Kuwait: Oil wealth and the need to rethink energy diplomacy

Kuwait exports oil, yet relies on imported gas and regional electricity trade to power its economy. This dual position demonstrates why hydrocarbon wealth does not automatically deliver energy security. Oil revenues provide purchasing power; reliable supply also requires functioning power plants, fuel-receiving infrastructure and dependable transport routes. On 2nd April 2025, rising demand and generation capacity restricted by maintenance prompted temporary power cuts in some industrial and agricultural areas. Reuters reported that the outages lasted less than two hours. The problem was not oil underground, but the temporary inability to turn available resources into deliverable electricity. Kuwait’s energy diplomacy must address both sides of this equation: maintaining oil exports and securing gas and electricity supplies. International agreements and domestic reforms […]