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His Highness the Deputy Amir Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad al-Thani Monday received Secretary-General of Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) Eng. Mohamed Hamel, who called to greet His Highness the Deputy Amir at the end of his tenure. His Highness the Deputy Amir extended his best wishes to the Secretary-General for success in his future endeavours. The GECF Secretary-General expressed his gratitude to His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani and His Highness the Deputy Amir for the support provided by Qatar to the GECF.

Qatar has seen 34 more LNG cargoes in 11 months of 2025 until November, according to the latest data from the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF).During these months, GECF countries accounted for 45% of LNG cargo exports, led by Qatar, Malaysia and Russia.In November, there were some 587 cargoes exported globally, which were 20 more than in October, and 52 more than one year ago.After eleven months of 2025, total cargo exports reached 5,928, which was 154 more than during the same period in 2024, GECF noted.Globally, the US, Australia and Qatar remained the top three LNG exporters during November, the report said.In November, global LNG exports surged by 15% (5.23mn tonnes) y-o-y to reach an all-time high of 39.79mn tonnes, just shy of the 40mn tonnes.The increase was driven primarily by non-GECF countries, with GECF member countries contributing to a lesser extent, offsetting weaker LNG re-exports.Between January and November this year, cumulative global LNG exports reached 397.56mn tonnes, representing a sharp increase of 6.7% (24.91mn tonnes) y-o-y.The bulk of this growth was led by non-GECF countries, while GECF members also added incremental volumes. During the same period, LNG re-exports recorded a slight decline.In November, LNG exports from GECF member and observer countries reached 17.19mn tonnes, representing an increase of 5.6% (0.91mn tonnes) y-o-y.This marks the highest export level recorded for the month of November.At the country level, Angola, Egypt, Mauritania, Malaysia, Nigeria, Qatar and Senegal were the main contributors to this increase, more than offsetting the decline in exports from Algeria and the United Arab Emirates.Stronger LNG exports from Angola, Egypt, Malaysia, and Nigeria were supported by higher feedgas availability in these countries. Although Egypt has resumed regular LNG imports, a recovery in domestic gas production has allowed it to occasionally export LNG cargoes.In Mauritania and Senegal, the continued ramp-up of production from the GTA FLNG 1 facility boosted export volumes.In Qatar, reduced maintenance at the Ras Laffan LNG complex supported higher LNG exports.By contrast, lower LNG exports from Algeria were attributed to reduced feedgas availability. In addition, ongoing maintenance at the Das Island LNG facility resulted in lower export volumes from the UAE.From January to November, cumulative LNG exports from GECF member countries increased by 1.8% (3.14mn tonnes) y-o-y to reach 178.05mn tonnes.In November, LNG exports from non-GECF countries surged by 26% (4.62mn tonnes) y-o-y, reaching a record high of 22.43mn tonnes. The bulk of this increase was driven by higher exports from the United States, while Canada, Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea also contributed to a lesser extent, GECF noted. 

Qatar’s marketed natural gas remained stable in 2024, holding steady at approximately 170bcm, GECF said in its latest annual statistical bulletin.On the other hand, Qatar’s domestic gas consumption declined slightly by 3% y-o-y in 2024, totalling 41.9bcm, the Gas Exporting Countries Forum noted.In 2024, GECF countries demonstrated “exceptional resilience and leadership in a rapidly evolving global energy landscape.Despite market volatility, GECF countries maintained their critical role in ensuring global energy security while meeting rising domestic needs.Marketed natural gas production reached 1,585bcm, demonstrating continued supply reliability.Domestic consumption climbed to a record 1,147bcm, driven by expanding power generation, industrial activity, and household demand.However, natural gas available for exports declined significantly to 481bcm from 583bcm in 2023, a reduction of 102bcm (-17.5%). This shift reflects the strategic prioritisation of domestic energy security and economic development, as GECF countries increasingly utilise their natural gas resources to fuel internal growth.The reduction also reflects evolving global trade patterns, including changes in pipeline flows and regional demand dynamics.This balance between supporting national economic development and maintaining reliable international supply demonstrates the GECF’s strategic adaptability in a dynamic global energy environment.With reliable production, robust domestic demand, and a strong presence in global trade, GECF countries remain at the core of the international gas industry and are well-positioned to contribute to the ongoing transition toward a cleaner and more sustainable energy future.According to the report, GECF member countries demonstrated mixed but overall positive performance in 2024, with collective marketed production increasing by 26.95bcm (+1.9%) and total exports growing by 9.81bcm (+2.5%).Pipeline exports emerged as a particular strength, increasing by 15.06bcm (+8.7%), while LNG exports contracted by 5.25bcm (-2.4%).On the demand side, members’ aggregate domestic consumption expanded by 16.36bcm (+1.6%), reflecting robust internal gas demand driven by economic growth and industrial development.Russia dominated the positive performance, contributing the majority of collective growth with a substantial production increase of 36.74bcm (+6.0%) and export expansion of 20.25bcm (+15.2%).Other notable performers included Iran, which added 6.82bcm of production (+2.5%) alongside strong domestic consumption growth; Nigeria, which achieved a remarkable domestic consumption expansion of 7.71bcm (+45.8%); and the United Arab Emirates, which increased production by 2.64bcm (+4.5%) while growing LNG exports by 0.68bcm (+9.8%).Several members faced operational challenges in 2024. Egypt experienced the most significant decline in production at 9.95bcm (-16.8%) and a substantial export reduction of 4.23bcm (-75.3%), reflecting ongoing infrastructure constraints and domestic demand pressures.Algeria’s production decreased by 7.21bcm (-6.8%) with exports dropping by 3.74bcm (-7.2%), while Bolivia recorded production and export declines of 1.46bcm (-11.2%) and 1.61bcm (-19.9%), respectively, as mature fields continued to decline. 

