Israel’s largest gas producer, NewMed Energy and one of the country’s leading renewables firms Enlight on 15 August announced an MoU with a view to “extensive collaboration” on the “development, financing, construction and operation of renewable energy projects (including solar projects, wind projects, energy storage…) in several target countries, including Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, the UAE, Bahrain, Oman and Saudi Arabia.”
Of the seven named countries Saudi Arabia is the most eye-catching given its lack of diplomatic relations with Israel. Oman also has no diplomatic relation with Israel. At the other extreme Jordan and Egypt already have substantial energy ties with Israel (MEES, 19 August) whilst relations with the UAE have expanded rapidly since the signing of the 2020 ‘Abraham Accords’ peace deal (MEES, 30 April 2021) – the key UAE-Israel energy deal to date was state firm Mubadala’s purchase from NewMed of 22% of Israel’s second largest gas field, Tamar (MEES, 10 December 2021). (CONTINUED - 177 WORDS)