Issue 14

Oil & Gas

• Egypt Hopes Payment Deals Will Reinvigorate Upstream Investment
• Yemen Hopes To Turn A Corner, Offers Yet More Blocks
• UAE Moves Ahead On $2.39Bn Upstream Drive

Transportation

• Shell Set For Major Fujairah Storage Lease
• DME Oman Hits Record

Refining & Petrochemicals

• Sukuk Investors Provide $2Bn To Sadara Project
• Myriant And Bayegan In Middle East Renewable Chemicals Push

Power & Water

• SEC To Sign Rabigh-2 Power Plant Deal, Concludes $2Bn Sukuk
• TAQA To Build Waste-To-Energy Demo Plant

OPEC

• OPEC Production Down For March, But Demand Expected To Rise

Geopolitical Risk

• China & GCC Widen Energy Ties
• Syrian Rebels Target Eastern Oil Region
• Challenges Ahead For GCC Energy Supply

Corporate

• TAQA’s Renewables Move Blurs Abu Dhabi Investment Vehicles’ Boundaries

Economics & Finance

• Qatar Boosts 2013-14 Budget Expenditure
• Oman Warns Of Imminent Belt Tightening
• Egypt Hopes Subsidy Reforms Will Hasten IMF Deal
• Iran’s Inflation Tops 31.5% In Year Ending 20 March
• Yemen Chases Further IMF Aid
• Bahrain’s Economy Falters On Weak Hydrocarbons Production

Op-Ed & Documents

• Iran’s Economy Facing a Challenging Year

Selected Data

• Japanese crude oil imports, January & February 2013 (‘000 b/d)
• Benchmark Crude Prices & Saudi Aramco Contract Prices For LPG Exports
• Crude Official Selling Prices