Buyers from Germany shouldn’t think that the Qataris will agree to short-term contracts.
(Photo: dpa)
The Emir of Qatar is a shrewd businessman sitting on a vast gas field. This makes him a valued interlocutor for many governments in Asia and Europe. However, the Emir cannot do magic. And he has nothing to give away.
The Emir’s and his ministers’ visit to Germany was a signal that can be summed up as follows: Yes, we’d love to do business with you, but your companies have to move.
When Federal Economics Minister Robert Habeck visited Qatar in March, some observers got the impression that Qatar was the savior in times of need. But the emirate can only be one of many helpers.
Qatar can only replace a fraction of the large amount of Russian natural gas that we have consumed thoughtlessly and at low prices for years. The rest has to come from somewhere else – or become dispensable through greater efficiency.
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We have to be prepared for high prices
It is thanks to the business acumen of the Qataris that they decided years ago to significantly increase their production. Germans could benefit from this from 2024. Of course, they are not entitled to these additional quantities, but they are willing and will have to get used to paying high prices.
>>> Read here: “Time heals all wounds” – What Qatar’s energy minister says about independence from Russian gas
The buyers from Germany will have to say goodbye to the idea that the Qataris could embark on short-term contracts – in line with the ideal of the European Commission. Qatar has no reason to do that.
Incidentally, the Emir’s people leave no doubt that they prefer to have many different customers instead of becoming dependent on one customer. Not only do they act smarter than Germany, whose most important gas supplier to date accounted for 55 percent of all deliveries last year.
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