Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries

What Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries does

OAPEC is an intergovernmental organization founded on January 9, 1968, in Beirut, by Kuwait, Libya, and Saudi Arabia, and headquartered in Kuwait City. Its membership comprises 11 Arab petroleum-exporting countries: Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, and the UAE as active members, with Tunisia's membership suspended since 1986. The organization's mandate is to coordinate petroleum economic policies, harmonize legal systems among members, facilitate exchange of information and expertise, promote joint ventures, and ensure equitable flows of petroleum to consumption markets.

OAPEC's core offerings are information services rather than commercial products. It publishes the Secretary General Annual Report, Annual Statistical Report, Monthly Bulletin, Oil and Arab Cooperation Journal, and a Monthly Report on Petroleum Developments, alongside a biennial OAPEC Scientific Award. Its Energy Data Bank aggregates integrated data across exploration, reserves, production, refining, consumption, trade, spot prices, pipelines, electricity, and economic indicators. A specialized library established in 1974 holds approximately 30,000 books and 462 periodicals. The organization also convenes the Arab Energy Conference series, Gas Experts Meetings, and hydrogen/carbon-emissions seminars.

OAPEC operates a four-organ governance structure (Council of Ministers, Executive Bureau, General Secretariat, Judicial Board) and sponsors five joint ventures: AMPTC (maritime hydrocarbon transport, 1972), ASRY (shipbuilding, Bahrain, 1974, $100M authorized capital), APICORP (petroleum investments, Saudi Arabia, 1974, $1.2B authorized capital), APSCO (petroleum services, Libya, 1975), and APTI (training, Baghdad, 1978). It is funded exclusively through member country contributions rather than commercial revenue, and reaches stakeholders through its website, social media, publications, and recurring conferences.

Name

Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries

Legal name

Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries

Website

https://oapecorg.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1968

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Intergovernmental organization of 11 Arab petroleum-exporting countries, headquartered in Kuwait, coordinating energy policy, publishing industry data and reports, and sponsoring five joint ventures in transport, shipbuilding, investment, services, and training.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Intergovernmental Petroleum Coordination

NAICS

Business Associations (813910)

SIC

International Affairs (9721)

akta.pro primary industry

Official Development Assistance (ODA) Program Management (BPADAOAC)

Keywords

• Intergovernmental energy cooperation
• Petroleum industry coordination
• Energy policy research
• Petroleum statistical reports
• Oil sector joint ventures

Headquarters

HQ city

Kuwait

HQ country

Kuwait

HQ region

Middle East

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Membership Contributions: OAPEC is funded through contributions from member countries. The organization does not generate commercial revenue but operates as a regional inter-governmental organization dedicated to petroleum industry cooperation among Arab states.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

OAPEC is a regional intergovernmental organization that delivers energy cooperation, petroleum policy coordination, and oil sector development services to its 11 Arab member states. Its core offerings comprise a portfolio of regular publications (annual, monthly, and quarterly reports on petroleum industry developments), an Energy Data Bank providing integrated petroleum and energy industry data, a specialized energy library, an OAPEC Scientific Award program, and recurring conferences and expert meetings. The organization also sponsors five joint venture companies operating in maritime petroleum transport, shipbuilding, petroleum investments, petroleum services, and petroleum training.

