Bourse & Bazaar Foundation

Our original account, @BourseBazaar is compromised and X Support has been unable to help regain access.

So we are starting anew with @BourseBazaarFdn!

Follow us for wide ranging analysis on economic diplomacy and economic development in West and Central Asia.

Our Rihla Summit hydrogen session focused on building demand through domestic industries as export markets develop more slowly than expected.

@RumaithaBusaidi emphasized that exports and local industrial development should go hand in hand. @me_albreiki highlighted opportunities to use hydrogen in existing industries and develop clusters linking producers with nearby buyers. @ouedraogo_nadia stressed the importance of retaining value, jobs, and expertise in producer countries, while Louis Skyner emphasized the need for projects to have reliable buyers and a realistic plan to make them financially viable.

Moderated by @dawud_ansari, the discussion also explored cooperation among producer countries on standards and market development, including through a proposed Organisation of Hydrogen Exporting Countries.

Watch the full session on our YouTube channel: youtu.be/ATYKNlGuCpI?si…

Despite being one of the world’s largest producers of natural gas, Iran struggles to meet domestic demand, particularly in winter, when residential and commercial consumption rises.

In the final article of our three-part series on Iran’s energy system, Arya Kia notes that while near-universal electricity access is a significant achievement, the number of people connected to the grid tells us little about energy justice in Iran.

Kia discusses three different kinds of energy justice and outlines where Iran is struggling to create a more equitable energy system. A household may be connected to the grid yet still face repeated blackouts; heavily subsidized energy can still distribute benefits unevenly; and an energy-producing region can generate national wealth while bearing a disproportionate share of the environmental costs.

Read the full analysis: open.substack.com/pub/bourseandb…

Oil and natural gas supplied more than 90% of the Gulf’s electricity in 2024, making it harder to power new data centers with clean energy. In our latest analysis, Kapil Narula examines why Gulf countries are working to expand data centers within their borders and what steps should be taken to ensure this expansion is sustainable.

Narula argues that where data centers are built, how they are powered, and how they are cooled will determine whether they become an asset or a liability. With the Gulf’s year-round hot climate, cooling data centers can put pressure on electricity and water supplies.

But the regions’ abundant sunlight, strategic geographic location, and investment from tech companies like Google and Microsoft give the region an opportunity to develop green data centers. At the same time, corporate commitments to clean energy are helping drive demand for green infrastructure.

Read the full analysis: open.substack.com/pub/rihlainiti…

Iranian officials welcomed the Democrats’ gains in the U.S. midterms as a rebuke to Trump’s war on Iran. In Tehran, views are divided over whether the result makes renewed U.S. strikes less likely or gives Trump more reason to act before the new Congress takes office in January.

In its coverage of the debate, @amwajmedia quoted @yarbatman, who argued that the election results could create room for a deal to end the war in both Washington and Tehran. In his view, the risk of major military escalation has diminished.

Read the full article: amwaj.media/en/media-monit…