Arab News
Arab
News, Thu, Mar 26, 2026 | Shawwal 7, 1447
Middle East energy infrastructure repairs could exceed $25bn, analysts warn
Saudi Arabia:
Energy infrastructure repair and restoration bills
across the Middle East could reach at least $25 billion, according to a new
analysis as the cost of the Iran conflict continues to grow.
Independent energy research company Rystad Energy
made the claim after considering the reported damage and shutdowns affecting
liquefied natural gas trains, refineries, fuel terminals and critical
gas-to-liquids facilities across the region.
The firm warned that Qatar’s Ras Laffan Industrial
City, which has seen the destruction of LNG trains and a 17 percent capacity
reduction, could take up to five years to make a full recovery.
QatarEnergy, which owns the site, has been
one of a number of energy companies in the region to trigger force majeure
clauses since the conflict began on Feb. 28.
Audun Martinsen, head of supply chain
research at Rystad Energy, warned that the Gulf region’s recovery will be
defined less by financial capital and more by structural constraints.
“While some assets may be restored within months,
others could remain offline for years,” he said, adding: “Beyond the status of
the Strait of Hormuz, every day of damaged or shut-in infrastructure pushes
pre-war production capacity further out of reach.”
Another costing came from the CEO of container
shipping company Hapag-Lloyd.
Rolf Habben Jansen told news broadcaster ntv that
his firm faces additional costs of $40 million to $50 million a week due to the
Iran crisis.
“We can’t just brush that off easily,” he
said, adding that the extra costs will likely be passed on to customers.