Saudi Energy Chief: “No One Can Break Our Resolve” Amid War
He spoke at the opening of the 17th International Energy Forum Ministerial Meeting (IEF17), held under the theme Energy Security and Shared Goals in a New Era. Saudi Arabia, through its Ministry of Energy, is hosting the event, with Italy and Nigeria as co-hosts, the ministry said in a statement.
The gathering comes as energy markets remain disrupted by the US-Israeli war against Iran, which began in late February. In July, Yemen’s Houthi group, which is aligned with Tehran, resumed attacks on Saudi Arabia.
Prince Abdulaziz said “the Kingdom has demonstrated its ability to ensure the reliability of energy supplies, continue investing, and remain prepared to face various circumstances and challenges.”
Reaffirming the Kingdom’s commitment to its pledges, he said “everyone now recognizes that the Kingdom is capable of standing firm and confronting challenges. No one will be able to undermine our determination or deter us from continuing our path of progress and fulfilling our commitments, whatever the circumstances.”
“No one can break our resolve. We are like a phoenix, rising from the ashes every time, again and again.”
“Therefore, I am pleased to share with you my conviction that this country, and this city of Riyadh, is the capital of energy security,” he added.
Pipeline at 5.8 million barrels a day
He pointed to the East-West Pipeline as evidence of the Kingdom’s foresight in making its energy system more resilient. The line offers an alternative route to global markets through Yanbu on the Red Sea coast.
On Oct. 6, Prince Abdulaziz said the Kingdom was pumping 5.8 million barrels of oil per day through the pipeline. It was the first official Saudi disclosure of the line’s operating level since it was temporarily shut down after attacks several weeks earlier.
A call for shared responsibility
On Sunday, the minister stressed that “ensuring energy security is a shared responsibility that no single country can fulfill alone. Rather, it requires effective international cooperation and coordination.”
“Energy security is a fundamental pillar of economic stability and sustainable growth, and compromising it puts economies and their competitiveness at risk,” he added.
He said “the Kingdom adopts a comprehensive approach to strengthening energy security, encompassing oil, natural gas, renewable energy, nuclear energy and geothermal energy.”
Who attended
According to the statement, the meeting drew Italy’s Environment and Energy Security Minister Gilberto Pichetto Fratin and Nigeria’s Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Heineken Lokpobiri. International Energy Forum Secretary-General Jassim Isa Al-Shirawi also attended, along with energy ministers from around the world, industry leaders and heads of international organizations.
Ministers and energy-sector representatives expressed their “full solidarity with Saudi Arabia and its people following attacks targeting civilian infrastructure,” the statement said.
They affirmed that “holding the ministerial meeting in Riyadh demonstrates the Kingdom’s high level of resilience and reflects a spirit of unity and shared commitment.”
The International Energy Forum, whose secretariat is headquartered in Riyadh, holds a ministerial meeting that the Saudi statement described as “the world’s largest gathering of energy ministers and a key platform for dialogue between energy-producing and energy-consuming countries, contributing to the strengthening of global energy security.
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