Kuwait's imports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) increased significantly during the first quarter of this year. It rose by 93% year on year, reaching 1.12 million tons.

Qatar came at the forefront of countries exporting liquefied gas to Kuwait during the first quarter. It accounted for 84% of total imports, and Nigeria ranked second with a share of 10.7%, while the United States came in third place with a share of 5.3%.

The increase in liquefied gas imports is due to several factors, the most important of which is the increase in natural gas consumption in Kuwait, which exceeds 20 billion cubic meters annually, and the operation of the land reception port in the Al-Zour region during the year 2021, with a capacity of up to 22 million tons annually.

Although imports increased on an annual basis, they were low when compared to the last quarter of last year (2023), which amounted to 1.21 million tons, and imports in the first quarter of 2024 recorded their lowest level since the first quarter of 2023.

Kuwait is the largest and most important market for liquefied gas imports in the Middle East, and liquefied gas imports contribute to bridging the gap between local production and consumption of natural gas.

It is expected that liquefied gas imports will continue to rise during the current year. This confirms Kuwait's position as a major market for liquefied gas in the Middle East region.