The Arab Energy Organization (AEO) announced that nine Arab states have developed ambitious plans to produce low-carbon hydrogen, targeting an output of eight million tons per year by 2030. Jamal Al-Loughani, the Secretary General of the AEO, stated that this production goal is expected to increase significantly to 27.5 million tons annually by 2040, contingent on the market reaching a “maturity stage.”

Al-Loughani shared this information during a statement to the Kuwait News Agency (KUNA), highlighting that the number of hydrogen projects in Arab states has increased fourfold from 2021 to 2024. Specifically, the region has seen the number of such ventures rise to 127 in 2024, up from just 34 in 2021. This growth indicates a burgeoning interest in investment within the hydrogen sector to satisfy rising demand in key markets like Asia and Europe.

Additionally, the AEO and Russia have initiated a joint effort to explore the storage and transportation of liquid and solid hydrogen, a plan that was endorsed by the Geneva-based UN-affiliated Group of Experts on Gas. This initiative is part of the 2026 commission’s task program, as noted by Al-Loughani, who mentioned that outcomes would be reviewed in March 2026. The AEO’s representative at a recent UN gas experts meeting in Geneva presented an outlook on the hydrogen industry in Arab states, which are increasingly focusing on producing and exporting low-carbon hydrogen and utilizing it for various transportation methods, including marine transport.