Bahrain Meet to Discuss Cleaner Fuel

March 13, 2008
Manama, Bahrain

Minister of Oil and Gas and Head of the National Authority for Petroleum and Gas Dr. Abdul Hussain Bin Ali Mirza today opened the regional meet on developing GCC policies to use cleaner fuel for better environment.

The two-day meeting will discuss issues related to fuel and cars and what has been achieved by the GCC, Middle East and North African countries to improve the quality of fuel through setting standards for vehicles in view of the challenges facing the production of unleaded fuel.

The Minister said that the international efforts and cooperation were essential to improve the international power scenario, including the oil sector, to maintain environment through improving petroleum products.

Dr. Mirza reviewed a number of projects in the field, including unleaded fuel, which has been produced since 2000 at a cost of USD 7.4 million.

Prime Minister Shaikh Khalifa Bin Salman Al Khalifa in December opened a complex to produce unleaded diesel at a cost of USD 725 million with investment revenue reaching 30 percent.

There are a number of similar projects of international standards to maintain the environment, which would be launched after completing their technical and financial studies.

The director and regional representative of the UN Environment Programme for West Asia, Dr. Habeeb Al Hobar, said an international partnership was essential to tackle the issue.

He hailed the role of international partnership in using natural resources wisely and also the use of cleaner fuel under the sponsorship of the UN Environment Programme which, he said, contributed in spreading the use of unleaded fuel.

He also praised the policies and programmes of Arab countries to achieve a cleaner environment, underlining the ability of the GCC states to use unleaded fuel since 2003 in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the UAE.

Deputy Chairman of the General Committee to Protect Fishery Resources, Environment and Wildlife Dr. Ismael Al Madani referred to the increasing number of cars in Bahrain with about 9 percent considered as dangerous from the point of view of traffic and leading to accidents and death.