KUWAIT: The General Secretariat of the Arab Energy Organization (AEO), formerly known as the Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC), on Tuesday launched the 51st edition of its Secretary General’s Annual Report for 2024. The report provides a comprehensive overview of key Arab and global developments in the energy sector, with a particular focus on oil and gas. Speaking during a ceremony held to mark the occasion, AEO Secretary General Jamal Al-Loughani highlighted the pivotal role played by member states in the global energy landscape. The event was attended by members of the diplomatic corps accredited to Kuwait from the organization’s member states.
Al-Loughani noted that the release of this edition coincides with the organization’s 57th anniversary since its establishment in January 1968 — an important milestone in the history of joint Arab cooperation, particularly in the field of energy. He emphasized the organization’s sustained and effective presence in regional and international energy-related activities over the years. The report, Al-Loughani said, comes amid significant fluctuations in global oil markets, driven by a range of factors including geopolitical tensions, economic shifts, evolving demand patterns, and environmental challenges. He pointed to regional developments, especially in the Red Sea, which have disrupted oil trade routes and raised temporary concerns over supply security.
Secretary-General of the Arab Energy Organization, Jamal Al-Loughani
General Secretariat of the Arab Energy Organization on Tuesday launched the 51st edition of its Secretary General’s Annual Report for 2024. The report provides a comprehensive overview of key Arab and global developments in the energy sector, with a particular focus on oil and gas.
He also referred to ongoing sanctions on Russia and the impact of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, which has led to the redirection of Russian energy exports to Asia. Al-Loughani said that global oil demand growth had slowed considerably, reflecting a broader decline in global economic activity — especially in China, the world’s largest oil importer — due in part to rising electric vehicle adoption and severe weather-related disruptions in the United States.
The Secretary General praised the role of AEO member states in the OPEC+ alliance, noting their proactive approach in extending production cuts throughout 2024, which helped stabilize global oil markets. He revealed that OPEC’s crude and unconventional oil supplies declined by approximately 163,000 barrels per day compared to 2023, settling at around 32.4 million barrels per day. Meanwhile, supplies from non-OPEC producers rose by about 630,000 barrels per day to reach 70.2 million barrels per day.
Al-Loughani noted that AEO member states recorded 34 oil and gas discoveries in 2024, underlining the strategic importance of the Arab region in the current and future energy landscape. He said the first chapter of the report reviews key Arab and international energy developments and their impact on the economies of member states, in addition to market fundamentals such as supply, demand and oil reserves. The report also addresses policy trends and geopolitical influences.
The report further examines investment trends in energy transition technologies, including hydrogen as a future fuel, and provides updates on exploration and production, refining, petrochemicals, and gas industries. It also tracks environmental developments and climate change-related matters. Al-Loughani stressed that the key energy indicators in the report confirm the significant position of AEO member states in global markets. Proven crude oil reserves in AEO countries stood at around 713.4 billion barrels in 2024, accounting for 53 percent of the global total of 1,346 billion barrels. Natural gas reserves were estimated at approximately 55.7 trillion cubic meters, representing 26 percent of global reserves.
The average crude oil production of member states reached 21.6 million barrels per day in 2024, or roughly 24 percent of the global total of 88.7 million barrels per day. Marketed natural gas production amounted to 561 billion cubic meters, making up about 14 percent of the global total. On renewable energy, Al-Loughani noted that installed wind energy capacity in the Arab region reached 5.2 gigawatts, representing 0.5 percent of global capacity, while solar power installations exceeded 17 gigawatts, representing 1.1 percent. Hydroelectric power capacity reached 9.15 gigawatts, also constituting 0.5 percent of the global total.
