Middle East & Africa | An untapped reservoir

Middle Eastern countries are sitting on an ocean of natural gas

But they cannot ship much to Europe, where demand is ravenous

A view of the platform of the Leviathan natural gas field in the Mediterranean Sea is pictured from the Israeli northern coastal city of Caesarea on December 19, 2019. - Israel has approved the export of gas from its offshore reserves to Egypt, a spokeswoman said on December 17, with a major reservoir expected to begin operations imminently.The approval by Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz was part of a long process under which Israel will transform from an importer of natural gas from Egypt into an exporter and potential regional energy player. (Photo by JACK GUEZ / AFP) (Photo by JACK GUEZ/AFP via Getty Images)
|DUBAI

It is rare for the Israeli government to agree with Hizbullah, the Lebanese Shia militia and political party. But in effect it did on October 11th, after months of American-led talks. As The Economist was published, a deal with Lebanon was awaiting review in Israel’s parliament.

This article appeared in the Middle East & Africa section of the print edition under the headline “Nor any drop to burn”

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