on the US Capitol Building is seen in Washington, US, August 31, 2023. REUTERS/Kevin Wurm/File Photo

The International Monetary Fund on Thursday said it is updating a recently completed review of the US economy to reflect the impact of the Iran war, Reuters reported.

IMF spokeswoman Julie Kozack said the updated assessment would be considered by the IMF's board in coming weeks and then published.

Business

Czech Central Bank Keeping Options open as Iran War Clouds Rate Prospects

People leave the Czech National Bank building in central Prague December 9, 2011. REUTERS/Petr Josek/File Photo
People leave the Czech National Bank building in central Prague December 9, 2011. REUTERS/Petr Josek/File Photo
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Czech Central Bank Keeping Options open as Iran War Clouds Rate Prospects

People leave the Czech National Bank building in central Prague December 9, 2011. REUTERS/Petr Josek/File Photo
People leave the Czech National Bank building in central Prague December 9, 2011. REUTERS/Petr Josek/File Photo

The Czech National Bank (CNB) held interest rates steady as expected on Thursday and said it was keeping options open as it monitors the economic fallout from the conflict in the Middle East.

Since the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran on February 28, oil prices have jumped above $100 a barrel, raising global risks of higher inflation and an economic hit.

Czech central bank policymakers voted unanimously to keep the main rate steady at 3.50% on Thursday, in line with forecasts from all 17 analysts in a Reuters poll last week.

The poll's median forecast saw interest rates remaining on hold for the rest of the year, although money markets have priced in chances of a hike. Governor Ales Michl said after the decision that the conditions for fighting inflation are now better than during the previous energy and inflation shock following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, as policy is now tighter and rates are higher than inflation.

He added that inflation expectations remain anchored, and it was important to keep them low.

"We are acting restrictively in the economy," he said. "On the other hand, we are monitoring the situation, we are keeping all options open."

The Czech crown was a touch weaker after the bank's decision but largely steady on the day, at 24.49 to the euro, and around its lowest levels since September after this month's declines.

INFLATION STILL SEEN STAYING LOW

The central bank had discussed a possible rate cut at its last meeting in February, before the Iran war. It last cut rates in May 2025 as part of a 350-basis-point easing cycle.

Inflation in the Czech Republic has fallen below the bank's 2% target, hitting a headline rate of 1.4% year-on-year in February with help from a government measure to ease energy bills. That provides a cushion to potential shock from higher oil prices, and Michl said inflation should stay below 2% this year, according to updated forecasts partly incorporating higher oil prices, even though core inflation should remain elevated in the quarters ahead.

The central bank will be looking at the secondary impacts of a higher oil price to see if it soaks through to other segments.