The Gulf and Energy in 12 Images: Oil, Gas, Renewables, and Hydrogen

Updated on 03.04.2026

5 min read

Middle School

History, geography and geopolitics

1. The Major Oil and Gas Region

The Gulf (a name preferred to Persian Gulf or Arabian Gulf in order to avoid offending regional sensibilities) is the part of the world where hydrocarbons are both the most abundant and the easiest to extract. Saudi Arabia, along with Russia and the United States, is one of the top three oil producers. Qatar and Iran have the largest natural gas reserves, along with Russia. Kuwait, Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Oman are also rich in hydrocarbons. The photo shows facilities at the giant Shayba oil field in Saudi Arabia.

2. At the Heart of Global Geopolitics

Throughout the 20th century, oil was a major source of power. On September 14, 1960, at a conference in Baghdad (photo), Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iraq, Iran, and Venezuela created the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). The aim, in a context of falling world prices, was to reduce the of the “majors,” the large international oil companies that then controlled around 90% of oil production.

In 2025, OPEC has 13 member countries, while OPEC+ brings together 10 others, with which it regularly coordinates its production policy.

3. Security Often Threatened

Energy issues and regional rivalries have led to numerous conflicts: the Iran–Iraq War (1980–88), the Gulf War (1990–91), the invasion of Iraq by the United States and its allies (2003), and tensions with Iran (2025–2026). One of the most iconic images of these conflicts is the burning of oil wells in southern Kuwait in March 1991 (date of the photo). When they withdrew after seven months of occupation, Iraqi troops destroyed 727 oil wells, causing serious air, land, and marine pollution.

4. Strategic Outlets on the Gulf

extracted from the Arabian Peninsula is transported by pipeline to the Gulf as well as to the Red Sea and the Mediterranean, via Jordan and Syria, from where it is exported to markets around the world. The Gulf accounts for 30% of global oil trade. Oil and gas terminals are therefore of major importance. Shown here is the oil Golden Energy in the port of Ras Laffan in Qatar. Elsewhere, artificial islands have been created to facilitate the docking of tankers from all countries.

5. Straits Under Surveillance

This strategic importance means that the Gulf is under constant surveillance, particularly by the U.S. Navy. This is especially true given that access to the Gulf is via a 63kmlong strait, the Strait of Hormuz, between Iran and the Sultanate of Oman, through which more than 2,000 oil tankers pass each year. Further south, another strait, Bab elMandeb, between the Arabian Peninsula and Africa, is also essential to the free flow of oil. In the photo, an American soldier scans the horizon during one of the many operations in the region.

6. Giant infrastructure

Saudi Arabia has very large port facilities on the Gulf for refining, gas , and export, particularly in Ras Tanura, Ras Juaymah, and Jubail. The Jubail (photo) is one of the largest in the world. Commissioned in 2013, it has a refining capacity of 400,000 barrels per day and covers an area equivalent to 700 football fields.

7. Storage Capacity for Oil

The very high volume of crude oil processed and exported requires large storage facilities. Large tanks are used to store crude oil. The photo shows maintenance work being carried out at the bottom of one of these tanks at the Jubail refinery. To prevent potential leaks, the condition of the tanks and their levels are checked regularly.

8. Storage Capacity also for Gas

In the photo, at the Jubail refinery, storage tanks are partially buried in the sand. LPG is a mixture of light hydrocarbons, mainly propane and butane. Stored in liquid form, it is produced through oil refining (40%) and natural gas processing (60%).

9. Qatar's Processing Industries

With nearly two-thirds of the Gulf's large gas field (known locally as North Field or North Dome), Qatar has become a giant in the sector. The country has built powerful gas liquefaction units in the new industrial city of Ras Laffan (photo). Using a process that is not widely used elsewhere in the world, the gas is also converted into liquid hydrocarbons (gasoline and ).

10. Growing Energy Needs

Since 2000, energy consumption in the Gulf countries has grown faster than in China or India. There are several reasons for this: population growth, industrial needs, seawater desalination, and the rapid development of ultramodern cities seeking to attract investors from around the world. A quarter of the region’s hydrocarbon production is consumed locally. Pictured here are the artificial islands of Dubai’s Palm Jumeirah.

11. From Hydrocarbons to Renewable Energies?

Growing energy needs are pushing Gulf countries to develop their capacity, particularly solar power. Pictured here is one of the largest solar parks in the region, Shams 1, built near Abu Dhabi (100 MW, 258,000 parabolic mirrors covering an area of 2.5 km²).

At the same time, the Gulf monarchies are investing heavily in green production. Produced from renewable , green hydrogen is a that can be used in many ways, is lowpolluting, and emits few greenhouse gases. The Gulf states aim to become major players in this field.

12. The Ambition to Be a Global Laboratory

Several Gulf countries are striving to be at the forefront of innovation, benefiting from their strong investment capacity. The United Arab Emirates has built the pilot city of Masdar City in the desert, 30 km from Abu Dhabi, designed as a “Silicon Valley of energy.” It is home to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). Its public transport network is testing self-driving electric cars (photo).