QatarEnergy and Petronet ink deal to supply LNG to India 

Qatar’s Energy Minister Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi and Indian Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Suri witness the signing of the deal. QatarEnergy
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Updated 07 February 2024
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QatarEnergy and Petronet ink deal to supply LNG to India 

RIYADH: India’s liquefied natural gas supply is poised for expansion through a 20-year agreement between QatarEnergy and Petronet, entailing the annual purchase of 7.5 million tonnes. 

The contracted LNG volumes will be delivered via QatarEnergy’s vast fleet starting from May 2028, according to a press release. 

Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi, Qatar’s minister of state for energy affairs, said: “This agreement is another key milestone in the long-standing energy partnership between Qatar and India and comes on the heels of the 20th anniversary of the first LNG shipment to India.”  

Al-Kaabi, who is also the president and CEO of QatarEnergy, added: “We believe that this new agreement, with our valued customers Petronet LNG and its esteemed shareholder companies, will further strengthen the relationship with India and support its vision to increase the contribution of natural gas in its energy mix.”  

Petronet first entered into an agreement for the supply of LNG from Qatar in 1999 for the delivery of 7.5 million tonnes per annum.  

It was followed in 2015 by another agreement for the supply of an additional 1 mtpa of LNG, raising the total annual long-term volumes contracted between the two sides to 8.5 mtpa. 

In January 2024, QatarEnergy also signed another deal with US-based Execelerate Energy to supply LNG in Bangladesh.  

Under the 15-year agreement, Excelerate will buy up to 1 mtpa of LNG from QatarEnergy, which will be delivered to floating storage and regasification units in Bangladesh, starting in January 2026. 

In 2023, QatarEnergy signed significant agreements to supply LNG to various countries worldwide.  

In October, the energy giant signed an agreement with Eni to supply up to 1 mtpa of LNG to Italy. In the same month, QatarEnergy and TotalEnergies signed two agreements to supply up to 3.5 mpta of LNG to France.  

In May, the Qatari company signed another agreement with China Petrochemical Corp., also known as Sinopec, to deliver 3 mpta of LNG to the Asian giant. 


Saudi Arabia’s cultural sector is a new economic engine between Riyadh and Paris, says ambassador

Updated 25 January 2026
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Saudi Arabia’s cultural sector is a new economic engine between Riyadh and Paris, says ambassador

RIYADH: Culture has become a fundamental pillar in bilateral relations between France and Saudi Arabia, according to the French Ambassador to the Kingdom, Patrick Maisonnave.

Maisonnave noted its connection to the entertainment and tourism sectors, which makes it a new engine for economic cooperation between Riyadh and Paris.

He told Al-Eqtisadiah during the opening ceremony of La Fabrique in the Jax district of Diriyah that cultural cooperation with Saudi Arabia is an important element for its attractiveness in the coming decades.

La Fabrique is a space dedicated to artistic creativity and cultural exchange, launched as part of a partnership between the Riyadh Art program and the French Institute in Riyadh. 

Running from Jan. 22 until Feb 14, the initiative will provide an open workspace that allows artists to develop and work on their ideas within a collaborative framework.

Launching La Fabrique as a space dedicated to artistic creativity

The ambassador highlighted that the transformation journey in the Kingdom under Vision 2030 has contributed to the emergence of a new generation of young artists and creators, alongside a growing desire in Saudi society to connect with culture and to embrace what is happening globally. 

He affirmed that the relationship between the two countries is “profound, even cultural par excellence,” with interest from the Saudi side in French culture, matched by increasing interest from the French public and cultural institutions unfolding in the Kingdom.

Latest estimates indicate that the culture-based economy represents about 2.3 percent of France’s gross domestic product, equivalent to more than 90 billion euros ($106.4 billion) in annual revenues, according to government data. The sector directly employs more than 600,000 people, making it one of the largest job-creating sectors in the fields of creativity, publishing, cinema, and visual arts.

Saudi Arabia benefiting from French experience in the cultural field

Maisonnave explained that France possesses established cultural institutions, while Saudi Arabia is building a strong cultural sector, which opens the door for cooperation opportunities.

This comes as an extension of the signing of 10 major cultural agreements a year ago between French and Saudi institutions, aiming to enhance cooperation and transfer French expertise and knowledge to contribute to the development of the cultural system in the Kingdom.

He added that experiences like La Fabrique provide an opportunity to meet the new generation of Saudi creators, who have expressed interest in connecting with French institutions and artists in Paris and France.

La Fabrique encompasses a space for multiple contemporary artistic practices, including performance arts, digital and interactive arts, photography, music, and cinema, while providing the public with an opportunity to witness the stages of producing artistic works and interact with the creative process.