Qatar energy minister hails China partnerships on LNG, renewables, supertankers
- After his visit to Beijing to sign US$6 billion shipbuilding deal, Saad bin Sherida al-Kaabi reports friendly meetings and good prospects for further cooperation
- Behind the shipping deal, there is strong demand for the Gulf state’s natural gas from China, which is now Qatar’s largest customer
“We have very good relations with the Chinese authorities and companies,” Saad bin Sherida al-Kaabi said at the ministry’s headquarters in downtown Doha.
“I met all the Chinese entities that are related to energy and all chairmen, who are very good friends,” said Kaabi, who two weeks ago was in Beijing to sign the world’s most valuable shipbuilding contract for the construction of LNG vessels.
“The shipbuilding industry of [South] Korea is where we went to [buy] all our ships in the past. Now, because of the size of what we’re trying to build, and also because of the improvement and capabilities, [it is] the Chinese shipyard that we are using.”
The US$6 billion order from Doha-controlled QatarEnergy will see China State Shipbuilding Corporation build 18 tankers with individual capacities of 271,000 cubic metres (889,000 cu ft) – 57 per cent larger than standard LNG tankers.
The Gulf state was “very proud to have a relationship with the Chinese shipyards”, Kaabi said.