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Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal said that he wants to see oil prices be lowered so the United States and Europe won’t stop turning to his country for oil supply. Speaking on CNN’s “Fareed Zakaria GPS”, the Prince – ranked as the 26th richest man in the world – said he doesn’t want to see the West turn to alternative energy.
 Click here for Prince Alwaleed photos “We don’t want the West to go and find alternatives, because, clearly, the higher the price of oil goes, the more they have incentives to go and find alternatives,” Alwaleed said.
He blamed the Arab Spring, or the anti-government protests happening across the Mideast, for the rise of oil prices.
“You’re not 100% sure what is going to happen, because you hear once in a while Iran coming and jumping and antagonizing and intimidating the Gulf region,” the Prince said. “So, there’s a worry.”
Alwaleed told Fareed Zakaria that he wants to see prices go down to $70 or $80, rather than the current over $100 a barrel.
He also said the reason why Saudi Arabia has not have the upheaval that Egypt, Bahrain, Yemen and so many other Arab nations have or are seeing is because the Saudi people love the monarchy.
However, Prince Alwaleed did say that his country has to “enact some new laws whereby the participation of the people has to be done, one way or another.”
Source: CNN
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan of Abu Dhabi began his three day official visit to South Korea by invitation of President Lee Myung-bak on Tuesday. The point of his trip is to strengthen ties between the United Arab Emirates and the east Asian nation as they celebrate 30 years of diplomatic relations. 
As part of his official visit, Mohammed toured landmarks and facilities in Korea, one of them being the Doosan Group for Heavy Industries and Construction manufacturing plant to get an idea of the country’s nuclear energy.
“The UAE’s peaceful nuclear program is a step forward in the UAE’s comprehensive development strategy due to its positive and promising aspects, which will complement the UAE’s constant development,” the Crown Prince told reporters.
He also toured the Shin Kori power plant which is working on a Generation III reactor. A similar reactor will soon be built in the UAE.
Crown Prince Mohammed praised South Korea’s nuclear sector for being environmentally safe, and he hoped for the same when his country gets its own nuclear facilities.
“There is a growing need for safe and reliable sources of alternative and clean energy that will meet the increasing requirements for development and serve the rapid population and urban growth,” Mohammed said, adding that he hoped UAE-South Korea ties will also include nuclear energy.
Sources: WAM, Gulf News
In Qatar today, Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani inaugurated the aluminum smelter facility known as Qatalum in the industrial city of Mesaieed, located in the southern part of the country. Since the company is a joint venture built by Qatari and Norwegian energy companies, Norway’s Crown Prince Haakon was a special guest for Qatalum’s opening ceremony.
 REUTERS/Mohammed Dabbous This latest project between Qatar and Norway hopes to strengthen ties between the two countries. Since both are oil nations, this is another venture for them to build up their economies together.
Promising to be the most efficient and eco-friendly of smelters, the facility also has the world’s largest Casthouse and it intends to produce 585,000 metric tons per year of premium quality aluminium.
“This is an important day for the industry and for the State of Qatar,” Abdullah Bin Hamad Al-Attiyah, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy & Industry, said. “Qatalum taps into the important energy resources available in Qatar, and represents a forward step in the realization of the strategy set by His Highness Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani, the Emir, for optimising our natural resources and long-term planning for a diversified economy.”
During the inauguration, the Koran was read and a film was shown explaining the history of Qatalum and what it plans for the future.
Officials from Qatar, Norway and other nati0ns were in attendance of the launch. Qatalum was formed in 2006 by Qatar Petroleum and Norsk Hydro as a dual partnership.
After the ceremony, Sheikh Hamad and Crown Prince Haakon was given a tour of the new smelter. He is currently on an official visit to both Qatar and the United Arab Emirates this week.
Also while in Qatar, the Crown Prince paid a visit to the Norwegian School where many children of Norwegians based in the Gulf state attend classes. Since Qatalum has been launched, it is expected that the number of students from Norway would reduce.