Product overview

OAPEC is a regional inter-governmental organization providing information services, publications, and forums for cooperation among Arab petroleum-exporting countries. Its core offerings consist of regular publications (Secretary General Annual Report, Annual Statistical Report, Monthly Bulletin, Oil and Arab Cooperation Journal, Monthly Report on Petroleum Developments) and a Data Bank system providing integrated petroleum and energy industry data. The organization also maintains a specialized library, operates the biennial OAPEC Scientific Award program, and organizes conferences including the Arab Energy Conference and Gas Experts Meetings. Through joint ventures, OAPEC supports maritime petroleum transport, shipbuilding, petroleum investments, petroleum services, and petroleum training across Arab member countries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Secretary General Annual Report Annual comprehensive report analyzing Arab and international petroleum industry developments including exploration, refining, petrochemicals, natural gas, and significant Arab and international petroleum projects. Aimed at member states, energy ministries, and industry stakeholders.
• Annual Statistical Report Comparative annual presentation of developments in supply, demand, and price of oil and energy in OAPEC member countries, Arab countries, and the rest of the world since the early 1970s.
• Monthly Bulletin Monthly publication covering developments in petroleum and energy affairs in member countries and the rest of the world, and activities of OAPEC and its sponsored ventures.
• Oil and Arab Cooperation Journal Quarterly Arabic journal publishing articles by energy and development specialists focusing on the nexus between oil and economic development in the Arab world.
• Monthly Report on Petroleum Developments in the World Markets Monthly report providing comprehensive coverage of petroleum market developments and trends globally.
• OAPEC Profile Booklet Biannual publication providing an overview of OAPEC's birth, departments, activities, joint ventures, and Arab and international roles, with statistical tables on member countries' oil and gas reserves and production.
• Energy Data Bank Database system providing integrated data on the petroleum and energy industry, covering exploration activities, reserves, energy production, refining, consumption, trade, spot prices, pipelines, electricity, and economic indicators. Serves as the main data source for OAPEC studies, reports, and papers.
• OAPEC Library Specialized library established in 1974 focusing on energy, petroleum, gas, petrochemical topics, economics, development, and environment, with approximately 30,000 books and numerous periodicals.
• OAPEC Scientific Award Biennial award program encouraging researchers and supporting scientific research in energy fields including new and renewable energies, awarded to outstanding research contributions.
• Arab Energy Conference Major international conference series examining the energy situation from multiple aspects including international energy market developments, energy security, environment, sustainable development, and technological developments.
• Gas Experts Meeting Annual meeting bringing together gas experts from OAPEC member countries to review natural gas industry developments and explore investment opportunities.
• Arab Maritime Petroleum Transport Company (AMPTC) Joint venture company sponsored by OAPEC covering all operations related to marine transportation of hydrocarbons.
• Arab Shipbuilding and Repair Yard Company (ASRY) Shipbuilding and repair yard company established in Kuwait in 1973, incorporated in Bahrain with authorized capital of $100 million and shareholders from Bahrain, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and UAE.
• Arab Petroleum Investments Corporation (APICORP) Investment corporation established in 1974 in Al Khobar City, Saudi Arabia, with all OAPEC member countries as shareholders and authorized capital of $1.2 billion.
• Arab Petroleum Services Company (APSCO) Petroleum services company founded in Tripoli, Libya in January 1977 with all OAPEC member countries as shareholders.
• Arab Petroleum Training Institute (APTI) Training institute established in Baghdad, Iraq in May 1978 to prepare instructors qualified to provide training in technical aspects of the oil industry, augment administrative and technical personnel, perform research, and conduct studies.

