Egypt’s Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Karim Badawi unveiled on Sunday five Egyptian initiatives aimed at strengthening Arab energy security during the annual ministerial meeting of the Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC) in Kuwait.
The proposals include drafting an Arab Energy Interconnection Map for 2030 to identify priority projects in pipelines, reception terminals, crude oil transport and liquefied natural gas (LNG), he said.
He also called for establishing an Arab mechanism to coordinate emergency purchases of crude oil and LNG, including the exchange of cargoes when needed.
The minister stressed the importance of expanding cross-border energy storage to capitalize on the Arab world’s strategic depth amid geopolitical disruptions, supply-chain challenges, and rising shipping and insurance costs.
He further proposed launching a digital platform for member states to showcase investment opportunities across exploration and production, refining, petrochemicals, storage, trading, transportation, and new and renewable energy.
In addition, he suggested developing a unified Arab program for technical exchange and capacity building in operations, maintenance and environmental governance.
Badawi noted that Egypt has succeeded this year in stabilizing its domestic energy market by resuming exploration, development and production activities, following a package of investment incentives.
These measures have boosted investment inflows, particularly Arab capital. Egypt, he said, is targeting an ambitious program to increase discoveries and output, including drilling around 480 new wells over the next five years.
“The future of Arab energy can only be built through integrated efforts, unified visions and turning challenges into opportunities,” Badawi said, reaffirming Egypt’s commitment to joint Arab action.
Badawi headed Egypt’s delegation to the meeting, chaired by Dr. Tariq Sulaiman Al-Rumi, Kuwait’s Minister of Oil, and attended by Jamal Issa Al-Loughani, OAPEC Secretary General, along with ministers from member states.
The council’s final communique praised steps to restructure the organization and approve amendments paving the way for its new identity as the Arab Energy Organization, and commended members’ efforts on the Middle East Green Initiative and the circular carbon economy.
On the sidelines, Badawi held talks with Saad bin Sherida Al Kaabi, Qatar’s Minister of State for Energy Affairs and President and CEO of QatarEnergy, focusing on expanding cooperation, increasing opportunities for Egyptian firms in Qatari energy and petrochemical projects, reviewing QatarEnergy’s investments in Egypt, and exploring partnerships in gas, LNG, energy transition and environmental sustainability.
