VIENNA // Libya's Opec delegate arrived three hours into the group's meeting, injecting uncertainty to the group's already difficult negotiations.
Omran Abu Kraa, Libya's former electricity chief, entered Opec headquarters in Vienna through a basement garage today, avoiding reporters waiting at the building's main entrance.
“They want to still have a say,” said Catherine Hunter, an analyst with IHS in London. “It keeps the illusion of normality. It’s not a done deal that the government side will not prevail, so they’ve got to keep up their representation as a sovereign state. It would be an admission of defeat to not come.”
The organisation that controls more than 40 per cent of the world's oil supply is meeting for the first time since conflict took hold in Libya in February. The civil war has crippled Libya's former oil production of 1.6 million barrels a day and sent the opposition forces to Qatar for help in marketing its crude.
At stake today is whether Libya should be exempt from a system that caps the production of member countries. Only Iraq is currently exempt from Opec quotas.
Last week Libya's former top oil official, Shokri Ghanem, announced his defection from the North African nation and stepped down from his post as head Opec negotiator and chairman of National Oil Corporation, the state oil company.
This morning Libya’s seat lay conspicuously empty as oil ministers prepared for what is expected to be Opec’s most contentious meetings in years. But officials yesterday morning made an effort to project a united front.
“We have to be united,” said Abdullah al Badri, the secretary general of Opec. “We have no other choice.”
If Libya were to join Iraq in being exempt from the quota system, the significance of Opec’s output target would be further eroded. The ceiling is now at 24.8 million barrels a day, but members are now pumping about 1.5 million barrels in excess of that, according to most estimates.
“Libya is almost theoretical at the moment because it can’t actually ramp up production,” said Ms Hunter, adding that redistributing Libya’a quota would be an impractical solution for Opec. “What happens when Libya comes back? There’s so much sensitivity about the quota system to begin with. Anything that would affect new lines in the sand on quota distribution would be contentious and would probably take more than a day.”
The oil minister of Qatar, which has backed the opposition in Libya by providing military aid and marketing the Benghazi crude, insisted that the discussions would not be affected by politics.
“The focus today is the economy. The focus is the supply and demand, the fundamentals,” said Mohammed al Sada, the Qatari oil minister. “This is an economic type of forum so we are not addressing the political issue, though Qatar recognizes the National Transitional Council and helping our Libyan brothers in in many facets; we’re going to continue.”
ayee@thenational.ae
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
Race 3
Produced: Salman Khan Films and Tips Films
Director: Remo D’Souza
Cast: Salman Khan, Anil Kapoor, Jacqueline Fernandez, Bobby Deol, Daisy Shah, Saqib Salem
Rating: 2.5 stars
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Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
Emergency phone numbers in the UAE
Estijaba – 8001717 – number to call to request coronavirus testing
Ministry of Health and Prevention – 80011111
Dubai Health Authority – 800342 – The number to book a free video or voice consultation with a doctor or connect to a local health centre
Emirates airline – 600555555
Etihad Airways – 600555666
Ambulance – 998
Knowledge and Human Development Authority – 8005432 ext. 4 for Covid-19 queries
From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
Army of the Dead
Director: Zack Snyder
Stars: Dave Bautista, Ella Purnell, Omari Hardwick, Ana de la Reguera
Three stars
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Summer special
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 201hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 320Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 8.7L/100km
Price: Dh133,900
On sale: now
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The specs
Engine: Long-range single or dual motor with 200kW or 400kW battery
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Max touring range: 620km / 590km
Price: From Dh250,000 (estimated)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
The Kites
Romain Gary
Penguin Modern Classics
BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE
Starring: Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, Jenny Ortega
Director: Tim Burton
Rating: 3/5
more from Janine di Giovanni
Nepotism is the name of the game
Salman Khan’s father, Salim Khan, is one of Bollywood’s most legendary screenwriters. Through his partnership with co-writer Javed Akhtar, Salim is credited with having paved the path for the Indian film industry’s blockbuster format in the 1970s. Something his son now rules the roost of. More importantly, the Salim-Javed duo also created the persona of the “angry young man” for Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan in the 1970s, reflecting the angst of the average Indian. In choosing to be the ordinary man’s “hero” as opposed to a thespian in new Bollywood, Salman Khan remains tightly linked to his father’s oeuvre. Thanks dad.
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Spider-Man: No Way Home
Director: Jon Watts
Stars: Tom Holland, Zendaya, Jacob Batalon
Rating:*****
World%20Cup%202023%20ticket%20sales
%3Cp%3EAugust%2025%20%E2%80%93%20Non-India%20warm-up%20matches%20and%20all%20non-India%20event%20matches%0D%3Cbr%3EAugust%2030%20%E2%80%93%20India%20matches%20at%20Guwahati%20and%20Trivandrum%0D%3Cbr%3EAugust%2031%20%E2%80%93%20India%20matches%20at%20Chennai%2C%20Delhi%20and%20Pune%0D%3Cbr%3ESeptember%201%20%E2%80%93%20India%20matches%20at%20Dharamsala%2C%20Lucknow%20and%20Mumbai%0D%3Cbr%3ESeptember%202%20%E2%80%93%20India%20matches%20at%20Bengaluru%20and%20Kolkata%0D%3Cbr%3ESeptember%203%20%E2%80%93%20India%20matches%20at%20Ahmedabad%0D%3Cbr%3ESeptember%2015%20%E2%80%93%20Semi-finals%20and%20Final%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
MATCH INFO
Manchester United 1 (Fernandes pen 2') Tottenham Hotspur 6 (Ndombele 4', Son 7' & 37' Kane (30' & pen 79, Aurier 51')
Man of the match Son Heung-min (Tottenham)
The specs
Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Power: 620hp from 5,750-7,500rpm
Torque: 760Nm from 3,000-5,750rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed dual-clutch auto
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh1.05 million ($286,000)
Schedule
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