His Excellency Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani met on Thursday with Their Excellencies Ministers of Oil, Gas, and Energy participating in the Ministerial Meeting of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) in Doha. His Excellency welcomed the guests, wishing them success in their meeting. His Excellency the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, reiterated Qatar's call to enhance dialogue and cooperation among the GECF's member states to ensure the security of natural gas supplies and the stability of the global gas market.

His Excellency the Minister of State for Energy Affairs, Saad Sherida al-Kaabi has reaffirmed Qatar’s commitment to cooperate with members states “to promote natural gas as a primary vehicle to achieve access to cleaner energy.”He was addressing the opening session of the 27th Ministerial Meeting of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) in Doha today.Al-Kaabi who headed Qatar’s delegation to the Meeting said: “We must be clear in our opposition to trade barriers and discriminatory measures that disadvantage energy products, especially natural gas.”Al-Kaabi also affirmed that “despite geopolitical tensions and faltering climate policies, the outlook for natural gas - and particularly LNG - is positive. It is driven by economic growth in Asia, a growing desire for cleaner and more economic sources of energy, and booming power demand from data centers and artificial intelligence.”**media[372560]**The ministerial meeting tackled a number of issues of importance to the mission of the Forum particularly with regards to the role of natural gas in the ongoing energy transition.The Gas Exporting Countries Forum is a gathering of the world’s leading gas exporting countries. It aims to build a mechanism for a more meaningful dialogue between gas producers and consumers to ensure stability and security of supply and demand in global natural gas markets.

The opening session was addressed by His Excellency the Minister of State for Energy Affairs, Saad Sherida al-Kaabi and GECF Secretary General Mohamed Hamel. The 27th Ministerial Meeting of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) is currently taking place in Doha, bringing together official delegations, senior officials, researchers, and leading energy experts.The high-level gathering is providing a unique platform for dialogue and collaboration, focusing on the future of natural gas and its vital role in strengthening global energy security..

Africa’s projected 2050 population implies that the continent’s energy supply needs will have to increase more than fourfold from current levels to meet minimum development standards, according to GECF.In a recent report, the Doha-headquartered Gas Exporting Countries Forum said that despite a threefold increase in Africa’s primary energy demand since 1982, per capita energy consumption has remained essentially stagnant.This stagnation, it said, is largely a demographic result of population growth, which has seen the continent’s population expand by nearly one billion people over the same period.As demographic pressures intensified, energy supply struggled to keep pace, resulting in a widening structural imbalance between available energy and societal demand.Today, Africa’s average per capita energy consumption stands at just one-third of the global average, reinforcing the continent’s persistent energy access deficit and highlighting the growing divergence in global energy equity.This imbalance is mirrored in poverty trends. According to World Bank estimates using the international poverty line of $2.15 per day (2017 PPP), Africa’s poverty headcount ratio was around 41% in 1982 and remained stubbornly high at a similar level by 2019.In stark contrast, China provides a compelling illustration of how expanding energy access can catalyse poverty reduction: from 1982 to 2015, China’s poverty headcount fell dramatically from 88% to 0.7%, driven in part by a six fold increase in per capita energy consumption.Looking ahead, Africa is poised to experience one of the most profound demographic shifts globally, with its population projected to grow by nearly one billion people by 2050.Reputable forecasts from leading energy institutions anticipate a sharp rise in energy demand across the continent, GECF noted.However, given current trajectories and systemic constraints, energy supply growth is unlikely to keep pace with population expansion.As a result, per capita energy consumption is commonly used as a proxy for energy access. It is not predicted to experience any meaningful increase by mid-century, and the absolute number of people living in energy poverty may rise further under these scenarios, exacerbating socioeconomic vulnerabilities of the continent and beyond.These concerning scenarios raise a fundamental question as to the level of energy demand necessary to address energy poverty and support human development in Africa effectively.Two complementary approaches help frame this question. First, examining international best practices, such as China’s integration of energy expansion with rapid industrialisation, job creation and poverty eradication, offers important lessons.Second, from a human development needs and economic empowerment perspective, multiple studies converge around a minimum per capita energy threshold of 50 to 100 GJ/year, below which human development is severely constrained.A widely cited benchmark is 70 GJ/person/year, which is aligned with an HDI greater than 0.8, deemed sufficient to meet essential needs such as nutrition, housing, mobility, education, and health.Applying this threshold to Africa’s projected 2050 population implies that energy supply would need to increase more than fourfold from current levels to meet minimum development standards.While Africa possesses a diverse endowment of energy and mineral resources, including natural gas and renewable energy, achieving this scale of supply expansion constitutes a monumental undertaking, one that will require massive infrastructure investment, scaled-up access to innovative and affordable finance, adoption of context-specific technological solutions, and predictable, efficient and coherent policy and regulatory frameworks.GECF noted the continent has already embarked on significant initiatives to address persistent energy access challenges. The African Union’s Agenda 2063—Africa’s “blueprint and master plan for transforming the continent into a global powerhouse of the future”—sets out a vision of inclusive and sustainable development, fostering unity, self-determination, and collective prosperity.Similarly, Mission 300, spearheaded by the World Bank Group and the African Development Bank (AfDB), commits to providing electricity access to 300mn people in Sub-Saharan Africa by 2030, a transformative step towards achieving universal energy access.

