Russia offers Middle East a card in US game
Opec+ cut agreement suggests Moscow’s Middle Eastern stock remains high
A growing rift between the US and Saudi Arabia appears to be precipitating a wider political shift in the Middle East. Counter-intuitively, Russia’s clout as a possible power broker and a sought-after partner is growing, even after a disastrous military campaign in Ukraine that has exposed major shortcomings in its military and left Moscow more isolated than ever elsewhere across the globe. Analysts and Gulf officials admit that the Opec+ supply cut of 2mn bl/d, announced in early October, is mostly symbolic due to existing underproduction. Yet its political repercussions, with agreement between former energy export rivals Russia and Saudi Arabia continuing to hold firm—and jointly thumbing

Also in this section
30 November 2023
The region’s rapidly evolving infrastructure has a lot to be commended for, but some of the capacity may not be ready in time for next year’s heating season
30 November 2023
Burgeoning middle class and long-term growth from a low base at odds with energy transition efforts
28 November 2023
Countries such as Pakistan will require fossil fuels for a long time to come, requiring a reframing of the narrative around the energy transition
28 November 2023
Rising LNG demand and supply risks are outpacing shipping logistics amid Panama and newbuild challenges