Kuwaiti Lawmakers Stress Preserving National Wealth, Sovereignty over Durra Field

Members of the Foreign Affairs Committee in the Kuwaiti National Assembly (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Members of the Foreign Affairs Committee in the Kuwaiti National Assembly (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Kuwaiti Lawmakers Stress Preserving National Wealth, Sovereignty over Durra Field

Members of the Foreign Affairs Committee in the Kuwaiti National Assembly (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Members of the Foreign Affairs Committee in the Kuwaiti National Assembly (Asharq Al-Awsat)

The issue surrounding Kuwait’s “Durra” offshore gas field received significant attention and reaction on Tuesday. Iran had stirred concerns by stating that it has “full preparedness to commence drilling” in this field, which Tehran refers to as “Arash.”

Kuwait firmly asserts that the Durra gas field is a “Kuwaiti-Saudi natural wealth,” and no other party has any rights to it until the maritime boundaries are definitively settled.

This was reiterated by Oil Minister Saad Al Barrak, who emphasized that his country rejects outright the Iranian claims and actions intended to take place in the Arab Gulf regarding Durra.

Barrak said his country “categorically and totally” rejected Iranian procedures and claims on the Durra offshore gas field in the neutral zone connecting Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.

Only Kuwait and Saudi Arabia own “exclusive rights” to the field, the minister said in a statement.

Kuwaiti lawmakers on Tuesday also rejected statements by Iran that it intends to start exploration at the gas field, reiterating that it is located in Kuwait’s territorial waters. They demanded the National Assembly’s foreign relations committee to review the issue.

The motion signed by six legislators said the Iranian statements were tainted with “greed and the desire to capture Kuwaiti resources” by ignoring Kuwait’s sovereignty and its historical, legal, and international rights in its natural wealth.

The lawmakers demanded the foreign relations committee to review measures taken by the ministries of foreign affairs, defense, interior and oil and any other government body to safeguard Kuwait’s national interests and its rights in the Durra field.

Osama Al-Shaheen, a Kuwaiti lawmaker, also separately demanded the committee to debate the issue immediately.

He said Iran has made some “rejected” claims and announcements on the Durra field, which is exclusive Kuwaiti territory with economic rights for both Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.



US Secretary of Energy Visits Saudi Arabia’s KAUST 

US Secretary of Energy Chris Wright and Minister of Energy and Chairman of KAUST’s Board of Trustees Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman bin Abdulaziz during the visit to KAUST. (SPA)
US Secretary of Energy Chris Wright and Minister of Energy and Chairman of KAUST’s Board of Trustees Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman bin Abdulaziz during the visit to KAUST. (SPA)
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US Secretary of Energy Visits Saudi Arabia’s KAUST 

US Secretary of Energy Chris Wright and Minister of Energy and Chairman of KAUST’s Board of Trustees Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman bin Abdulaziz during the visit to KAUST. (SPA)
US Secretary of Energy Chris Wright and Minister of Energy and Chairman of KAUST’s Board of Trustees Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman bin Abdulaziz during the visit to KAUST. (SPA)

US Secretary of Energy Chris Wright visited Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), where he was received by Minister of Energy and Chairman of KAUST’s Board of Trustees Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, University President Edward Byrne, and senior officials, reported the Saudi Press Agency on Wednesday.

The delegation was briefed on KAUST’s research and innovation programs, its role in advancing a knowledge-based economy and addressing global challenges through science and technology, and key research projects and emerging technologies across multiple sectors, with particular focus on its contributions to Saudi Arabia’s energy sector and support for relevant national and global goals.

Under its “Accelerating Impact” strategy, KAUST aims to boost its position as a global innovation hub by advancing scientific research, fostering entrepreneurship, and building partnerships — including ongoing collaboration with international bodies such as the US Department of Energy — aimed at achieving sustainable progress in the fields of energy and science at both the national and global levels.

Wright’s visit to KAUST came during a four-day trip to Saudi Arabia aimed at exploring opportunities to deepen bilateral cooperation across various areas of the energy sector.