H.E. Eng. Mohamed Hamel, Secretary General of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF), participated in a high-level Strategic Panel titled “How Geopolitics is Reshaping the Natural Gas and LNG Market” on Day 2 of ADIPEC 2025 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
Moderated by Mr. Ed Crooks, Vice Chair – Americas at Wood Mackenzie, the session featured energy leaders including Ms. Yumiko Yao, Executive Officer of Tokyo Gas; Mr. Sandeep Kumar Gupta, Chairman and Managing Director of GAIL; and Dr. Philip Mshelbila, Managing Director and CEO of Nigeria LNG.
In his remarks, H.E. Eng. Hamel reaffirmed the resilience of natural gas amid recent crises, declaring, “The golden age of gas is not behind us — it is still ahead.” He cited GECF forecasts indicating global gas demand will grow by 1.6% in 2025 and expand by 32% by 2050.
Addressing the expansion of the LNG industry, H.E. noted that while the anticipated addition of 250 Mtpa of liquefaction capacity by 2030 may exert downward pressure on spot prices, it also opens doors for demand growth, particularly in Asia’s price-sensitive markets. Lower prices, he explained, could accelerate coal-to-gas switching and help fuel emerging energy needs such as data centers, LNG-fueled heavy-duty vehicles, and bunkering services.
On market diversification, H.E. highlighted the growing number of LNG exporters and importers, the evolving mix of short, medium, and long-term contracts, and the portfolio diversification of natural gas producers towards value-added gas-based products like petrochemicals and fertilizers.
H.E. expressed concern over the extraterritorial implications of EU regulations such as the Methane Regulation, Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, and Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive, stating that they are inconsistent with the Paris Agreement and WTO rules.
In closing, H.E. emphasized the critical role of natural gas in addressing both advanced and developing world challenges: “As AI and data centers drive future electricity demand—where natural gas could meet 50% of the additional generation—we must also remember that 2.1 billion people still lack access to clean energy. Natural gas is essential to eradicating energy poverty and enabling inclusive development.”