Mubadala Petroleum and Petrochemicals head Musabbeh Al Kaabi anticipates peak oil around 2030. Pawan Singh / The National
Mubadala Petroleum and Petrochemicals head Musabbeh Al Kaabi anticipates peak oil around 2030. Pawan Singh / The National
Mubadala Petroleum and Petrochemicals head Musabbeh Al Kaabi anticipates peak oil around 2030. Pawan Singh / The National
Mubadala Petroleum and Petrochemicals head Musabbeh Al Kaabi anticipates peak oil around 2030. Pawan Singh / The National

Mubadala expects a U-shaped global economy recovery in 2021 with growth rebounding to 5%


Jennifer Gnana
  • English
  • Arabic

Mubadala expects the global economy to rebound next year with a U-shaped recovery as growth rises to 5 per cent following a recession triggered by the Covid-19 pandemic, and it remains bullish on US shale bouncing back.

"Like another institution, we came up with three basic recoveries - V-shaped, U-shaped and L-shaped. With time we rolled out the V-shaped recovery," Musabbeh Al Kaabi, chief executive of the petroleum and petrochemicals division within Mubadala, said.

"Now we’re more focused, we think 70 per cent, there’s a probability that we’re experiencing a U-shaped type of global economic recovery and we think the global GDP [gross domestic product] will drop significantly this year but next year we hope that the global economy will recover to a growth of 5 per cent GDP globally,” he told the Atlantic Council in an online interview on Wednesday.

A U-shaped recovery refers to the economy returning to growth in a gradual manner following successive quarters of decline and a longer period in a recession than a V-shaped rebound.

Mubadala is a globally diversified fund with more than $229 billion (Dh840bn) in assets under management across 15 different sectors.

The petroleum and petrochemicals sector, which has been a savvy investor in petrochemicals, the US shale revolution and upstream assets manages a portfolio of $40bn. Mubadala has interests in companies such as Spain's Cepsa, Austrian chemicals player Borealis, Canada's Nova Chemicals as well as Russia's Gazprom Neft.

The probability of an L shaped recovery, characterised by rising unemployment and deep recession, followed by an economic rebound is 30 per cent, Mr Al Kaabi said.

"Back in 2019, when investment organisations like Mubadala ran their business plans, we envisaged a correction, and that correction probably was the worst case scenario," he said. "We saw a recession in the equity market of around 30 per cent but we have not envisaged a pandemic of this scale that we see currently.”

Mubadala Petroleum and Petrochemicals, an investor in the US shale revolution said the industry, which advanced during the 2014-16 price slump, is far from dead.

The company last year reached an agreement with US firm NextDecade Corporation to invest $50 million in the US company's upcoming Rio Grande liquefied natural gas facility.

The US oil industry has been battered by the price slump this year, which saw prices decline 80 per cent in April from their recent peaks in January. US crude futures also tumbled into negative territory last month, falling as low as -$40 per barrel constrained by limited storage capacity.

Several independent producers have shut-in production, while others have filed for bankruptcy amid the decimation of the US energy industry. Crude output in the US, the world's largest producer of oil and gas, will average 11.7 million barrels per day in 2020, according to the US Energy Information Administration.

Output is estimated to further decline by 800,000 bpd in 2021, which would mark the first annual decline since 2016.

"You cannot ignore the Permian in the US, the Permian will be developed and will be produced, the technology will improve and will unlock additional resources,” Mr Al Kaabi said.

"The current oil prices may not be helping but what it will do is slow the growth of the shale production but not completely kill it," he added. "We believe that the world needs unconventional, needs conventional and we see a world where both of these resources will play a role going forward to meet the growing demand”.

The Permian will continue to produce if prices average $35, $40 or $45 per barrel "but not on the same scale and growth” seen over the last two to three years.

Mubadala anticipates peak oil around 2030 and is preparing for a future where its businesses are resilient to weather that environment.

The company is currently reviewing its portfolio of projects, prioritising "critical" schemes over "optional" ones. Its large gas development project in Malaysia remains on track, Mr Al Kaabi said.

There is no slowdown in the petrochemical schemes operated by Nova Chemicals. Renewable energy projects in Abu Dhabi are also gathering momentum, he added, citing a 2 gigawatt  project that received the world’s lowest tariff last month.

The Bio

Favourite vegetable: “I really like the taste of the beetroot, the potatoes and the eggplant we are producing.”

Holiday destination: “I like Paris very much, it’s a city very close to my heart.”

Book: “Das Kapital, by Karl Marx. I am not a communist, but there are a lot of lessons for the capitalist system, if you let it get out of control, and humanity.”

Musician: “I like very much Fairuz, the Lebanese singer, and the other is Umm Kulthum. Fairuz is for listening to in the morning, Umm Kulthum for the night.”

Disclaimer

Director: Alfonso Cuaron 

Stars: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Kline, Lesley Manville 

Rating: 4/5

The biog

Hobby: Playing piano and drawing patterns

Best book: Awaken the Giant Within by Tony Robbins

Food of choice: Sushi  

Favourite colour: Orange

Libya's Gold

UN Panel of Experts found regime secretly sold a fifth of the country's gold reserves. 

The panel’s 2017 report followed a trail to West Africa where large sums of cash and gold were hidden by Abdullah Al Senussi, Qaddafi’s former intelligence chief, in 2011.

