Durra gas field: Saudi Arabia, Kuwait reiterate exclusive ownership

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the State of Kuwait have reiterated their exclusive ownership of the natural resources in the maritime “Divided Area,” including the entire Al-Durra gas field, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Thursday.

The report states that the Saudi Foreign Ministry has affirmed the countries’ full sovereign rights to utilize the resources in that area.

The two countries have urged Iran to engage in negotiations regarding the eastern border of the neutral zone based on international law and principles of good neighborliness. They have also emphasized their united stance on the issue.

The offshore Al-Durra gas field has been a source of conflict between the two nations and Iran. Iran claims a share in the gas field and refers to it as Arash. Saudi Arabia and Kuwait signed a joint development agreement for the gas field in March of last year, but Iran dismissed the agreement as “illegal.”

The Al-Durra gas field is a submerged area located in the Arabian Gulf, within the Al-Hasa Governorate of Saudi Arabia. The discovery of the field dates back to the 1960s, when the demarcation process for the maritime borders between Saudi Arabia and Kuwait began. The two countries have been unable to reach an agreement on the demarcation of their maritime borders, which has led to the dispute over the Al-Durra gas field.

The dispute over this gas field dates back to the 1960s. Despite years of negotiation between Iran and Kuwait over their disputed maritime border, which is abundant in natural gas, their recent attempt in March to map border demarcation and end the dispute was unsuccessful.