Oil Minister emphasizes importance of enhancing Gulf integration to support energy supply security and sustainability from Manama
Kuwait’s Minister of Oil, Tariq Al-Roumi, affirmed on Monday that the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries are proceeding to enhance their cooperation and integrate their capabilities in the energy sector, thereby supporting supply security, boosting readiness to address regional and international developments, and consolidating their pivotal and reliable role in global energy markets.
The Ministry of Oil stated in a statement to the Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) that this came in a remark made by Minister Al-Roumi while chairing the Kuwaiti delegation at the 37th meeting of the Petroleum Cooperation Committee of the GCC, attended by the ministers responsible for oil and energy from the member states.
Al-Roumi emphasized that the geopolitical developments and tensions witnessed in the region underscore the growing importance of strengthening energy security and supply sustainability, reaffirming the necessity of continuously enhancing the readiness and resilience of the Gulf energy system to handle exceptional circumstances.
He noted that the reliability of energy flows depends not only on production capacity but also on the ability of the entire supply chain—from production, refining, and storage to transportation, infrastructure, and supply chains—to withstand shocks, continue operations, and adapt.
He stressed that safeguarding supply chains, enhancing their readiness, and ensuring the sustainability of flows represent a shared Gulf priority that calls for strengthened coordination and optimal utilization of available capacities among GCC member states, ensuring uninterrupted supplies and enhancing the ability of member states to meet their commitments to markets under all circumstances.
He also pointed out that GCC countries have established a pivotal position in global energy markets due to their resources, production and refining capacities, infrastructure, investments, and accumulated expertise, noting that preserving and building upon this position requires deepening integration among Gulf energy sectors, coordinating positions on regional and international issues, and translating shared visions into more effective and impactful action plans.
Al-Roumi stressed the importance of transitioning from coordinating efforts to integrating capabilities, and from aligning visions to implementing practical, actionable, and monitorable initiatives that safeguard the interests of GCC member states, enhance their energy security, and consolidate their status as a reliable and influential partner in global energy system security.
The meeting discussed several files related to the future of Gulf cooperation in the energy sector, foremost among them the outcomes of the study on external storage of oil and gas within the proposal to establish Gulf strategic storage zones, the regional emergency plan for petroleum products, energy security, and just and balanced transition, alongside cross-border European regulations and measures, trade issues related to the energy sector, and the Energy Team’s 2027 work plan.
The meeting also addressed the energy strategy and the energy communications strategy, along with their implementation mechanisms, and several programs and initiatives aimed at developing areas of joint Gulf work and keeping pace with the rapid transformations occurring in the energy sector regionally and internationally.
The ministers discussed all agenda items and approved the items and recommendations submitted thereon, supporting the implementation and follow-up of joint Gulf action plans in the oil and energy sectors, and enhancing coordination and integration among GCC member states in the coming period.
The Kuwaiti delegation participating in the meeting included the delegation head, Minister Al-Roumi; Deputy Minister of Oil Sheikh Dr. Nimer Al-Malki Al-Sabah; Director of Public Relations and Petroleum Media Management Sheikh Tamadur Khalid Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah; Director of Planning and International Relations at the Ministry of Oil, Omar Al-Wasmi; and Head of the Chairman of the Board Office Affairs Team at Kuwait Petroleum Corporation, Nasser Al-Namshan.