Cases filled with cash that was said to amount to $560m in 100 dollar notes, that was kept by a group of Libyans in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.

A second stash was said to have been held in Accra, Ghana, inside boxes at the local offices of an international human rights organisation based in France.

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Tips to keep your car cool
  • Place a sun reflector in your windshield when not driving
  • Park in shaded or covered areas
  • Add tint to windows
  • Wrap your car to change the exterior colour
  • Pick light interiors - choose colours such as beige and cream for seats and dashboard furniture
  • Avoid leather interiors as these absorb more heat
Arabian Gulf Cup FINAL

Al Nasr 2

(Negredo 1, Tozo 50)

Shabab Al Ahli 1

(Jaber 13)

The 12 breakaway clubs

England

Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur

Italy
AC Milan, Inter Milan, Juventus

Spain
Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Real Madrid

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
  • Priority access to new homes from participating developers
  • Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
  • Flexible payment plans from developers
  • Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
  • DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
How to avoid crypto fraud
  • Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
  • Use an offline private key, a physical device that requires manual activation, whenever you access your wallet.
  • Avoid suspicious social media ads promoting fraudulent schemes.
  • Only invest in crypto projects that you fully understand.
  • Critically assess whether a project’s promises or returns seem too good to be true.
  • Only use reputable platforms that have a track record of strong regulatory compliance.
  • Store funds in hardware wallets as opposed to online exchanges.

Duterte Harry: Fire and Fury in the Philippines
Jonathan Miller, Scribe Publications

Our family matters legal consultant

Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

What are the main cyber security threats?

Cyber crime - This includes fraud, impersonation, scams and deepfake technology, tactics that are increasingly targeting infrastructure and exploiting human vulnerabilities.
Cyber terrorism - Social media platforms are used to spread radical ideologies, misinformation and disinformation, often with the aim of disrupting critical infrastructure such as power grids.
Cyber warfare - Shaped by geopolitical tension, hostile actors seek to infiltrate and compromise national infrastructure, using one country’s systems as a springboard to launch attacks on others.

if you go

The flights
Emirates flies to Delhi with fares starting from around Dh760 return, while Etihad fares cost about Dh783 return. From Delhi, there are connecting flights to Lucknow. 
Where to stay
It is advisable to stay in Lucknow and make a day trip to Kannauj. A stay at the Lebua Lucknow hotel, a traditional Lucknowi mansion, is recommended. Prices start from Dh300 per night (excluding taxes). 

New schools in Dubai
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
Specs

Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request

Dengue%20fever%20symptoms
%3Cp%3EHigh%20fever%20(40%C2%B0C%2F104%C2%B0F)%3Cbr%3ESevere%20headache%3Cbr%3EPain%20behind%20the%20eyes%3Cbr%3EMuscle%20and%20joint%20pains%3Cbr%3ENausea%3Cbr%3EVomiting%3Cbr%3ESwollen%20glands%3Cbr%3ERash%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

North Pole stats

Distance covered: 160km

Temperature: -40°C

Weight of equipment: 45kg

Altitude (metres above sea level): 0

Terrain: Ice rock

South Pole stats

Distance covered: 130km

Temperature: -50°C

Weight of equipment: 50kg

Altitude (metres above sea level): 3,300

Terrain: Flat ice
 

Emergency

Director: Kangana Ranaut

Stars: Kangana Ranaut, Anupam Kher, Shreyas Talpade, Milind Soman, Mahima Chaudhry 

Rating: 2/5

RESULT

Huddersfield Town 2 Manchester United 1
Huddersfield: Mooy (28'), Depoitre (33')
Manchester United: Rashford (78')

 

Man of the Match: Aaron Mooy (Huddersfield Town)

The most expensive investment mistake you will ever make

When is the best time to start saving in a pension? The answer is simple – at the earliest possible moment. The first pound, euro, dollar or dirham you invest is the most valuable, as it has so much longer to grow in value. If you start in your twenties, it could be invested for 40 years or more, which means you have decades for compound interest to work its magic.

“You get growth upon growth upon growth, followed by more growth. The earlier you start the process, the more it will all roll up,” says Chris Davies, chartered financial planner at The Fry Group in Dubai.

This table shows how much you would have in your pension at age 65, depending on when you start and how much you pay in (it assumes your investments grow 7 per cent a year after charges and you have no other savings).

Age

$250 a month

$500 a month

$1,000 a month

25

$640,829

$1,281,657

$2,563,315

35

$303,219

$606,439

$1,212,877

45

$131,596

$263,191

$526,382

55

$44,351

$88,702

$177,403

 

UK-EU trade at a glance

EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years

Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products

Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries

Smoother border management with use of e-gates

Cutting red tape on import and export of food

Contracted list

Ashton Agar, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins, Aaron Finch, Peter Handscomb, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Glenn Maxwell, Shaun Marsh, Mitchell Marsh, Tim Paine, Matt Renshaw, Jhye Richardson, Kane Richardson, Billy Stanlake, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Andrew Tye.

The biog

Name: Shamsa Hassan Safar

Nationality: Emirati

Education: Degree in emergency medical services at Higher Colleges of Technology

Favourite book: Between two hearts- Arabic novels

Favourite music: Mohammed Abdu and modern Arabic songs

Favourite way to spend time off: Family visits and spending time with friends

Results
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