meed-logo

line1 line2 line3
SIGN IN / REGISTER

Qatar revives its role as regional mediator

24 December 2023

 

In the closing months of 2023, Qatar definitively revived its reputation as a regional mediator by acting as intermediary in the negotiation of the temporary ceasefire between Israel and Hamas – bringing the Gulf nation full circle to the status it enjoyed prior to the 2017 diplomatic fallout in the Gulf.

The recent intercession by Doha builds on the long-standing self-positioning by the Gulf state as a neutral ground and place for dialogue in the region. It is also a product of the country’s coy strategic avoidance of publicly aligning itself with the US, Russia or China – at least in any way likely to stir criticism.

The start of Qatar’s journey to its current state of fierce political independence began in the 1990s and continued in the following decade, when Doha first began to cut its teeth in the conflict resolution arena. 

Between 2008 and 2012, Qatar mediated peace or ceasefire deals in Lebanon (2008) – between the Lebanese government and Hezbollah – in Yemen (2010), in Darfur (2011) and in Gaza (2012).

In 2013, more than a decade after the US invasion of Afghanistan, Qatar allowed the Taliban to open an office in Doha – a move that would later pave the way for a role in arranging talks with the US ahead of the latter’s 2020 ceasefire with the Taliban and 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Qatar’s diplomatic and political credentials nevertheless took a hit during the 2017 diplomatic crisis in the Gulf – though even in this, Doha demonstrated agility and adroitness in its statecraft by quickly pivoting its relations and trade to the other regional powers: Turkiye and Iran.

Doha’s re-seizing of the initiative during the 2023 Israel–Hamas war follows a pattern not dissimilar to its role in US–Taliban talks, leveraging the presence of Hamas political representation in the country as part of a long-standing culturing of relations on both sides of the conflict.

Economic clout

Qatar’s geopolitical position and its broad latitude in picking and choosing its external relationships is rooted in its secure economic position, with its revenues pegged not to the vicissitudes of the oil price, but the market for gas – the fuel that is the darling of energy transition strategies from East to West.

The unremitting demand for Qatari gas has ensured double-digit current account and fiscal surpluses for the past two years and these are expected to continue for the foreseeable future.

This demand is also supporting ongoing investment in Qatar’s energy infrastructure, as shown by the May 2023 award of the $10bn engineering, procurement and construction contract for two new liquefied natural gas (LNG) trains on the North Field South project – following on from the similar $13bn LNG train award in February 2021 for the North Field expansion scheme.

Qatar’s exports are meanwhile predominated by long-term gas supply contracts that ensure that the revenue Doha receives is predictable, resilient to price fluctuations and highly immune to political disruption. Even in times of diplomatic tension, energy exports and imports are the least likely thing to be affected – since action on the part of energy importers would equally impact their own energy security.

A business-like approach is very much the overarching schema by which Doha’s non-committal politics are maintained. At the same time, Qatar’s cautious non-alignment with world powers has equally been no deterrent to developing strong bilateral ties with key poles of global influence such as the US.

Qatar’s geopolitical position and its broad latitude in picking and choosing its external relationships is rooted in its secure economic position

According to the US-Qatar Business Council, the US is Qatar’s single-largest foreign direct investor, with more than 850 US companies operating in the country. 

This is in addition to Qatar’s hosting of Al-Udeid Air Base – the largest US military installation in the Middle East and an instrumental component of US power projection in the Gulf. The facility is also, in turn, a significant safeguard and security guarantor for Qatar.

New opportunities

There is also a certain intersection between Qatar’s non-committal politics and its commitment to sports – an ostensibly apolitical arena of soft power engagement. While the culmination of the Fifa World Cup Qatar 2022 is now in the past, the country is looking ahead to the 2030 Asian Games, among other events. In 2023 alone, Qatar played host to 14 major international sports events, and more than 80 events in total.

Doha will also be guided, as it heads towards the 2030 games, by the Qatar National Vision, which aims to transform the country into an advanced economy by the end of the decade. 

In 2020, the government passed a new public-private partnership law and in 2021 allowed full foreign ownership of companies – both key spokes of a fresh foreign direct investment push by the country.

Doha’s energy ambitions also extend beyond gas. Qatar is pushing ahead with investment into the hydrogen industry with a view of capturing a share of the prospective global hydrogen market. 

