(74c) 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 Middle East and North Africa and their role in providing energy demand by the world are examined. Role of oil and gas in the economy of the region and their impact on the global environment and carbon emission will be discussed.

Future of oil and gas reserves in the region and how long they will last along with existing coal reserves would be reviewed.  Several models for the energy demand of the world by 2050 and the role of other sources of energy such as biofuel, nuclear, solar, hydro, wind, and wastes on sustainable energy supply will also be reviewed.

The role of population growth on the energy demand of the future and economy of the region will be discussed. The impacts of quality of crude oil and its products on the environment and changing fuel standards in the developed and developing countries and their effects on the market and industry as well as economy of the region will be reviewed.

The region is rich in oil and gas which can be converted into thousands of valuable products rather than burning as fuel. What factors affect the price of oil and gas in the future? Would that be economical to use oil and gas in refineries just to produce fuels or there are other options for more economical uses of these resources in the future? What would be the best option for the oil producing countries in the region? These issues and more will be presented in this speech.