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29 March 2024

UAE is second largest energy consumer in the Arab world

Published
By Staff

Energy demand in the UAE grew by around 2.14 per cent in 2010 to make it the second largest consumer of oil and other hydrocarbon products in the Arab world, according to an official report.

Saudi Arabia remained the top energy consumer in the region while Egypt receded to the third position after it was overtaken by the UAE, the second largest Arab economy, showed the report by the 10-nation Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC).

From around 1.447 million equivalent barrels per day of oil (ebpd) in 2009, total energy consumption in the UAE increased to a record 1.478 million ebdp in 2010, the Kuwaiti-based OAPEC said in its annual report issued this week.

Experts attributed the high energy demand in the UAE to a steady expansion in non-hydrocarbon sectors over the past years, mainly manufacturing which has become the second largest component of GDP after oil.

Energy consumption in Saudi Arabia, the largest Arab economy and the world’s top oil exporter, swelled to around three million ebpd from 2.92 million ebpd while demand in Egypt rose to 1.398 million ebpd from 1.358 million ebpd.

Other major energy consumers in the region include Iraq, with round 700,000 ebpd, Qatar with 660,000 ebpd, Algeria with 645,000 ebpd, Kuwait with 515,000 ebpd and Libya with round 513,000 ebpd.OAPEC’s total energy consumption grew by about 2.9 per cent to 9.828 million ebpd from 9.544 million ebpd, according to the report.In terms of individual energy consumption, gas-rich Qatar topped the list, with a per capita consumption of 134.5 ebpd in 2010.

The UAE was second, with a rate of 101.6 epbd, followed by Kuwait with around 48.6 ebpd and Saudi Arabia, with nearly 43.3 ebpd. Tunisia had the lowest per capita consumption rate of six ebpd, followed by Egypt and Algeria, with 6.6 ebpd.

A breakdown showed oil products were the highest component of the energy mix in the Arab world, standing at 4.957 million ebpd in 2010.

Gas consumption was estimated at 4.729 million bpd while consumption of electricity and coal stood at around 108,00 ebpd and 34,000 ebpd respectively.

Oil products demand in the UAE stood at 358,000 bpd in 2010 while it was estimated at 1.82 million bpd in Saudi Arabia, 700,000 in Egypt, 500,000 bpd in Iraq, 440,000 bpd in Kuwait, 330,000 bpd in Algeria and 306,000 bpd in Syria.

The UAE emerged as the second largest gas consumer in the region, with demand peaking at nearly 1.12 million ebpd.

Saudi Arabia was the top consumer, with around 1.18 million ebpd followed by Qatar with 560,000 ebpd.

Take together, the UAE and Saudi Arabia accounted for nearly 49 per cent of the total Arab gas consumption in 2010.