Riyadh, October 11 (QNA) - HE Minister of State for Energy Affairs, the President and CEO of QatarEnergy Saad bin Sherida Al Kaabi called for a new world energy order in which energy is kept above politics and is never made a victim or target of conflict.

His Excellency made the call during the 17th International Energy Forum Ministerial Meeting in Riyadh, convened under the theme "Energy Security - A Shared Responsibility: Market Fundamentals, Supply Chain Resilience, and the New Dynamics of Demand and Supply," with the participation of Energy Ministers, invited government representatives, Industry Leaders, and International Organizations.

HE the Minister opened his remarks by expressing the State of Qatar's "unwavering solidarity with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia its leadership and people during these times."

"Furthermore," His Excellency added, "I offer my sincere condolences to the families of those killed in these horrible attacks and wish a speedy recovery to the injured."

HE the Minister said the conflict in our region has caused what is, "by far, the world's worst energy crisis," affecting the flow of around 20% of the world's hydrocarbon supplies. He added that many regional energy assets across the region had been targeted, causing tens of billions of dollars in damage and severe volatility in global markets.

"If there is one lesson we have learned from the past few months, it is that energy security, as critical as it is to the global economy, remains highly vulnerable and inseparable from geopolitical security," HE Al Kaabi added.

His Excellency also highlighted the wider human consequences, noting that a billion people still lack access to electricity and that approximately four billion people depend on food produced using manufactured fertilizers. He stated that "the impact on all those lives should remind us of our shared responsibility to safeguard energy security, protect the free flow of energy, and keep energy above politics and conflicts."

HE the Minister called on the Forum to explore every possible avenue to protect energy infrastructure during times of conflict, saying: "It is a real problem that energy infrastructure has become both an economic asset and a strategic military target. Energy security must unite us, not divide us. It must be protected, not weaponized." (QNA)