Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Tuesday, Jan 20, 2026

OPEC+ 'only a phone call away' if markets need balancing - UAE minister

OPEC+ 'only a phone call away' if markets need balancing - UAE minister

The United Arab Emirates' energy minister said on Monday that OPEC+ was always willing to balance crude oil markets if needed, and that if consumers require its help, the alliance of top producers was "only a phone call away".
Suhail al-Mazrouei told a major industry event in Abu Dhabi that OPEC+, which groups the producer bloc with allies including Russia, can always be trusted to balance oil supply and demand. "We are only a phone call away if the requirements are there," he said.

OPEC+ faced one of its biggest clashes with the West after it agreed oil production cuts in October, a decision the U.S. administration called shortsighted. OPEC+ producers rallied around top oil exporter Saudi Arabia after the United States accused it of pushing members into the cut.

The group is expected to hold its next meeting in Vienna on Dec. 4, one day before an agreement by the Group of Seven countries to cap Russian oil sales at an enforced low price is due to go into effect.

Energy ministers and CEOs of top oil companies have meanwhile gathered in Abu Dhabi to discuss investment in oil and gas, crude markets, energy prices and economic growth at a time when Russia's invasion of Ukraine has shaken up the global oil trade.

Speaking at the conference on Monday, U.S. energy envoy Amos Hochstein said energy had to be priced to allow for economic growth, adding that more investment is needed in the oil and gas sector.

Investment from the United States and others is not enough, he stressed. "Regardless where you are on energy spectrum, we must all invest and innovate," he said.

Hochstein said the relationship between the United States and the UAE is "strong, long-standing and enduring". Reflecting on the spat with OPEC+, he told reporters: “People are allowed to have disagreements. It’s a lot less drama than people think.”

OPEC raised its forecasts for world oil demand in the medium- and longer-term in an annual outlook released on Monday, and said $12.1 trillion of investment is needed to meet this demand despite the energy transition.

The view from the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries in its 2022 World Oil Outlook contrasts with that of other forecasters which see oil demand reaching a plateau before 2030 due to the rise of renewable energy and electric cars.

Saudi Arabia and the UAE, two of the world's biggest oil producers, are boosting output and refining, and working on clean hydrogen, Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman said on Monday.

"We and the UAE are going to be the exemplary producers," he said.

The UAE is releasing its first revision of its energy plan in 2023, which will increase its green targets, Mazrouei said.

"We are expecting that this update will have more green sources of energy in it," he said. "We will see the target, but the expectation, I'm optimistic that we will raise up the contribution of renewables."

Abu Dhabi National Oil Co (ADNOC) Chief Executive Sultan al-Jaber said earlier that zeroing out hydrocarbon investment due to natural decline could lead to a loss of 5 million barrels of oil a day per year from current supplies.

"This would make the shocks we have experienced this year feel like a minor tremor," Jaber said.

The world needs maximum energy and minimum emissions, he said.

