Deputy Minister of Oil: OPEC+ Development Paves Way for Broader Arab Energy Cooperation

Sheikh Dr. Namar Fahad Al-Malki Al-Sabah, Deputy Minister of Oil and representative of Kuwait at the Executive Board of the Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC), affirmed that the development of OAPEC lays the foundation for a broader phase of Arab energy cooperation and contributes to enhancing the organization’s capacity to keep pace with energy transitions and increase the value added provided to member states.

This statement came in a press release from the Ministry of Oil on Thursday, following the ministry’s participation in the 177th meeting of the organization’s Executive Board, held via video conferencing technology to review the organization’s activities and future prospects.

Sheikh Namar Al-Sabah clarified that the meeting reviewed the latest developments regarding the implementation of the second phase of OAPEC’s development and restructuring project. He noted that this project establishes a new phase in which the organization’s scope of work and tools expand through a more integrated system encompassing research, information, digital transformation, and strategic partnerships.

He explained that this project will enhance OAPEC’s ability to keep pace with the rapid transformations witnessed by the energy industry and increase the value added it provides to member states.

He added that the second phase of the project moves the restructuring process into a broader executive framework based on several strategic initiatives and parallel tracks to develop research, media, corporate communications, the digital system, and partnerships.

He clarified that the development path goes beyond updating the corporate identity to building capacities and work tools commensurate with the expanding concept of energy and the interconnection of its economic, technical, and technological dimensions, with a focus on converting approved initiatives into executable programs and projects within clear and sustainable institutional frameworks.

He added that Kuwait, as the host country of the organization, views this phase as an opportunity to build on OAPEC’s extensive experience and expand its contribution to the Arab energy system while safeguarding the common interests of member states and developing communication and cooperation channels with specialized regional and international institutions.

He highlighted the importance of expanding the organization’s network of relations with specialized regional and international institutions, noting that the meeting addressed Kuwait’s proposal to explore areas and opportunities for cooperation with the International Energy Forum and the World Energy Council, thereby opening additional avenues for knowledge and expertise exchange and building partnerships that serve the organization’s objectives and the interests of member states. The Executive Board recommended building on the results of the study prepared regarding partnerships and proceeding to explore the cooperation opportunities proposed by Kuwait.

Sheikh Namar Al-Sabah stated that digital transformation constitutes one of the practical pillars of the upcoming phase, given projects aimed at developing the technical infrastructure, the website, and the digital library, transforming them into an Arab knowledge center in the field of energy, alongside electronic archiving and document management, while ensuring information security, data protection, system sustainability, and knowledge transfer.

He emphasized that the next phase requires continued coordination among member states to translate development tracks into sustainable institutional outcomes and build more effective tools for research, knowledge, and cooperation, thereby enhancing the organization’s contribution to serving the Arab energy sector and keeping pace with rapid changes on the international stage.