Diverse East Mediterranean outlook
Egypt will enjoy a gas boom, while Cyprus and Israel struggle to find export markets
During 2017, Egypt adopted an energy sector reform programme, including the liberalisation of the gas industry, and subsidy reductions. These reforms have already benefited the energy sector. Gas production increased, with the giant Zohr gasfield (reserves of 0.85 trillion cubic metres) due on stream in December, helping reduce liquefied natural gas imports by 30%. The first phase of Zohr will be completed during the first half of 2018, adding over 10bn cm a year to the Egyptian gas grid, rising to about 28bn cm/y by 2019. With smaller gasfields also being developed over the same period, Egypt expects to become self-sufficient in gas by the end of 2018, allowing it to phase out LNG imports a
Also in this section
8 January 2026
Indonesia and Malaysia are at the dawn of breathtaking digital capabilities. Their energy infrastructure must keep up with their ambitions
8 January 2026
The next five years will be critical for the North Sea, and it will be policy not geology that will decide the basin’s future
8 January 2026
The region’s access to versatile feedstock, combined with policy support, is setting it up to meet growing demand both at home and abroad
7 January 2026
No longer can the energy source be considered a sidekick to oil in the Middle East and neither should it step aside for less convincing alternatives