In 2022, QatarEnergy set in motion plans to build the world’s largest blue ammonia plant. Doha sees that in its future, just as in its present, the country’s positioning as a provider of the world’s energy of choice will also hold the key to its economic and political independence in the decades to come.

https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/11365019/main.gif
John Bambridge

Register for MEED's guest program now to access this article.

Click here to register
Exclusive from Meed
Related Articles
  • Arada awards $408m W Residences Dubai Harbour contract

    23 February 2026

    Register for MEED’s 14-day trial access 

    Sharjah-based real estate developer Arada has awarded a AED1.5bn ($408m) contract for the main construction works on its W Residences project at Dubai Harbour.

    The contract was awarded to the local Engineering Contracting Company.

    The development comprises 490 branded residences across three towers.

    The project's enabling works, including excavation and piling, have begun and are being carried out by another local firm, APCC Piling & Marine Contracting.

     Arada has awarded APCC a separate AED51m ($14m) contract to undertake the enabling works.

    The development will consist of residential, retail and leisure facilities and will be operated by US-based Marriott International.

    Arada launched the project in October 2024, as MEED reported.

    The latest contract award follows Arada's award of two contracts, worth AED2.7bn ($735m), for construction work on all four phases of the Masaar 2 residential community in the Rowdat district of Sharjah.

    Arada awarded Sharjah-based Intermass Contracting a contract for the construction of phases one, three and four.

    Abu Dhabi-based contractor Pivot Engineering & General Contracting won a contract to build the second phase of the project.

    The overall scheme encompasses the construction of 1,997 residential units across all four phases.

    Construction is expected to begin shortly, and the project is slated for completion by 2028.

    Arada is the developer behind three masterplanned residential communities in Sharjah. The Aljada, Masaar and Nasma Residences communities are valued at a combined AED33bn.

    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/15717440/main.jpg
    Yasir Iqbal
  • Seven companies show interest in $3.3bn Kuwait gas project

    23 February 2026

     

    At least seven companies have shown interest in participating in the planned tender for a Kuwait Gulf Oil Company (KGOC) project to develop an onshore gas plant, according to industry sources.

    The project budget is estimated to be $3.3bn and the last meeting with contractors to discuss the project took place in Kuwait on 10 February.

    Previous meetings with contractors took place at the offices of Technip Energies in Abu Dhabi.

    Contractors that have sent representatives to the meetings include:

    • Samsung E&A (South Korea)
    • Larsen & Toubro (India)
    • Tecnicas Reunidas (Spain)
    • Saipem (Italy)
    • Hyundai Engineering & Construction (South Korea)
    • Hyundai Engineering Company (South Korea)
    • JGC (Japan)

    At the last meeting, contractors were told that the invitation to bid is currently scheduled to be issued at the end of March.

    It was also confirmed that Kuwait’s Central Agency for Public Tenders (Capt) will not be involved in the tender process.

    Capt is supposed to review technical and commercial evaluations of bids and verify that bidding is competitive.

    It is understood that not requiring Capt to approve this tender will speed up the tender process.

    The plant will have the capacity to process up to 632 million cubic feet a day of gas and 88.9 million barrels a day of condensates from the Dorra offshore field, located in Gulf waters in the Saudi-Kuwait Neutral Zone.

    In July last year, MEED reported that KGOC had initiated the project by launching an early engagement process with contractors for the main engineering, procurement and construction tender.

    France-based Technip Energies completed the contract for the front-end engineering and design.

    The facility will be developed next to Kuwait’s Al-Zour refinery.

    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/15717358/main.png
    Wil Crisp
  • Egypt tenders 500MW solar IPP

    19 February 2026

    Register for MEED’s 14-day trial access 

    Egyptian Electricity Transmission Company (EETC) has issued a request for qualifications for a 500MW solar photovoltaic (PV) independent power producer project in Egypt’s West of Nile area.

    The bid submission deadline is 11 May.

    The project is being supported by the European Bank for Reconstruction & Development and will be developed under a build-own-operate model.

    Developers will be responsible for designing, financing, constructing, owning and operating the plant, with EETC acting as the offtaker for generated electricity.

    US/India-based Synergy Consulting is acting as lead, financial and commercial advisor for this transaction.

    The project forms part of Egypt’s strategy to strengthen long-term electricity supply and increase renewable generation capacity.

