REGIONAL

More coal-fired power plants are likely to be built across the MENA region, including in some Gulf countries. Low fixed gas prices often mean production has failed to keep up with demand, leading generators to look to import fuel: and coal is typically the cheapest option. Nevertheless, coal’s role in regional power sector expansion is set to remain marginal.

“There is some MENA interest in coal in order to meet growing electricity demand,” says Keisuke Sadamori,...