"Here are the hard facts: Global supply chains continue to be fragile. Geopolitics are now more complex, fragmented and polarised than ever," he said.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Arab Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Saudi Arabia Advances Ambitious Artificial River Mega-Project to Transform Water Security
Saudi Crown Prince and Syrian President Discuss Stabilisation, Reconstruction and Regional Ties in Riyadh Talks
Mohammed bin Salman Confronts the ‘Iranian Moment’ as Saudi Leadership Faces Regional Test
Cybercrime, Inc.: When Crime Becomes an Economy. How the World Accidentally Built a Twenty-Trillion-Dollar Criminal Economy
Strategic Restraint, Credible Force, and the Discipline of Power
Donald Trump Organization Unveils Championship Golf Course and Luxury Resort Project in Saudi Arabia
Inside Diriyah: Saudi Arabia’s $63.2 Billion Vision to Transform Its Historic Heart into a Global Tourism Powerhouse
Trump Designates Saudi Arabia a Major Non-NATO Ally, Elevating US–Riyadh Defense Partnership
Trump Organization Deepens Saudi Property Focus with $10 Billion Luxury Developments
There is no sovereign immunity for poisoning millions with drugs.
Mohammed bin Salman’s Global Standing: Strategic Partner in Transition Amid Debate Over His Role
Saudi Arabia Opens Property Market to Foreign Buyers in Landmark Reform
The U.S. State Department’s account in Persian: “President Trump is a man of action. If you didn’t know it until now, now you do—do not play games with President Trump.”
CNN’s Ranking of Israel’s Women’s Rights Sparks Debate After Misleading Global Index Comparison
Saudi Arabia’s Shifting Regional Alignment Raises Strategic Concerns in Jerusalem
OPEC+ Holds Oil Output Steady Amid Member Tensions and Market Oversupply
Iranian Protests Intensify as Another Revolutionary Guard Member Is Killed and Khamenei Blames the West
President Trump Says United States Will Administer Venezuela Until a Secure Leadership Transition
Delta Force Identified as Unit Behind U.S. Operation That Captured Venezuela’s President
Saudi-UAE Rift Adds Complexity to Middle East Diplomacy as Trump Signals Firm Leadership
OPEC+ to Keep Oil Output Policy Unchanged Despite Saudi-UAE Tensions Over Yemen
Saudi Arabia and UAE at Odds in Yemen Conflict as Southern Offensive Deepens Gulf Rift
Abu Dhabi ‘Capital of Capital’: How Abu Dhabi Rose as a Sovereign Wealth Power
Diamonds Are Powering a New Quantum Revolution
Trump Threatens Strikes Against Iran if Nuclear Programme Is Restarted
Why Saudi Arabia May Recalibrate Its US Spending Commitments Amid Rising China–America Rivalry
Riyadh Air’s First Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner Completes Initial Test Flight, Advancing Saudi Carrier’s Launch
Saudi Arabia’s 2025: A Pivotal Year of Global Engagement and Domestic Transformation
Saudi Arabia to Introduce Sugar-Content Based Tax on Sweetened Drinks from January 2026
Saudi Hotels Prepare for New Hospitality Roles as Alcohol Curbs Ease
Global Airports Forum Highlights Saudi Arabia’s Emergence as a Leading Aviation Powerhouse
Saudi Arabia Weighs Strategic Choice on Iran Amid Regional Turbulence
Saudi Arabia Condemns Sydney Bondi Beach Shooting and Expresses Solidarity with Australia
Washington Watches Beijing–Riyadh Rapprochement as Strategic Balance Shifts
Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 Drives Measurable Lift in Global Reputation and Influence
Alcohol Policies Vary Widely Across Muslim-Majority Countries, With Many Permitting Consumption Under Specific Rules
Saudi Arabia Clarifies No Formal Ban on Photography at Holy Mosques for Hajj 2026
Libya and Saudi Arabia Sign Strategic MoU to Boost Telecommunications Cooperation
Elon Musk’s xAI Announces Landmark 500-Megawatt AI Data Center in Saudi Arabia
Israel Moves to Safeguard Regional Stability as F-35 Sales Debate Intensifies
Cardi B to Make Historic Saudi Arabia Debut at Soundstorm 2025 Festival
U.S. Democratic Lawmakers Raise National Security and Influence Concerns Over Paramount’s Hostile Bid for Warner Bros. Discovery
Hackers Are Hiding Malware in Open-Source Tools and IDE Extensions
Traveling to USA? Homeland Security moving toward requiring foreign travelers to share social media history
Wall Street Analysts Clash With Riyadh Over Saudi Arabia’s Deficit Outlook
Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Cement $1 Trillion-Plus Deals in High-Profile White House Summit
Saudi Arabia Opens Alcohol Sales to Wealthy Non-Muslim Residents Under New Access Rules
U.S.–Saudi Rethink Deepens — Washington Moves Ahead Without Linking Riyadh to Israel Normalisation
Saudi Arabia and Israel Deprioritise Diplomacy: Normalisation No Longer a Middle-East Priority
As Trump Deepens Ties with Saudi Arabia, Push for Israel Normalization Takes a Back Seat
×