If you stroll along the corniche in Abu Dhabi, it is difficult to imagine that this vibrant city was once a remote fishing village. Today, many of Abu Dhabi’s buildings reach for the sky - chief among them, the headquarters of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC).
This towering building reflects the dramatic development of the emirate’s oil industry, which has transformed it into one of the world’s most prosperous places. Every time I visit Abu Dhabi for ADIPEC, I am astounded by how quickly it has developed. I shouldn’t be.
The emirate’s visionary leader, His Highness the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, realised that natural resources could generate prosperity and opportunity for new generations. At Shell we are proud to have helped Abu Dhabi develop its oil and gas industry and next year we will mark 80 years of partnership.
Energy resources create opportunities and benefits in equal measure. There are many other examples of this across the Middle East. It is incredible to think how quickly this region has developed in just a few decades.
The contrast with sub-Saharan Africa is significant. According to the World Bank, in 2016 an estimated 98 per cent of people across the Middle East and North Africa had access to energy. In sub-Saharan Africa, that figure was just 42 per cent.
Despite its wealth of energy resources, today the Middle East has an energy challenge: how to meet its rapidly rising demand. In the coming years, regional energy consumption is expected to grow at a faster rate than the rest of the world.
The answer lies in more and cleaner energy: meeting demand while bringing down greenhouse gas emissions to help meet the goal of the Paris Agreement. That requires holding the global temperature rise well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.
The challenge may be great, but so too is the opportunity. Firstly, there is natural gas, the cleanest-burning fossil fuel. Across the Middle East, countries including Egypt, Oman, Iraq and Saudi Arabia, are stepping up production and the United Arab Emirates aims to be self-sufficient in the coming years. And some regional countries are importing liquefied natural gas. Not only does gas generate the majority of electricity across the region, it also provides the power needs for heavy industry and feeds other industries such as petrochemicals.
Importantly, natural gas is also a reliable partner for renewable energy projects. Put simply, the combination of gas and renewables has an increasingly important role to play in creating lower carbon energy systems.
This energy transition is crucial. And Middle East countries are moving in the right direction. For instance, the UAE aims to generate 44 per cent of its energy from renewable sources by 2050. Projects such as Shams Solar Park in Abu Dhabi and Al Maktoum Solar Park in Dubai are paving the way for bigger and bolder steps.
There is also the challenge of what is described as the Middle East’s “youth bulge”. Around half of the region’s population is under 25. And alongside North Africa, it has one of the world’s highest youth unemployment rates, at 27%.
These young people can help the region build for the future. If given education, training and employment prospects, their success can feed the success of an entire nation. The energy industry can play a critical role in helping to create a new era of opportunity, especially in this resource-rich region.
Through astute investment and planning, oil and gas-rich countries can use their resources to diversify their economies, creating direct jobs and other opportunities through local supply and procurement contracts. Take the growth of petrochemicals across the Gulf. Today the region produces more than 10 per cent of the world’s petrochemicals, growth which has created 800,000 jobs over the last 30 years.
Beyond oil and gas, renewable energy projects also offer real prospects for young people. A little farther afield, Morocco is an interesting case. It has announced an ambitious target to produce some 50% of its energy demand from renewable sources by 2030 to reduce its dependence on electricity imports.
Morocco’s youth unemployment rate is around 18% and yet it is short of skilled workers for its renewable projects. That is why there are efforts to train young Moroccans in the skills its energy industry needs. Ultimately, with the right initiatives, governments can meet their rising demand for energy while helping to provide valuable chances for the younger generation to thrive.
Ultimately, we all crave opportunity. I certainly did when I was young. Opportunity gives people the energy and the will to succeed, as the UAE’s founding father Sheikh Zayed understood. With investment and clear leadership, the energy industry can create a new era of opportunity, in the Middle East and beyond.
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Pasargad Energy Development Co. (PEDC) is an independent energy company based in Iran. PEDC is an integrated energy company whose activities span the entire value chain including exploration, production, refining, petrochemicals marketing, power generation & renewables as well as new high-tech venture capitalizing. Our headquarter is located in Tehran. PEDC is present across the Iranian continental shelf and international market through its subsidiaries. We create value for our shareholders through active investment, high-level monitoring of our projects, building world-class partnership and managing our risks effectively and making balanced portfolio. Meantime, we contribute to the sustainable development of the energy sector and communities in our country. PEDC’s competitiveness relies upon our values-based performance culture, with a strong commitment to transparency, cooperation and continuous operational improvement. As a wholly owned subsidiary of the Pasargad Financial Group, with Pasargad Bank being a distinctive shareholder, we owe our success to our experience, management knowledge and strong local/international partnerships since 2008. PEDC is committed to maintaining sustainability and being recognized as the strategic partner of choice in Iran’s energy and petrochemical sector.