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Qatar has taken part in celebrations marking the 50th anniversary of the Arab Bureau of Education for the Gulf States, held in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, with senior officials highlighting education as a moral and strategic priority for the region. Qatar’s delegation was led by Her Excellency the Minister of Education and Higher Education Lolwah bint Rashid AlKhater, accompanied by His Excellency Ibrahim bin Saleh al-Nuaimi, the ministry’s undersecretary and other senior officials. The event was attended by education ministers from across the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC), as well as representatives of leading regional and international organisations. On the sidelines of the celebrations, HE AlKhater toured an accompanying exhibition and witnessed the signing of several strategic agreements and partnerships between the Arab Bureau of Education and prominent international and research institutions. These included Unesco, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), and the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA). A high-level dialogue session on the future of education in the Gulf States was also held. Speaking during the session, HE AlKhater described the Arab Bureau of Education as a centre of expertise that has successfully combined long-standing experience with forward-looking vision. She praised its role in supporting educational reform and strengthening a shared Gulf vision for the future. She said Qatar views education as an ethical commitment focused on developing responsible individuals who are confident in their identity and equipped with initiative and leadership skills. Highlighting national efforts in education and higher education, the minister pointed to the launch of an updated national curriculum in 2025, designed to align with global developments while preserving national values. She also stressed Qatar’s commitment to ensuring equal educational opportunities for people with disabilities. On digital transformation, HE AlKhater said Qatar has embraced artificial intelligence technologies and is working to produce Gulf-based educational knowledge capable of inspiring innovation beyond the region. The golden jubilee celebrations underscored the growing emphasis among Gulf states on regional cooperation, global partnerships and digital innovation as key drivers of future education systems. 

The International Energy Agency (IEA) announced that global demand for oil and gas may continue to rise until 2050, marking a departing from its previous forecasts that had predicted a faster shift toward clean fuels.The Agency, headquartered in France, said in its World Energy Outlook 2025 report that oil demand could reach 113 million barrels per day by mid-century, an increase of 1 3% compared to 2024 levels. It added that global energy demand is expected to rise by 15% by 2035 under the current policies scenario, which assumes the continuation of existing government measures without factoring in more ambitious climate goals.The report also pointed to a significant potential increase in liquefied natural gas (LNG) projects, with around 300 billion cubic meters of additional export capacity to be added by 2030. This would expand the market from 560 billion cubic meters in 2024 to more than one trillion cubic meters by 2050, driven by growing demand in sectors such as artificial intelligence and data centers.The IEA further projected that investments in data centers could reach USD 580 billion in 2025, surpassing global annual spending on oil, which currently stands at around USD 540 billion.