Al-Roumi: Strengthening Gulf Integration to Support Energy Supply Security and Sustainability

Kuwait’s Minister of Oil, Tariq Al-Roumi, affirmed on Monday that Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states are committed to strengthening their cooperation and integrating their capabilities in the energy sector, thereby supporting supply security, enhancing 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 press release to the Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) that these remarks were made by Minister Al-Roumi while presiding over the Kuwaiti delegation at the 37th meeting of the Petroleum Cooperation Committee of the GCC, attended by the oil and energy ministers of the member states.

Al-Roumi emphasized that the geopolitical developments and tensions currently affecting the region underscore the growing importance of enhancing energy security and supply sustainability, reaffirming the necessity of continuously improving 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 disruptions, maintain continuity, and adapt to changing conditions.

He stressed that safeguarding supply chains, enhancing their readiness, and ensuring the sustainability of energy flows represent a shared Gulf priority that requires strengthened coordination and optimal utilization of available capacities among GCC member states, ensuring uninterrupted supplies and bolstering the ability of member states to meet their commitments to global markets under all circumstances.

Al-Roumi 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. He noted that preserving and building upon this status 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.

He underscored the importance of transitioning from coordinating efforts to integrating capabilities, and from aligning visions to implementing actionable, monitorable initiatives that safeguard the interests of GCC member states, enhance their energy security, and solidify their standing 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 the just and balanced transition, alongside cross-border European regulations and related trade issues, as well as the Energy Team’s 2027 action 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 the submitted resolutions and recommendations were approved, 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.