WHEN the relationship between Pakistan and United States turned sour after Salala incident in May 2011, it was feared that allied forces could lose the plot on war against terror. The two year long stalemate has allowed both countries to reassess the importance of their engagement and define common goals to safeguard their national interests. In this regard, the recent agreement between US Secretary of State John Kerry and new leadership of Pakistan to deepen their partnership and revive the strategic dialogue is a good omen for regional stability.
With the allied forces slated to withdraw from Afghanistan in 2014, a stable and prosperous Pakistan is key to ensuring a safe exit from the war-ravaged country. The US fully appreciates Pakistan’s efforts in facilitating a dialogue process with the Taleban and end violence in neighboring Afghanistan. The country has also led from the front and sacrificed the lives of several thousands of civilians and security forces in the fight against terror. Pakistan’s turbulent north region, which borders Afghanistan, is key to withdrawal of US forces from the region as it is remains a key logistics route. To achieve its objectives, the US administration has expressed its interest to develop its mercurial relationship with Pakistan on a broader and more comprehensive level.
However, the strategic dialogue faces several thorny issues that have remained in the spotlight of Pakistan’s public. Drone attacks that violate Pakistan’s sovereignty and the return of Dr. Aafia top the list of these contentious issues. The US government needs to urgently resolve these outstanding issues to change its perception in Pakistan and overcome other obstacles to counterterrorism. At the same time, the US should also extend greater financial support to Pakistan and encourage US-based companies to explore the country’s tremendous business potential. Any US support to overcome the country’s crippling energy crisis and sluggish economic growth would be welcomed by Pakistan. The US has already previously warned Pakistan that any decision to import gas from Iran to deal with the country’s persistent energy shortages would prove counterproductive and harm regional stability.
Reviving relations with Pakistan are also in the interest of America’s greater designs for the Asian region. The US is seeking to protect its strategic interests by trying to contain China’s growing influence in the region. China’s military and economic rise has posed a serious challenge to US dominance in the region. As Pakistan and China historically enjoy brotherly relations, the US efforts to revitalize its relationship with Pakistan may face a limitation and strategic dialogue may only yield mixed results. Warm ties between the US and India may also help the peace process between India and its archrival Pakistan. By bringing the two sides on a negotiation table, the US can actively play its role in ensuring regional peace and stability. Nevertheless, Pakistan’s stand on Kashmir issue could prove to be an irritant in the dialogue and disrupt the peace efforts. At the same time, Pakistan may use its influence on Iran to convince its neighbor to surrender its nuclear ambitions as desired by the US and global community.
Despite its limitations, close cooperation between Pakistan and the US remains in the best interests of South Asia. Full restoration of bilateral ties between the two countries, based on mutual respect and understanding, would help Pakistan to deal with its internal and external challenges, while at the same time promote US interests in the region.
• This article is exclusive to Arab News.
US-Pak ties key to region’s stability
US-Pak ties key to region’s stability
‘The age of electricity’: WEF panel says geopolitics is redefining global energy security
- Surging demand, critical minerals, US-China rivalry reshaping energy security as nations compete for influence, infrastructure, control over world’s energy future
LONDON: Electricity is rapidly replacing oil as the world’s most strategic energy commodity, and nations are racing to secure reliable supply and influence in a changing energy landscape.
Global electricity demand is growing nearly three times faster than overall energy consumption, driven by artificial intelligence, electric vehicles, and rising use of air-conditioning in a warming world.
“We are entering the age of electricity,” said Fatih Birol, the executive director of the International Energy Agency, during a panel discussion titled “Who is Winning on Energy Security?” at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Tuesday.
Unlike oil, electricity cannot be stockpiled at scale, forcing governments and companies to prioritize generation, transmission, and storage, making regions with stable infrastructure increasingly important on the global stage.
US-China rivalry
Energy security is increasingly about control and influence, not just supply. The rivalry between the US and China now extends beyond oil to critical minerals, energy infrastructure, and long-term energy partnerships.
“The contrast between the US approach and China’s is stark,” said Meghan O’Sullivan, director of Harvard University’s Belfer Center. “The US, until recently, focused on access, not control. China flips that, seeking long-term influence and making producers more dependent on them.”
O’Sullivan highlighted China’s Belt and Road Initiative, which invests in energy infrastructure and critical minerals across Africa, Latin America, and Asia to secure influence over production and supply chains.
“It’s not just the desire to control oil production itself, but to control who develops resources,” she said, citing Venezuela as an example. The South American nation holds some of the world’s largest crude oil reserves, giving it outsized geopolitical importance. Recent US moves to expand influence over Venezuelan oil flows illustrate the broader trend that great powers are competing to shape who benefits from energy resources, not just the resources themselves.
“There’s no question that the intensified geopolitical competition between great powers is playing out in more competition for energy resources, particularly as the energy system becomes more complex,” O’Sullivan added.
Global drivers of the electricity era
The rise of electricity as a strategic commodity is also transforming global supply chains. Copper, lithium, and other minerals have become essential to modern energy systems.
“A new ‘energy commodity’ is copper,” said Mike Henry, CEO of BHP. “Electricity demand is growing three times faster than primary energy, and copper is essential for wires, data centers, and renewable energy. We expect a near doubling, about a 70 percent increase in copper demand over 25 years.”
Yet deposits are harder to access, refining is concentrated in a few countries, and supply chains are politically exposed.
“The world’s ability to generate electricity reliably will increasingly depend on materials and infrastructure outside traditional oil and gas markets,” Birol said.
AI and digital technologies amplify the challenge with large-scale data centers consuming enormous amounts of electricity.
The Middle East’s strategic relevance
While the global focus is on electricity demand and great-power rivalry, the Middle East illustrates how traditional energy hubs are adapting.
Majid Jafar, the CEO of Crescent Petroleum, highlighted the region’s enduring advantages: abundant reserves, low-carbon potential, and strategic geography.
“Geopolitical instability reinforces, if anything, the Middle East’s role as a supplier with scale, affordability, availability, and some of the lowest carbon reserves,” he said.
Jafar emphasized the region’s ability to navigate the growing US-China rivalry.
“Amid US-China global friction, the Middle East has managed to remain on good terms with both sides,” he said, noting that flexible policy and engagement help preserve influence while balancing competing interests.
The region is also adapting to the electricity-driven era. AI data centers and digital technologies are multiplying power needs. Jafar said: “One minute of video consumes roughly an hour’s electricity for an average Western household. Multiply that across millions of servers and billions of people and the scale is staggering.”
Infrastructure investments further strengthen the Middle East’s strategic position. In the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, the Runaki Project has expanded natural gas–fueled power plants to provide 24/7 electricity to millions of residents and businesses, reducing reliance on diesel generators and supporting economic growth.
According to Jafar, the combination of energy resources, capital, leadership, and agile policymaking gives the Middle East a competitive edge in meeting global electricity demand and navigating the complex geopolitics of energy.
While the panel highlighted the Middle East as one example, in the age of electricity, energy security is defined as much by influence and infrastructure as by barrels of oil, with the US-China rivalry determining who gains and who is left behind.
