Saudi and Qatar CCS plans bring Circular Carbon Economy to life

Saudi Arabia and Qatar are investing in carbon capture, which is central to the Circular Carbon Economy, says Beyer.

🌍 By 2030, Middle East carbon capture capacity is expected to rise ~5x to ~26.5 Mtpa, with Saudi Arabia and Qatar delivering ~82%.

🏗️ What’s being built

🇸🇦 aramco: Jubail hub delivering ~90% of Saudi CCS capacity (2027)

🇶🇦 QatarEnergy: Two capture units at Ras Laffan (2026–27)

Why this matters:

🛠️ Regional strengths - China's good at solar, Denmark's good at wind, the Middle East is good at CCUS. They all form part of the solution to climate change.

⚖️ Competitiveness - Lowering upstream emissions makes the region's oil and gas more competitive as carbon pricing expands

🧩 Clustering: Shared infrastructure lowers costs and accelerates deployment

💸 CCS isn’t cheap — but no climate technology is before scale. That’s why the focus is on hard-to-abate emissions and utilisation

These projects are about putting the Circular Carbon Economy into action and positioning the region's exports for a low-carbon future.