Changing Landscape of Global Energy

A Report by Brookings Doha

“Major changes in geopolitics, political economy, and energy markets are altering the global energy landscape. A potential nuclear deal with Iran has raised the possibility of new supplies coming online, and ongoing political gridlock in Iraq has hampered the country’s ability to expand supply. The U.S. energy boom is increasingly viewed as a long-term phenomenon, while a prolonged crisis in Ukraine threatens to impact Russian gas supplies to Europe.”

- From Brookings Doha Energy Report 2014. To read the report, please click here.


File photo: Liquid natural gas production in Qatar (qatarchronicle.com)

Rouhani in Davos

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, accompanied by his Foriegn Minister Javad Zarif and Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh, arrived at the World Economic Forum (WEF2014) at the picturesque mountaintop resort of Davos in Switzerland. 

The theme of this year’s gathering is income inequality. The new Iranian president can probably benefit from the discussions; the income inequality in Iran has become unprecedented in the country’s modern history.

Rouhani’s presidential plane landed at Zurich airport today where he was whisked into a helicopter for the ride to Davos. His plane stood alongside the Israeli aircraft of Premier Banjamine Netanyahu (Photo above). So close that Bloomberg reports that the journalist and staff from both planes took photos of each other. An airport diplomacy of sort!

Rouhani's first action at Davos was to sit for an interview with CNN’s Fareed Zakaria. 

Photo credits:

Top: Iranian President Hassan Rouhani being interviewed by CNN’s Fareed Zakaria at the sidelines of WEF2014 at Davos; 22 January 2014. (CNN)

Bottom: Airplanes for heads of government of Iran and Israel parked side-by-side at Zurich airport; 22 January 2014. (Bloomberg)

Brazil Becomes Sixth Biggest Economy

In a dramatic illustration of changing global fortunes, Brazil overtakes UK as the sixth biggest economy, the Center for Economic and Business Research reported on Monday. Brazil’s hard-won democracy, vast reserves of natural resources, rapidly-growing and cash-rich middle class and record foreign investments are the engines of its economic surge.

The world's ten biggest economies:

1. USA
2. China
3. Japan
4. Germany
5. France
6. Brazil
7. UK
8. Italy
9. Russia
10. India

File photo of Rio: Daily Mail