Kuwait Hosts GCC Energy Workshop

Arab Times

4 days ago

KUWAIT CITY, July 2: A high-level Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) workshop on protecting the infrastructure of the oil and gas sector and crisis management kicked off Tuesday, at the Ahmad Al-Jaber Oil and Gas Exhibition in Ahmadi, Kuwait. The three-day event is jointly organized by the United Nations Office of Counterterrorism, Kuwait Oil Company (KOC), and the GCC Emergency Management Center. During the workshop, GCC Secretary General Jassem Al-Budaiwi said in a recorded speech that GCC energy supplies represent a fundamental pillar of global supply, concurrently noting that the Gulf states are working to implement ambitious development plans, which in turn would lead to an increase in local energy demand. The GCC chief said that the developing world is witnessing rapid progress and a growing demand for energy, noting that the Asia-Pacific region is expected to account for 50 percent of the global GDP by 2040, making it one of the fastest-growing regions in the world. GCC faces three main challenges; adapting to the global energy transition, meeting increasing domestic demand, and ensuring the security and stability of the global energy market, he pointed out.
The security and safety of energy assets in the Gulf region are fundamental to the global market, as ongoing developments and conflicts in the region indicated that any future events in the Middle East could directly impact three out of the world's seven strategic maritime chokepoints: the Strait of Hormuz, the Bab al-Mandab Strait, and the Suez Canal, Al-Budaiwi stressed. The current conflicts not only threaten global supply chains, Al-Budaiwi emphasized, but also affect national and cross-border development projects such as connectivity initiatives between the European Union and the Middle East, which rely on safe passage through the Levant and the Mediterranean Sea. In a similar recorded statement, United Nations Undersecretary General for Counter-Terrorism Vladimir Voronkov emphasized that the meeting takes place amid a period of escalating global security threats. He highlighted that UN General Assembly Resolution 77/298 unequivocally condemns terrorist attacks targeting energy infrastructure and underscores the need for strengthened cooperation among governments, international organizations, and the private sector.
Voronkov further noted that the Security Council has introduced a technical guide for the protection of critical energy infrastructure from terrorist threats, developed with the support of the Russia and Turkmenistan. He underscored that the guide is the product of in-depth research, broad international consultations, and the collective expertise of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Coordination Compact, in collaboration with the Working Group on Emerging Threats and Infrastructure Protection.
In her remarks at the workshop, UN Resident Coordinator in Kuwait Ghada Al-Tahir emphasized that this meeting offers a key opportunity to promote best practices, share expertise, and highlight the Gulf countries' progress in building comprehensive security frameworks regionally and nationally. Al-Tahir highlighted that, for decades, the Gulf states have served as a cornerstone of global energy security and sustainable development, being home to vast reserves of oil and natural gas and playing a vital role in ensuring stable energy supplies worldwide. She reaffirmed the UN's role, especially the Kuwait office, in supporting shared security goals, expressing confidence that the meeting would yield practical, impactful results.
Dr. Rashid Al-Marri, Head of the GCC Emergency Management Center, emphasized that the meeting offers a vital platform to boost cooperation to protect oil and gas infrastructure; key pillars of Gulf economies and global energy stability. He highlighted the need for greater readiness amid growing threats, including terrorism, cyberattacks, and geopolitical tensions. He noted the center's role in coordinating crisis response among member states, developing a regional emergency plan covering 13 types of risks, and working closely with the UN Office of Counterterrorism on training and capacity-building. On his part, KOC's Assistant CEO, Musaed Al-Rasheed, stressed the importance of strengthening regional and international partnerships to secure maritime routes and energy supplies, especially as the industry faces complex geopolitical, industrial, and natural threats.(KUNA)