Qatar's Energy Future and the EU Sustainability Showdown

Qatar's Energy Minister, Saad al-Kaabi, expressed hope that the EU would address concerns over its sustainability laws by December. Qatar is at odds with the EU's Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive, threatening gas supply disruption. Al-Kaabi forecasted strong global gas demand driven by AI and highlighted major LNG projects and pricing insights.

Qatar's Energy Minister Saad al-Kaabi expressed optimism on Saturday about the European Union addressing concerns surrounding its sustainability laws by the end of December.

Qatar has expressed dissatisfaction with the EU's Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD), threatening to halt gas supplies as the directive could impose fines of up to 5% of global revenue. Minister al-Kaabi has repeatedly asserted Qatar's challenges in achieving net-zero emission targets.

Al-Kaabi cited the burgeoning energy demands of artificial intelligence and projected that global LNG demand could reach between 600 and 700 million tonnes per annum by 2035. Speaking at the Doha Forum, he emphasized the pivotal role of AI energy needs in driving future gas demand. Qatar's North Field expansion aims for 126 million metric tons of LNG production per year by 2027, while the Golden Pass LNG project in Texas, a collaboration with ExxonMobil, is set to come online by early 2026.