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Saad bin Sharida Al-Kaabi made the call in remarks carried by the Qatar News Agency at the gathering convened under the theme Energy Security – A Shared Responsibility: Market Fundamentals Supply Chain Resilience and the New Dynamics of Demand and Supply. Al-Kaabi who also serves as president and chief executive of QatarEnergy advocated that energy must never be made a victim or target of conflict. The minister described the ongoing regional conflict as having caused by far the world’s worst energy crisis by affecting the flow of around 20 percent of global hydrocarbon supplies. He added that many regional energy assets had been targeted causing tens of billions of dollars in damage and severe volatility in global markets.
Al-Kaabi stated that if there is one lesson learned from the past few months it is that energy security as critical as it is to the global economy remains highly vulnerable and inseparable from geopolitical security. The International Energy Forum which facilitates dialogue among major producers and consumers provided the setting for the discussion according to the Qatar News Agency report. Such forums have grown in importance as supply chain disruptions have multiplied in recent years with the minister using the platform to stress the need for collective action.
The minister highlighted the wider human consequences noting that a billion people still lack access to electricity while approximately four billion people depend on food produced using manufactured fertilizers that rely on energy inputs. Al-Kaabi said the impact on all those lives should remind the international community of its shared responsibility to safeguard energy security protect the free flow of energy and keep energy above politics and conflicts. He has echoed similar positions in prior appearances including at the Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference where he emphasised avoiding the politicisation of energy policies.
Al-Kaabi called on the forum to explore every possible avenue to protect energy infrastructure during times of conflict. The minister described it as a real problem that energy infrastructure has become both an economic asset and a strategic military target. He added that energy security must unite participants rather than divide them and that it must be protected not weaponized according to the account distributed by the Qatar News Agency.
The minister’s intervention comes as global energy markets continue to navigate heightened risks with Qatar maintaining its position as a leading liquefied natural gas supplier. QatarEnergy has pursued expansions aimed at meeting rising demand from Asia and Europe while incorporating lower-carbon technologies the company has stated in previous updates. Al-Kaabi’s latest remarks reinforce a consistent theme in Qatar’s energy diplomacy that views reliable supplies as essential to global economic stability.
Participants at the Riyadh meeting included energy ministers from across producer and consumer nations reflecting the forum’s mandate to foster cooperation on market fundamentals and resilience. The event occurred against a backdrop of ongoing regional tensions that have underscored the interdependence of energy and security issues. Al-Kaabi’s address served to refocus attention on practical measures that could prevent future weaponisation of critical infrastructure.