He added that the refining industry in member states includes 54 refineries, with a combined capacity of 10.47 million barrels per day — around 10.9 percent of the world’s total refining capacity of 96.23 million barrels per day. In the natural gas sector, Al-Loughani reported that member states exported 185.9 billion cubic meters in 2024, accounting for 16.3 percent of global exports. Liquefied natural gas (LNG) production capacity reached 120.3 million tons per year by the end of 2024, representing 24.6 percent of the world’s total LNG production capacity. — KUNA
KUWAIT: In a joint effort that reflects synergy among public and private institutions to advance the national sustainability agenda, ECO Business Incubator launched the ‘Together for E-Waste-Free Schools’ initiative in cooperation with Ahmadi Governorate, Zain Kuwait, Boubyan Bank, the Ministry of Education, the Environment Public Authority, Kuwait Airways, Kuwait University, the Arab Open University, Kuwait Petroleum Corporation, and Kuwait Oil Company. This community initiative aims to reinforce environmental sustainability goals and embed a culture of circular economy across society.
The launch was announced at Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Cultural Center (JACC), in the presence of the Governor of Ahmadi Sheikh Humoud Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, Chairman of Kuwait Airways Capt Abdulmohsen Al-Fagaan, Assistant Undersecretary for Educational Affairs at the Ministry of Education Hamad Al-Hamad, Acting Director General of the Environment Public Authority Nouf Bahbahani, Chairman of the Public Authority for Agriculture Affairs and Fish Resources Dr Mohammad Dawood Al-Ahmad, Chief Executive Officer – Consumer, Private, and Digital Banking at Boubyan Bank Abdullah Al-Tuwaijri, Chief Purpose and HR Officer at Zain Kuwait Nawal Bourisli, Chief Corporate Affairs and Relations Officer at Zain Kuwait Waleed Al-Khashti, Director General of the Arab Open University Dr. Salah Al-Hammadi, the Deputy Managing Director for Support Services at Kuwait Petroleum Corporation Dhari Al-Gharabally, and the founder of ECO Business Incubator and the initiative’s Director Jassem Al-Abouh.
The initiative primarily aims to instill responsible environmental behaviors in schools and households and to build a practical model for e-waste management through an institutional collaboration framework that includes schools, government entities, the private sector, and certified recycling partners. It also seeks to increase collection rates of end-of-life devices, recover valuable materials, and reduce the impact of hazardous substances associated with e-waste.
During his opening remarks, Ahmadi Governor Sheikh Humoud Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah affirmed that current environmental challenges require shared awareness and responsibility from institutions and individuals. He noted that e-waste is a major source of pollution due to its health and environmental risks if not properly treated and recycled.
Ahmadi Governor Sheikh Humoud Al-Jaber Al-Sabah
Abdulmohsen Al-Faqaan, Chairman of Kuwait Airways
Waleed Al-Khashti, Chief Corporate Affairs and Relations Officer at Zain Kuwait
Waleed Al-Saqaabi, Executive Director of Corporate Communications and Relations at Boubyan Bank
Jassem Al-Abouh, founder of ECO Business Incubator and initiative director
He added that this national initiative reflects a commitment to sustainable development and environmental protection by reinforcing a culture of responsibility through public-private cooperation and community engagement, emphasizing that the integration of official, community, and volunteer efforts, particularly within school environments, will strengthen sustainable practices for handling e-waste and achieve the initiative’s goals.
Kuwait Airways Chairman Capt Abdulmohsen Al-Fagaan expressed the company’s pride in joining this national initiative. He explained that the participation aligns with the airline’s social responsibility programs and focus on sustainability, noting that the national carrier adopts eco-friendly technologies and practices across its fleet and operations to safeguard the future of upcoming generations, while pledging continued support for national environmental efforts in line with the nation’s vision and leadership.
Waleed Al-Khashti, Chief Corporate Affairs and Relations Officer at Zain Kuwait, stressed that the partnership with ECO builds on a strategic relationship that began in 2022 and that its results are realized when visions unite around sustainability. He explained that starting with schools and focusing on e-waste is directly tied to Zain’s business as a technology leader.
As a sustainable institution, Zain’s responsibility extends beyond providing digital services to managing that service’s entire environmental footprint. He added that uniting the efforts of ministries, government bodies, and leading national companies aims to educate the next generation and involve them early in shouldering responsibility, and that working inside schools is an investment in daily habits that shape a sustainable social behavior, giving Kuwait a competitive edge in the green transition and bringing it closer to its sustainable development vision.
