Habeck visits Middle East for talks

Vice Chancellor and Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Action Robert Habeck starts his three-day visit to the Middle East in Muscat, Oman’s capital, today. He will also be visiting Saudi Arabia, Israel and the West Bank on his trip. Minister Habeck will be holding political talks and meeting with representatives of business and civil society.

Federal Minister Habeck said: "My visit is taking place against the background of the terrible attack by Hamas on Israel and the resulting war in the Gaza strip – the security situation is very tense. We need to make every effort to support the dialogue process in the region and help to de-escalate the situation. We are doing this in close coordination with our partners. Peace needs to be restored. Israel needs protection and has the right to defend itself. The Palestinian population needs a clear prospect of a two-state solution. The killing must stop."

The focus of the trip is also on the energy and economic relations with the region, especially in the field of climate-friendly renewable energy, e.g. regarding the establishment of international hydrogen production. One aim of the visit, which had been planned for a long time, is to deepen the relations and realise specific projects. Minister Habeck is being accompanied by a business delegation.

Federal Minister Habeck will be received by Sultan Haitham bin Tariq Al Said, Prime Minister of Oman, in Muscat today. Minister Habeck will also be holding talks on future economic relations with Minister of Energy Salim bin Nasser Al Aufi. The establishment of a hydrogen industry in Oman and possible exports to Germany and to Europe are key issues for the existing German-Omani Energy Dialogue. Furthermore, Federal Minister Habeck will be visiting the German University of Technology (GUTech), the first and the only German university on the Arabian peninsular so far. The Minister will be talking with students of various disciplines, and innovations for the energy transition will be presented to him on the campus.

In Riyadh, Saudi Arabia’s capital, Federal Minister Habeck will be holding political talks about the security situation in the region and possibilities for cooperation in the fields of renewable energy, hydrogen and the mitigation of climate change on 10 January. The German-Saudi Energy Dialogue, which was set up in 2019, includes deep and intensive cooperation in the field of hydrogen. Recently, it was also possible to launch initial joint activities to mitigate climate change in the context of the Energy Dialogue. In Riyadh, it is planned to upgrade the Energy Dialogue to become a German-Saudi Energy and Climate Dialogue.

In view of a trade volume amounting to around €9 billion in 2022 (from January to November 2023: €9.6 billion, thereof German exports: €7,4 billion), Saudi Arabia is currently Germany’s second largest trading partner in the Middle East.

Minister Habeck will be talking with persons who are directly affected by the Middle East conflict and be holding political talks with Minister of Economy Nir Barkat, Minister of Energy Eli Cohen, Minister Benny Gantz and leader of the opposition Jair Lapid in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem on 11 January.

The last stop on the trip of Federal Minister Habeck will be Ramallah in the Palestinian territories, where he will be meeting with the Prime Minister of the State of Palestine, Mohammed Shtayyeh. Together, they will be participating in a roundtable with Palestinian business representatives