Morocco and Qatar to boost Energy cooperation

Doha – The Minister of Energy, Mines, Water and Environment, Abdelkader Amara, met Thursday in Doha, with Sheikh Khalid Bin Khalifa Al-Thani, CEO of the company “Qatargas” and Mohamed Ben Salah Al-Sada, Qatari Minister of Energy and Industry, on ways to develop cooperation between Morocco and Qatar in the energy field.

These interviews took place in the margins of Mr. Amara participation in the Brookings Energy Forum 2015, held in the Qatari capital on the theme “Energy Stability or false sense of security: how geopolitical changes, political economy and markets are changing the energy landscape? “.

In a statement to MAP following his meetings with the two leaders Qatari Minister said he briefed the General Director of “Qatargas” Morocco’s vision for energy issues and the role that can play LNG in creating a balance in the energy landscape in Morocco and strengthen the integration of renewable energies in the field of electricity.

The meeting was marked by an inspiring exchange on the LNG market and its future, and the potential of Qatar and Morocco’s needs in this energy source, has he indicated, adding, in this sense, experts accompanying during this movement held in Doha on Wednesday a meeting with experts and officials of the Company ‘Qatargas’ and agreed to explore areas of cooperation between Qatar and Morocco in the fields of energy and ways to implement them.

Commenting on his meeting with his Qatari counterpart, Mohamed Ben Salah Al-Sada, which was attended by heads of leading companies specializing in the sector (Qatargas, Qatar Petroleum and Energy Nibras), Mr. Amara stressed that this meeting was an opportunity to showcase Morocco’s roadmap for energy in general, but also to show the importance of Qatari gas to support Morocco’s efforts in the renewable energy sector.

Mr. Amara continued the Qatari minister expressed his disposal in his capacity as head of the energy sector in his country to develop cooperation between Rabat and Doha in this area and, through the exchange information and ideas, and allowing Morocco to benefit from the experience and expertise accumulated by Qatar in the field of liquefied gas.

Qatar is currently the fourth largest among gas producing countries and its production has been a qualitative leap in the past decade thanks to rising global demand and a decline in supply, especially after the Fukushima disaster in Japan in 2011 as exports rose from 18 million tonnes per year in 2002 to 77,200,000 tons in 2013.

A large delegation accompanying Mr. Amara in Doha. It is made including the Director General of the National Office of Hydrocarbons and Mining Amina Benkhadra the Director General of the National Office of Electricity and drinking water, Ali Fassi Fihri, and the Secretary General of Department of Energy and Mines, Abderrahim Hafidi, in addition to experts in the field.