In addition, Haakon stopped by the Islamic Museum of Art in Doha, which is fast becoming a landmark in the city.
Haakon’s wife, Crown Princess Mette-Marit is still recovering from neck pain and therefore could not accompany him on these trips.
Source: AMEinfo, Kongehuset.no
On Monday, royals from three countries were among the participants in the World Future Energy Summit, taking place in Abu Dhabi, UAE. Denmark’s Crown Prince Frederik, the Prince and Princess of Asturias, Spain and Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan took part in the event, which focuses on finding ways to create environmentally friendly products in an increasingly energy reliant world.
 Haider Yousuf/Getty Images Crown Prince Felipe of Spain gave a speech to open the summit. Before he went in depth on the event, he gave his condolences to the people of Haiti. “The sheer magnitude of tragic human loss and general devastation is very hard to conceive and makes for such a prompt and generous large scale multinational effort in emergency and humanitarian relief that is currently. We wish that this will be sustained in all fields to help Haitians regain hope and put their country back on its feet as soon as possible”
After paying homage to the founder of the UAE, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan al Nahyan, the Crown Prince then discussed the summit and how the world could benefit from it.
“In the energy sector, interdependence has become an even more pressing issue. Major energy sources are geographically concentrated. Transport and distribution infrastructures often require transnational agreements. Moreover, greenhouse gases, wherever their origin, affect the environmental balance all over the planet.
“Such growing interdependence explains why international cooperation and, especially, multilateralism are so important in the energy sector; hence the high value of jointly analysing the energy challenges of the future at this Summit. Although interdependence means sharing our problems, fortunately it also means working together on to solve them.
“Therefore I am very pleased to underline how the development of renewable energy is offering the international community a course of action able to reconcile the demands of future economic growth with the necessary respect of the environment,” Felipe said.
 Haider Yousuf/Getty Images Next, Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark delivered his speech. He spoke out the environment and his account with climate change.
“The impact of climate change is global, but the signs are more evident in extreme climatic areas, for example, the Arctic,” he said. “Greenland holds a special place in my heart. From my first meeting with Greenland and the Greenlandic people to my 3 months expedition with dog sledges covering more than 2000 km along the northern and north-eastern coastline during spring. A grueling expedition that honored the way the Greenlandic people have always travelled and survived. Since then my visits have been regular, the last with my cousins and colleagues Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden and Crown Prince Haakon of Norway. A visit that again illustrated that Climate change is changing the way the Greenlandic people live. Hunting and Fishing are their primary sources of income and food and this is being threatened by rising temperatures. For me, this is a clear example of the necessity to adapt. How are we as a global community able to adapt in order to combat the negative impact of climate change? How can we adapt by rethinking our use and conservation of energy? Tough questions….questions that are to be addressed in the course of this Summit.”
Frederik than used his country as an example of how new forms of energy can be used.
“In Denmark the oil crisis of the ‘70s pushed us to search for alternative energy solutions. Over the last 30 years, we have had an economic growth of 78 %, but almost zero growth in energy consumption. And 28% of our electricity supply comes from renewable sources such as wind and biomass. It proves that economic prosperity and climate friendly solutions can co-exist.
“Denmark has shown that no country is too small to become a leader within green and clean technology and providing solutions to some of the world’s most pressing challenges.”
The royals were then given a tour of the many vehicles, computers and other products on display.
The World Future Energy Summit ended today. The royals involved left Abu Dhabi the day the summit began.
With the United States currently attempting to adopt alternative energy, Saudi Prince Turki al-Faisal al-Saud said the U.S. has to admit that it is dependent on Mideastern oil, particularly that of Saudi Arabia’s.
 Reuters FILE The Prince, a former envoy to Washington, said this in an article in the Italian newspaper, Il Sole 24 Ore, on Friday. He wrote, “there is no technology on the horizon which can replace oil to satisfy colossal needs of U.S. industry, transport and armed forces. Any future scenario will be characterized by mix of renewable and non-renewable energies whether you like it or not.”
Prince Turki also said energy independence was an unrealistic, harmful and groundless concept.