Named customers11 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Japan Cooperation Center for Petroleum and Sustainable Energy (JCCP)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 June 2024OAPEC collaborates with JCCP and the Ministry of Energy of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to organize the symposium on 'Pathways To Reduce Carbon Emissions in The Petroleum Downstream Industries' held on June 25-26, 2024 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
• Oxford Institute for Energy Studies (OIES)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOAPEC is a founding member of the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies, established in November 1982 in cooperation with OPEC. The institute is affiliated with Oxford University and specializes in studying economic, social, and political aspects of energy problems, with particular emphasis on developing countries including oil exporters.
• OPEC (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOAPEC co-sponsors the Oxford Energy Seminar with OPEC and St. Catherin's College, Oxford University. The seminar has been held at Oxford University since September 1979 and serves as an annual forum for scientific discussion of energy issues, fostering closer ties between participants from oil exporting and importing countries.
• Energy Directorate of European CommissionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOAPEC maintains cooperation with the Energy Directorate of European Commission for energy affairs.
• World Energy Council (WEC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOAPEC maintains cooperation with WEC and participates in the World Energy Congress and World Gas Conference.
• ENPPI (Engineering for Petroleum and Process Industries)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerENPPI hosts the 24th Gas Experts Meeting and the 3rd Hydrogen Seminar in Cairo, Egypt in April 2025. OAPEC partners with ENPPI headquarters for these technical events.
• League of Arab StatescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe 12th Arab Energy Conference was co-sponsored by the League of Arab States. Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit delivered a speech on behalf of the sponsoring organizations at the conference held in Doha, Qatar in December 2023.
• Arab Fund for Economic and Social DevelopmentminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as an organizer/co-sponsor of the 12th Arab Energy Conference.
• Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as an organizer/co-sponsor of the 12th Arab Energy Conference.
• AMPTC (Arab Maritime Petroleum Transport Company)coreOthersJoint venture sponsored by OAPEC. Agreement signed May 6, 1972. Activities cover all operations related to marine transportation of hydrocarbons.
• ASRY (Arab Shipbuilding and Repair Yard Company)coreOthersJoint venture sponsored by OAPEC. Agreement signed in 1974. Incorporated in Bahrain with shareholders: Bahrain, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and UAE. Authorized capital of $100 million.
• APICORP (Arab Petroleum Investments Corporation)coreOthersJoint venture sponsored by OAPEC. Agreement signed in 1974. Formed in Al Khobar City, Saudi Arabia with all OAPEC member countries as shareholders. Authorized capital of $1.2 billion with $400 million subscribed. Capital increased in May 2003.
• APSCO (Arab Petroleum Services Company)coreOthersJoint venture sponsored by OAPEC. Agreement signed in 1975. Founded in Tripoli, Libya in January 1977 with all OAPEC member countries as shareholders.
• APTI (Arab Petroleum Training Institute)coreOthersJoint venture sponsored by OAPEC. Established in Baghdad, Iraq in May 1978 to prepare instructors qualified to provide training in technical aspects of the oil industry, augment administrative and technical personnel, perform research, and conduct studies.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• International Energy Agency (IEA): The IEA is the dominant intergovernmental energy coordination body for consuming countries, with a much broader mandate spanning all energy sources, data, and policy analysis. While OAPEC focuses on Arab producer coordination, both organizations produce authoritative energy data and policy analysis.
• International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA): IRENA is the leading intergovernmental organization for renewable energy. As OAPEC expands into hydrogen and renewables programming, IRENA represents the destination institutional model and a potential coordination partner for energy transition initiatives.

Emerging players

• International Energy Forum (IEF): IEF facilitates energy dialogue between producers and consumers, bridging the IEA-OPEC gap. OAPEC participates in IEF-adjacent forums, and the two serve complementary convening roles for global energy ministers and stakeholders.

Others

• World Energy Council (WEC): WEC is a global energy convening body that organizes the World Energy Congress and World Gas Conference. OAPEC maintains cooperation with WEC and participates in its flagship events, making it an adjacent ecosystem peer rather than direct competitor.
• Energy Charter Conference: The Energy Charter Conference is a multilateral energy cooperation framework focused on investment protection and transit. While not a producer coordination body, it overlaps thematically with OAPEC's mandate to facilitate cross-border petroleum investment and trade.

Direct peers

• Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF): GECF is an intergovernmental organization coordinating natural gas exporting countries, structurally analogous to OAPEC but focused on gas rather than oil. OAPEC's expanding Gas Experts Meetings overlap with GECF's mandate, making it a closely comparable peer.
• Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC): OPEC is the leading intergovernmental organization coordinating petroleum policies among major oil-producing nations. OAPEC was established in parallel for Arab producers, and the two cooperate on the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies and joint seminars; six of OAPEC's eleven members are also OPEC members.

Regional players

• African Petroleum Producers' Organization (APPO): APPO is the African counterpart to OAPEC, coordinating petroleum policy among African oil-producing nations. The two organizations play structurally similar roles but serve different regional constituencies and do not directly compete.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/oapec1
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCiLU0e38vF62PMu4PIvJtnw
• Facebookfacebook.com/OAPEC1
• Instagraminstagram.com/oapec1?igshid=7ne5z5kq6aem

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries