Kuwait and Oman hope for peace dividend
More cordial Saudi-Qatar relations raise hopes for economic and energy investment progress in other GCC allies. But serious challenges remain
The new leaders of Kuwait and Oman were among the most relieved when Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman embraced Sheikh Tamim of Qatar on the latter’s arrival for the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) summit in Saudi Arabia in early January. But any optimism the two men might have that a new era of GCC cooperation could help supercharge their economies and energy sectors is tempered by significant domestic challenges. Sheikh Nawaf al-Ahmad al-Sabah became emir of Kuwait in September last year, nine months after Haitham bin Tariq al-Said was named sultan of Oman. Both are well aware that minimising regional feuds is essential if GCC states are to cope with the political, economic and health
Also in this section
10 March 2026
Eni’s director for global gas and LNG portfolio, Cristian Signoretto, discusses how demand will respond to rising LNG supply, and how the company is expanding its own gas and LNG operations through disciplined, capital-efficient investments
9 March 2026
Petroleum Economist analysis sees increases in output from Saudi Arabia, Venezuela and Kazakhstan among others before region’s murky descent
9 March 2026
Energy sanctions are becoming an increasingly prominent tool of US foreign policy, with the country’s growth in oil and gas production allowing it to impose pressure on rivals without jeopardising its own energy security or that of its allies, argues Matthew McManus, a visiting fellow at the National Center for Energy Analytics
6 March 2026
The March 2026 issue of Petroleum Economist is out now!
