Nasser Al-Sabah: Developing OPEC+ lays the foundation for a broader phase in Arab energy cooperation

The Deputy Minister of Oil, representing Kuwait at the Executive Board of the Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC), Sheikh Dr. Nimer Fahad Al-Malik Al-Sabah, stated 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 added value provided to member states.

In a statement issued by the ministry following participation in the 177th meeting of the organization’s Executive Board, held via video conferencing, 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 that expands the organization’s areas of work and tools through a more integrated system encompassing research, information, digital transformation, and strategic partnerships.

He emphasized that this project will strengthen OAPEC’s ability to keep pace with the rapid transformations witnessed by the energy industry and enhance the added value 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 explained that the development path goes beyond updating the corporate identity to building capacities and operational 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 further stated 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.

Al-Sabah said 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 affirmed that the next phase requires continued coordination among member states to translate development tracks into sustainable institutional outcomes and to 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.