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Israeli gas deliveries boost Egypt’s LNG ambitions on 21 January 2020 at 15:01 pm - Israeli gas deliveries will boost Egypt’s LNG ambitions, but East Med gas export plans face an uphill battle Emily Stromquist | Director of Energy| e.stromquist@castlereagh.net »
Iranian missile strikes on US bases on 08 January 2020 at 14:01 pm - What the attack achieved and what comes next – Tehran’s view Daniel Moshashai | Regional Analyst – Geopolitics and Infrastructure | d.moshashai@castlereagh.net »
Aftermath of Soleimani killing: what should the world expect? on 06 January 2020 at 14:01 pm - An Iranian response to the Jan 3 assassination of Soleimani is all but inevitable, but the potential targets are numerous and geographically diverse with possible ripple effects across the Middle… »
Another government resigns in Kuwait on 15 November 2019 at 10:11 am - Political disputes narrow the scope for meaningful reforms Daniel Moshashai | Regional Analyst – Geopolitics and Infrastructure | d.moshashai@castlereagh.net »
Iran drawing closer to isolation on world stage on 13 November 2019 at 13:11 pm - International tension rises over Iran’s nuclear programme, but regional thaw in Iran-GCC relations is possible Daniel Moshashai | Regional Analyst – Geopolitics and Infrastructure | d.moshashai@castlereagh.net »
EDGE Group and the future of Emirati defence on 13 November 2019 at 12:11 pm - UAE defence plans will require large-scale reform Daniel Moshashai | Regional Analyst – Geopolitics and Infrastructure | d.moshashai@castlereagh.net »

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Managing COVID-19: China, OPEC and the energy markets 28 February 2020 - The coronavirus epidemic has put Asian oil and gas demand growth back in the spotlight – this time as a spoiler not the savior it has been in the last three decades. That period had its scares – the Asian… »
Green Morocco: Opportunities in agriculture 25 February 2020 - Morocco has been very successful at enhancing agricultural processing activities through its Plan Maroc Vert, or Green Morocco Plan. The sector has become more attractive for international investments, but issues related to climate change and land fragmentation remain challenges to… »
The complexities of education reform in Saudi Arabia 21 February 2020 - Faced with an ever-expanding education budget and disappointing results, the Saudi government continues to pursue education reform to better align workers’ skills with the needs of employers. Most new initiatives focus on giving universities the freedom – and students the… »
Hotel oversupply makes UAE great for visitors, tough for owners 18 February 2020 - A recent swathe of new hotel openings in Dubai and Abu Dhabi has ramped up the pressure on owners and investors. The negative effects of oversupply are also being exacerbated by events abroad. These include the entry of Saudi Arabia… »
Tapping into Central Europe’s LNG boom 14 February 2020 - Liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports have made a clear and positive impact on Central and Eastern Europe, improving energy security, lowering prices and decreasing Russian geopolitical leverage. The EU and US are backing billions of dollars of further investment from… »
Israel and GCC: United on Iran 11 February 2020 - Relations between the Gulf states and Israel are shaped by two opposing forces. One is encouraging deeper political and economic ties and cooperation on regional security matters; the other is working to prevent this from happening so that neither can… »

Managing COVID-19: China, OPEC and the energy markets

The coronavirus epidemic has put Asian oil and gas demand growth back in the spotlight – this time as a spoiler not the savior it has been in the last three decades. That period had its scares – the Asian financial crisis of 1997-98 and the global financial crisis of 2008-09 – but Asian demand could generally be relied upon to buoy growth and bounce back quickly after crises. In the wake of COVID-19, forecasts of an economic rebound in China by mid-year may be correct, but certain structural factors could alter the longer-term trajectory of demand growth. For OPEC and the oil markets, the conditions make for an uncertain 2020.

Green Morocco: Opportunities in agriculture

Morocco has been very successful at enhancing agricultural processing activities through its Plan Maroc Vert, or Green Morocco Plan. The sector has become more attractive for international investments, but issues related to climate change and land fragmentation remain challenges to faster sector growth

Tapping into Central Europe’s LNG boom

Liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports have made a clear and positive impact on Central and Eastern Europe, improving energy security, lowering prices and decreasing Russian geopolitical leverage. The EU and US are backing billions of dollars of further investment from the Baltic to the Aegean, and MENA suppliers are expected to capitalise on the resulting expansion in capacity. However, there are still bottlenecks in infrastructure development and the outlook for the European gas market is uncertain. The global LNG glut has coincided with price and supply competition from Russia and Azerbaijan. Ironically, LNG exporters may be victims of their own success.

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