Saad Al-Kaabi, the Minister of State for Energy Affairs, the President and CEO of QatarEnergy, said Qatar continue to believe in gas as the energy of the future and that increasing demand will continue to be driven by global economic growth and other factors like artificial intelligence and data centres.

His remarks came during a plenary panel discussion with the CEO’s of QatarEnergy’s partner international energy companies launching the working sessions of the 21st International Conference and Exhibition on Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG2026).

The session titled “Global LNG Dynamics: An Industry Perspective” was held with the participation of Patrick Pouyanné, the Chairman and CEO of TotalEnergies, Darren Woods the Executive Chair and CEO of ExxonMobil, Wael Sawan, the CEO of Shell, and Ryan Lance, the CEO of ConocoPhillips.

Minister Al-Kaabi said: “QatarEnergy, along with its partners represented on the panel, are building LNG for the future with the lowest carbon footprint you can have. Everywhere where you'll see exploration blocks that are looking for oil or gas, you'll find QatarEnergy working there.”

Al-Kaabi reaffirmed his long-stated position that “oil will be needed for a very long time”, adding that “people who, two years ago, have been part of the oil cancel culture, are now recognising the need for oil and that it will not disappear in 2030 like they were saying.” 

He stressed that the world can’t live without energy. “People need to be prosperous, including about a billion people don't have the basic electricity that we enjoy. We can't deprive them from that growth.”

Minister Al-Kaabi highlighted the importance of demand in driving the LNG industry, and while pointing out to Asian economies that are driving the main demand, he said “we must not forget the Middle East region, where gas is required in many parts as population growth requires additional power for continued growth that often comes from gas complemented by renewables.”

Speaking on the environmental aspect of the energy industry, the Minister of State for Energy Affairs, the President and CEO of QatarEnergy, said politically driven and emotional calls by policymakers can’t solve our problems.

“We need to also support the growth of economies around the world, and while realistic solutions can be made available many would say they are nice to have but will not be willing to pay for it,” he added.

He added: “We are doing our best to develop and adopt the best technologies to reduce emissions, including CO2 sequestration in order to deliver the most affordable energy to the market in the most environmentally responsible manner. It is important for policymakers to be realistic about what can and cannot be delivered. They need to listen to the people who understand the business.”

Concluding his remarks at the panel, Minister Al-Kaabi thanked the panel members for being part of the discussion and for their fruitful partnership with QatarEnergy, which has helped take Qatar to where it is today.

The plenary examined the evolving dynamics of global LNG demand and supply and provided a comprehensive perspective on key challenges and opportunities, with a particular focus on LNG affordability, security of supply, and reliability. It covered issues like the role of gas, LNG supplies, and sustainability. -TradeArabia News Service