Red Sea disruption to impact deliveries, not output: QatarEnergy CEO

Kaabi added that ships having to divert away from the Red Sea and travel around Africa instead was not ideal as this added cost and took longer. Shutterstock
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Updated 19 February 2024
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Red Sea disruption to impact deliveries, not output: QatarEnergy CEO

RAS LAFFAN: Disruption to shipping in the Red Sea region will impact QatarEnergy’s deliveries of liquefied natural gas but not its production, CEO Saad al-Kaabi said on Monday.

“It’s only going to take longer to get it there. But it will not reach a point where we have to stop production because there isn’t any ship. We’re okay,” Kaabi said at a groundbreaking ceremony at the Ras Laffan petrochemical complex.

Kaabi added that ships having to divert away from the Red Sea and travel around Africa instead was not ideal as this added cost and took longer.

One of the world’s largest exporters of LNG, QatarEnergy said in January that it had stopped sailing via the Red Sea citing security concerns.

Yemen’s Houthis have attacked shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden since November in what they say is an effort to support Palestinians in the war with Israel.

“Whether you talk about LNG, crude, LPG condensate, it’s exactly the same thing for all these products,” Kaabi said.

“It’s going to add cost, it’s going to add time and it’s also going to add constraint with actual deliveries.”

Sailing from Qatar to Europe via Africa’s Cape of Good Hope could add around nine days to the 18-day voyage.

Kaabi, while noting most of QatarEnergy’s production goes to Asia, said he hoped the Red Sea problem would be resolved with an end to fighting in Gaza.

“I think when that stops, according to what we hear from the Houthis …hopefully there’s a ceasefire soon ...so that the economic impact on the entire world stops.”


Saudi Arabia leads outcome-based education to prepare future-ready generations: Harvard Business Review

A Harvard sign is seen at the Harvard University campus in Boston, Massachusetts, on May 27, 2025. (AFP)
Updated 10 February 2026
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Saudi Arabia leads outcome-based education to prepare future-ready generations: Harvard Business Review

  • The Riyadh-based school group developed a strategy that links every classroom activity to measurable student competencies, aiming to graduate learners equipped for the digital economy and real-world contexts

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s education system is undergoing a sweeping transformation aligned with Vision 2030, shifting from traditional, input-focused methods to outcome-based education designed to equip students with future-ready skills, Harvard Business Review Arabic reported.

The transformation is being adopted and spearheaded by institutions such as Al-Nobala Private Schools, which introduced the Kingdom’s first national “learning outcomes framework,” aimed at preparing a generation of leaders and innovators for an AI-driven future, the report said.

Al-Nobala has leveraged international expertise to localize advanced learning methodologies.

The Riyadh-based school group developed a strategy that links every classroom activity to measurable student competencies, aiming to graduate learners equipped for the digital economy and real-world contexts. The school’s group approach combines traditional values with 21st-century skills such as critical thinking, communication, innovation and digital fluency.

According to the report, the shift addresses the growing gap between outdated models built for low-tech, resource-constrained environments and today’s dynamic world, where learners must navigate real-time information, virtual platforms, and smart technologies.

“This is not just about teaching content, it’s about creating impact,” the report noted, citing how Al-Nobala’s model prepares students to thrive in an AI-driven world while aligning with national priorities.

The report noted that Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Education has paved the way for this shift by transitioning from a centralized controller to a strategic enabler, allowing schools such as Al-Nobala to tailor their curriculum to meet evolving market and societal needs. This is part of the long-term goal to place the Kingdom among the top 20 global education systems.

Al-Nobala’s work, the report stated, has succeeded in serving the broader national effort to link education outcomes directly to labor market demands, helping to fulfill the Vision 2030 pillar of building a vibrant society with a thriving economy driven by knowledge and innovation.

Last February, Yousef bin Abdullah Al-Benyan, Saudi Arabia’s minister of education, said that the Kingdom was making “an unprecedented investment in education,” with spending aligned to the needs of growth and development. He said that in 2025, education received the second-largest share of the state budget, totaling $53.5 billion.