Page 18 - MEOG Week 02 2021

MEOG NEWS IN BRIEF MEOG

Sheikh Sabah must now submit his According to local news outlet Al-Anba, KOC Zanganeh has said foreign firms looking to re-
government’s resignation to the OPEC will no longer accept bids in sealed envelopes, enter the country will have to work under new
member state’s ruler, Emir Sheikh Nawaf al- as it used to, but will only accept them conditions this time around, Tasnim Reported
Ahmed al-Sabah, for approval. through its e-service. him as saying on January 11.
The official Kuna news agency reported Al-Anba reported that all stages of During the first round of post-sanctions
that the prime minister held a meeting with submitting bids can be conducted through the investment in the country, Iran made it
Defense Minister Hamad Jaber Al Sabah and website, from viewing tenders to submitting easier for foreign firms like France’s Total and
other ministers of the government on Tuesday. and evaluating bids, to the contract awards. China’s CNPC to take control of projects,
The minister submitted the resignation of all This is reportedly part of KOC’s plan to however, when the US Trump administration
the ministers and “put it at his disposal.” move towards electronic and smart services levied new sanctions on the country in 2018
Kuna says the move came “in light of to streamline business. It also works within the firms fled leaving Tehran with only local
the ongoing developments in the relations remote working guidelines. companies struggling to fill the vacuum.
between the government and Parliament, Contractors will have to register via the “If foreign companies come (to Iran),
known as the National Assembly, and what website, receive a user number and a private we will cooperate with them, but it doesn’t
the national interest dictates.” number, and then follow the instructions. If mean that we would abandon what we have
The resignation of the cabinet had been bids are sent manually, they will be rejected. achieved,” he said.
expected after more than 30 other MPs OIL&GAS ME He stressed that if foreign firms re-enter
supported the request to question the prime including those that fled the country with
minister on issues including forming a cabinet Houthis retain right to the latest round of US sanctions, they would
“not reflective” of poll results and allegations find a country that has managed to indigenize
of government “interference” in electing respond to US terror much of what the foreign firms were bringing
the Speaker and members of parliamentary to Iran.
committees, according to Reuters news designation “Sanctions are mortal and will be gone, but
agency. we will not give up on the capacities we have
The country is also grappling with an acute A leader of Yemen’s Houthi movement said on created and we will organise and strengthen
economic crisis, which has posed a challenge Monday that the Iran-aligned group reserved them,” he said.
to the new emir. the right to respond to any U.S. move to “Today’s capacity to sell oil, transfer oil and
The motion to question Sheikh Sabah, blacklist them after the Trump administration receive oil money is in no way comparable to
who has been premier since late 2019, was announced its intent to designate it as a what was the case back in March 2018 and the
submitted by three MPs on January 5 in the foreign terrorist organization. beginning of the sanctions. We will not allow
first regular session of the National Assembly. “The policy of the Trump administration these capacities to be lost. We organise these
Kuwait was the first country in the Gulf and its behaviour is terrorist,” Mohammed Ali capacities,” SHANA reported.
region to establish an all-male Parliament in al-Houthi said in a Twitter post. “We reserve Iran hopes it will find a more rational
1963. The current Parliament was elected in the right to respond to any designation White House following the ousting of Trump
December. The actual power remains in the issued by the Trump administration or any later in January, but it has also continued
hands of the ruling al-Sabah family and the administration.” to play hardball with the international
emir, who appoints the government. REUTERS community including increasing nuclear
DW capacity raising the stakes further.
Zanganeh’s comments on foreign
OIL firms come amid a flurry of new technical
COMPANIES developments in the country including a
signing ceremony of eight oil contracts with
KOC to only accept contract Iran oil minister says post local firms on January 11.
Trump Iran oil ‘not free-for-
BNE
bids digitally

The Kuwait Oil Co. (KOC) has launched a all’ Basra deputy speaks to IOR
digital portal to accept bids for projects online. Iranian Petroleum Minister Bijan Namdar As the OPEC-plus coalition anticipates easing

P18 www. NEWSBASE .com Week 02 13•January•2021