Energy, economy, environment and sustainable development in the Middle East and North Africa

In this presentation, we review the present state of energy demand and production in the Middle East and the world. Oil and gas reserves in the ME/NA region and their role in providing energy demand for the world as well as the economy of the region arc examined. The future of oil and gas reserves in the region and how long they will last along with existing coal reserves are reviewed. Several scenarios for the energy demand of the world by 2050 and the role of renewable sources of energy are also reviewed. The impacts of quality of crude oil and its products on the environment and changing fuel standards in the developed countries and their effects on the market and industry are reviewed. What factors affect the price of oil and gas in the future? What would be economical use of oil and gas resources and options for the industry? These issues and more are discussed in this paper. [Received: January 18, 2010; Accepted: March 31, 2010]