“Whether you like it or not, the destinies of the United States and Saudi Arabia are linked and will remain (linked) for decades,” he said.
The United States is the biggest consumer of energy, while Saudi Arabia is the world’s biggest exporter of oil.
Six royals from two different countries were in Wales, Tuesday for the opening of the LNG (liquified natual gas) terminal.
 - AP
The terminal is a joint venture between Qatar Petroleum, ExxonMobil and Total.
Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Philip and Prince Andrew were on hand to represent the British. As for the Qatari royals, there was Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, Sheikha Mozah Bint Nasser Al-Missned, and Sheikha Hind Bint Hamad Al-Thani.
The plant, said to be the largest in Europe, is the first time Qatar has gotten involved in Britain’s gas industry, which is said to be growing rapidly.
In an opening speech the Queen said, “one of the most positive aspects of human nature the world over is how much can be achieved when you work in partnership.”
She went on to say that the project’s “advantages flow both ways.”
There’s has been some concern over the plant affecting the environment. But Prince Andrew, the Duke of York, says not so.
“It fits into the environment very well, as you know it’s been dug into the environment.”
The Duke went on to call the terminal “very impressive” and “very important to the U.K.”
The Emir of Kuwait arrived in China Sunday for a four day visit to the world’s most populous nation.
 - Reuters
Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmed al-Sabah is there to strengthen economic ties with China, especially in the field of energy.
“We attach great importance to advancing cooperation with China in various fields, including cooperation in economy and trade and politics,” the Emir told Chinese President Hu Jintao.
In 2005, the two countries signed signed an agreement to build an oil refinery in China’s Guangdong province. Back then, Chinese state media called the move the nation’s largest ever joint venture.
This time, the two nations signed an agreement to a project by Kuwait Petroleum International and Sinopec Corp., which is estimated at $9 billion – that is even larger than the 2005 venture. It will include a refinery and an ethylene plant in Guangdong.
In addition, Kuwait will finance a $24 million project to clean up the heavily polluted Bosten Lake in China’s mainly Muslim western region.
The future King of the Netherlands gave a speech at the World Future Energy Summit held in Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates on Monday. The speech was part of Crown Prince Willem-Alexander’s visit to the country, along with his wife, Crown Princess Maxima. 
During the speech, the Crown Prince spoke of how the use of oil and gas likely has peaked in terms of their use.
“We are now facing a century of at least four undesirable peaks,” he said.
“Peak Oil, Peak Gas, Peak Coal and Peak Uranium. Mountaineers may be proud to conquer peaks, but there is no reason whatsoever for us to be proud.
“We can however change the course of history. The technologies we need are there.”
Willem-Alexander went on to suggest the use of solar energy to replace oil and gas. He pointed out in the desert city of Abu Dhabi that deserts themselves could be used for solar energy.
“Many regard deserts as a barren and hostile environment. In fact, they are a precious source of life, which we should embrace and protect for the common good. The circle of deserts embracing the globe, presents us with wonderful opportunities for both generating and transmitting solar energy.”
The Crown Prince mentioned the use of “green” greenhouses and vacuum sewage for toilets and other disposal. He even talked about the use of garbage gasification.
“99.8% of the total garbage supply is re-used or converted, producing 80% more biogas than it uses. No water is wasted during the process; on the contrary, water is one of the products.”
Willem-Alexander closed his speech by reminding the audience of how the ancient Romans deforested Europe to use trees for firewood.
“Let’s not end up like the Romans. Instead, let us harvest the infinite energy generated by this majestic star, that rises and sets on us each and every day. Here in Abu Dhabi we can see the challenges ahead of us and set the example.”
Abu Dhabi was where the Crown Prince and his wife ended their tour of the Gulf nations. They spent some time outside of Abu Dhabi in the desert, where they rode a richly decorated camel and learned falconry.
During the end of their trip, the royal couple visited the immense Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan al-Nahayan Mosque, one of the largest mosques in the world. Maxima covered herself in a black abaya will inside the Islamic house of worship.
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