Welcome to this
month’s Law Update
The Economist Magazine recently reported that the Gulf and wider MENA region are in the midst of an energy bonanza in which the Gulf States alone could earn $3.5 trillion over the next 5 years. The forces at play behind this boom are a heady mix of geopolitics, climate change and raw economics.
In this focus section of Law Update, we provide you with another bonanza – 15 articles covering the vast themes of energy, utilities and mining. We endeavoured to curate an interesting and diverse set of topics giving you, dear reader, an insight into legal issues and cases that are affecting these sectors across the MENA region.
The developments that are occurring in these sectors in the MENA Region and the pace at which they are occurring is both daunting and unprecedented. For example, the announcement on 30 October 2022 by the Saudi government of its decision to auction new exploration licences for copper, zinc, lead and iron ore deposits took many by surprise. The announcement appears to herald the long awaited first step in the development of Saudi Arabia’s nascent mining sector. If this interests you – don’t miss this.
Elsewhere, in this section you will see how Oman is changing its energy mix, Egypt’s sustainability agenda (in time for COP27), green energy initiatives in KSA, Morocco and UAE, social utilities in Qatar (more than just football stadiums!) and much much more.
Please join us for our tour of the energy, utilities and mining sectors which are set to play a pivotal role in the economy of the MENA region over the next decade.