    Egypt is targeting 42% renewable energy in its power mix by 2030. The country aims to raise this share to 65% by 2040.

    EETC previously had plans to build a 200MW solar plant in a west Nile area but cancelled the tender for the project in 2020.

    Egypt's power sector had its strongest year in over a decade last year, accounting for $4.2bn of total contract awards.

    Despite dipping from the previous year, solar accounted for about $1bn of total awards. 

    In November, a consortium of local firms Hassan Allam Utilities and Infinity Power won contracts to develop two solar PV projects with a combined capacity of 1,200MW, supported by 720 megawatt-hours (MWh) of battery storage.

    The UAE’s Amea Power and Japan’s Kyuden International Corporation also recently reached financial close on a $700m project comprising a 1,000MW solar plant and 600MWh battery system in Aswan.

    The scheme is backed by a $570m debt package led by the International Finance Corporation and is expected to become Africa’s largest single-asset solar and storage facility when it enters operation later this year.

    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/15701778/main.jpg
    Mark Dowdall
  • Local contractor wins $143m Jeddah sewage contracts

    19 February 2026

    Register for MEED’s 14-day trial access 

    Saudi Arabia’s National Water Company (NWC) has awarded two sewage network contracts worth a combined SR536.3m ($143m) to local contractor Civil Works Company.

    The projects will be implemented over 32 months from site handover and will serve northern Jeddah districts.

    The first contract, valued at SR278.5m ($74.3m), covers incomplete main lines and secondary sewage networks serving parts of the Al-Bashair, Al-Asala and Al-Falah neighbourhoods.

    The scope includes pipelines ranging from 200mm to 800mm in diameter with a total length of about 54.8 kilometres (km).

    The package also includes sewage tunnels with diameters ranging from 600mm to 1,800mm and a total length of approximately 6.5km. Works will also serve the Taybah, Abhar Al-Shamaliyah and Al-Hamdaniyah districts.

    The second contract is valued at SR257.8m ($68.8m). It covers the implementation of main lines and sub-networks to serve part of the Al-Hamdaniya neighbourhood.

    The works include pipelines ranging from 200mm to 1,500mm in diameter with a total length of about 78.5km. The scope also includes horizontal drilling works for sewage tunnels with diameters from 1,200mm to 1,400mm and a total length of approximately 205 metres.

    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/15699620/main.jpg
    Mark Dowdall
  • Saudi Arabia prequalifies firms for gas transmission grids

    19 February 2026

    Register for MEED’s 14-day trial access 

    Saudi Arabia's Energy Ministry has prequalified companies to develop natural gas distribution networks in five industrial cities in the kingdom on a build-own-operate (BOO) basis.

    The industrial zones earmarked are Al-Kharj Industrial City; Sudair City for Industry and Business; and the First, Second and Third Industrial Cities in Jeddah, the Energy Ministry said in a statement.

    The contractors prequalified to bid for the natural gas transmission grids BOO scheme include eight standalone firms and seven consortiums:

    • East Gas (Egypt)
    • Natural Gas Distribution Company (Saudi Arabia)
    • Egyptian Kuwaiti Advanced Operation and Maintenance (Saudi Arabia)
    • Modern Gas (Egypt)
    • Saab Energy Solutions (Saudi Arabia)
    • Sergas Contracting (Saudi Arabia)
    • Bharat Petroleum Corporation (India)
    • UniGas Arabia (Saudi Arabia)
    • Best Gas Carrier / Khazeen / Mubadra (Saudi Arabia)
    • Al Sharif Contracting (Saudi Arabia) / Anton Oilfield Services Group (China) China Oil and Gas Group
    • Hulul (owned by Saudi Arabia’s National Gas and Industrialization Company) /Al-Fanar Gas Group (UAE)
    • Indraprastha Gas (India) / Masah Contracting (Saudi Arabia)
    • Expertise Contracting / PGL Pipelines (UK)
    • National Gas Company (Egypt) / Egypt Gas (Egypt)
    • Taqa Arabia (Egypt) / Taqa Group (UAE)

    The Energy Ministry has set a deadline of 23 April for these prequalified contractors to submit technical bids.

    The ministry added in its statement that it has identified a total of 36 industrial cities in Saudi Arabia for gas infrastructure development.

    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/15699582/main0334.png
    Indrajit Sen