Energy Investments of 345.1 Billion Required in Arab Countries Over the 2007-2011 Period

摘要

For the fourth year in a row,Arab countries'oil export earnings increased substantially in 2006,rising by 21.3% to 397.2 billion from 327.4 billion in 2005.That increase followed bounds of 40.8% in 2004 and 43.5% in 2005.It was partly the consequence of the sharp rise in world oil prices,which saw the value of the OPEC crude basket rise from an average of 24.36/b in 2002 to 61.08/b in 2006,and it was partly the result of a growth in the oil exports of Arab countries,whether members of OAPEC or not,which rose by 21.2% over the 2002-2006 period.This inflow of capital into the Middle East and North Africa is expected to augment further in the coming years,due in particular to the growth in world energy needs and to the inevitable increase in Arab countries'exports of crude oil and petroleum products,in addition to which their exports of natural gas and petrochemicals have also to be taken into account.