Waleed Al-Saqaabi, Executive Director of Corporate Communications and Relations at Boubyan Bank, stated that schools are the starting point for instilling environmental awareness among young generations and that this initiative is a practical step to build a more responsible youth. He emphasized that e-waste is among the fastest-growing and most hazardous pollutants globally, which necessitates management according to best standards to protect soil, water, and public health.
He noted that Boubyan Bank previously implemented an initiative with ‘Tadweeri’ through which more than 3.4 tons of e-waste were collected and nearly 5 tons of CO2 emissions were avoided. He concluded that the initiative is a model of national collaboration that brings together government entities and private sector partners, confirming that sustainability is central to the bank’s strategy through concrete steps that support schools as the nucleus of change and deploy innovative digital solutions to reduce environmental impact toward a green and sustainable future.
Jassem Al-Abouh, founder of ECO Business Incubator and Director of the ‘Toward E-Waste-Free Schools’ initiative, affirmed that launching this national effort aims to build integrated environmental awareness across Kuwait’s schools by promoting responsible consumption and encouraging the recycling of e-waste to protect the environment and students’ health. He explained that the initiative targets students, teachers, school administrations, and parents through awareness sessions and hands-on workshops over four months, converting schools into primary collection points for devices prior to safe and sustainable reuse and recycling.
Partnerships include the Ministry of Education, the Environment Public Authority, and other supporting entities, with recognition for the main partners Zain, Boubyan Bank, and Kuwait Oil Company. Al-Abouh added that the initiative’s message is clear: transforming e-waste from a burden into an opportunity that recovers valuable resources and anchors sustainability values in schools and communities. He noted that the initiative will continue until January 2026 and will conclude with a comprehensive environmental and technical report and recognition of the most outstanding participating schools and entities.
Roadmap
The first-year roadmap comprises sequential phases that ensure continuity and wide community impact. The awareness and education phase runs from September to December 2025 and includes talks, hands-on workshops, and educational materials for students, teachers, and parents. This is followed by a practical application phase from October to December 2025 with school collection points activated and creative upcycling activities for non-functional devices. The initiative concludes in January 2026 with evaluation, publication of an environmental and technical report, and recognition of distinguished schools and stakeholders.
Implementation mechanism
The initiative follows an integrated participatory approach based on institutional collaboration that engages ministries and government authorities along with leading national private sector companies. Field implementation includes monthly workshops and talks across Kuwait’s six governorates. The campaign focuses on waste management by placing dedicated containers as central collection points inside schools and transporting devices using approved waste management processes to certified recycling partners. Rigorous documentation and follow-up include measuring collected volumes and issuing interim and final reports. The initiative aims to involve students in volunteer work, encourage parents to drop off old devices at collection points, and build partnerships with cooperative societies and civil society organizations to maximize impact.
KUWAIT: The Kuwait Red Crescent Society (KRCS) signed a cooperation agreement on Tuesday with the American Institute for Safety and Health to accredit its first aid, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and public safety training programs. KRCS Chairman Khaled Al-Mughamis said the agreement reflects the society’s vision to develop its training programs, expand international partnerships and strengthen its humanitarian role in emergency response.
He noted that the agreement covers a wide range of general and specialized medical courses aimed at saving lives and enhancing the skills of healthcare providers, medical personnel, volunteers and community members through the society’s accredited training center. Al-Mughamis explained that certificates for courses in first aid, CPR and public safety will now carry official accreditation. The American Institute will provide all required documentation for the programs, including approval of the course content and trainee certifications..
He added that the agreement will boost cooperation in the fields of health and vocational training, supporting the society’s mission of spreading awareness, building knowledge and developing human capacities. Al-Mughamis stressed the importance of raising community awareness on first aid, underscoring its vital role in saving lives, minimizing the effects of injuries and ensuring that individuals are qualified to take the correct measures in emergencies. — KUNA
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