Market EyeQatar remains among the top three LNG exporters globally in the latest data released by Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF).Last month, global LNG exports surged by 12% y-o-y (3.83mn tonnes) to reach 36.55mn tonnes, a "record high" for the month and the "strongest" annual growth rate since July 2019.The increase was driven by higher exports from both GECF Member Countries and non-GECF countries, which more than offset a decline in LNG re-exports.Between January and July 2025, global LNG exports rose by 5.0% y-o-y (11.93mn tonnes) to reach 249.66mn tonnes, largely supported by gains from non-GECF exporters, and to a lesser extent by GECF Member Countries and LNG re-exports.Non-GECF countries remained the largest exporters in July, with their market share rising to 55.2%, up from 53.1% a year earlier.In contrast, the shares of GECF Member Countries and LNG re-exports declined from 45.5% and 1.4% to 44.3% and 0.5%, respectively.In July, LNG exports from GECF member and observer countries rose by 8.7% y-o-y (1.30mn tonnes) to reach 16.20mn tonnes. At the country level, Algeria, Equatorial Guinea, Malaysia, Mauritania, Nigeria, Peru, Qatar, Senegal, and Trinidad and Tobago contributed to the increase, offsetting a decline in exports from the United Arab Emirates.From January to July, GECF LNG exports grew by 1.8% year-on-year (1.99mn tonnes) to 113.59mn tonnes. The additional volumes were mainly driven by Angola, Mauritania, Nigeria, Qatar, Senegal and Trinidad and Tobago.In Algeria and Malaysia, reduced maintenance activities at the Arzew and Bintulu LNG facilities, respectively, supported the rise in exports.Additionally, higher feedgas availability boosted LNG exports from Equatorial Guinea, Malaysia, Nigeria, Peru and Trinidad and Tobago. The ramp-up of production from the GTA FLNG 1 facility in Mauritania/Senegal continued to support growing export volumes from both countries.Qatar’s LNG export growth was supported by production exceeding the nameplate capacity at the Ras Laffan liquefaction complex, GECF data show.Conversely, the decline in LNG exports from the United Arab Emirates was attributed to planned maintenance at the Das Island LNG facility.In July, non-GECF countries’ LNG exports surged by 16% y-o-y (2.82mn tonnes) to reach 20.18mn tonnes, which is the second highest monthly LNG exports after March 2025.The stronger LNG exports was driven by Australia, Canada, Mexico, and the US, which together offset weaker LNG exports from Norway.Between January and July 2025, non-GECF LNG exports grew by 7.9% (9.80mn tonnes) y-o-y to 134.03mn tonnes, supported by stronger LNG exports from Canada, Mexico and the US.Stronger LNG output from Gorgon and Ichthys—due to reduced maintenance—boosted Australia’s LNG exports, offsetting lower flows from North West Shelf caused by limited feedgas.In Canada and Mexico, rising exports were driven by ramp-ups at LNG Canada and Altamira FLNG 1, respectively.The US saw the largest non-GECF increase, led by surging volumes from Corpus Christi, Freeport, and Plaquemines. Corpus Christi and Plaquemines benefited from new train ramp-ups, while Freeport’s gains stemmed from reduced maintenance and debottlenecking that expanded production capacity.