Electricity-sector Reforms in the MENA Region

Dr. Leila Benali is an authority on energy strategy and policies, advising key stakeholders, particularly in sensitive environments (e.g. the Iraqi Hydrocarbons Law, the “National Economic Strategy” in Libya, G20 Energy Meeting response to the 2008 crisis, East Med fuel supplies). She has extensive experience consulting on and managing projects for governments, international companies, investment banks and industries, including numerous country energy master plans, policies, corporate strategies and strategic investments and acquisitions. Her research includes gas monetization, energy pricing, reserves booking, nuclear power introduction, energy poverty and sustainable wealth creation.Prior to joining Saudi Aramco in 2014, she was Director for the Middle East and Africa at IHS CERA (Cambridge Energy Research Associates), leading the research and consulting. Before CERA, she conducted field research on the liberalization of the UAE electricity and water sectors. She also worked on assessments of the political and social climate in Lebanon and Syria, and as an industrial engineer at Schlumberger.She has been teaching about “energy strategies and players” and “energy economics” at Sciences PO, Paris. Dr Benali is the Chairman of the Arab Energy Club, a member of the International Association of Energy Economists and of the Paris Energy Club. She holds a MS in Engineering from l’Ecole Centrale Paris and from l’Ecole Mohammadia d’Ingenieurs, Rabat, Morocco; a MS in Political Science and a PhD (Summa Cum Laude) in Economics from l’Institut d’Etudes Politiques de Paris (Sciences Po). In 2016 she was awarded the Petroleum Economist Future Leader award, which recognizes individuals most likely to shape the future of the energy sector.

• - Introduction. - A Unique Confluence: Demographics, Socio-economics and Politics. - Three Main Drivers of Electricity- Sector Reforms. - Evaluation Step 1 -Impact on Production Costs (Performance) and Investments (Incentive). - Evaluation Step 2- How Optimal is the Sequencing of the Reform? - Evaluation step 3- Attractiveness, Feasibility. - Evaluation step 4- Credibility. - Evaluation Step 5- Remediability, or the Critical Path to Survival. - Prospects and Future of Reforms: Fuel mix Options. - Prospects and Future of Reforms: Resources Monetization. - Conclusion - Evolution of the Single Buyer Model in MENA.