The members of the Board are almost always outsiders – the appointment of a staff member, like myself, is very rare. And Board members typically come from a variety of backgrounds, including top-notch academic economists, but also bankers and others with experience in the financial arena, and occasionally business people. We are appointed for fixed terms, encouraging independent views.
In Qatar alone, five large-scale projects have begun construction or are at advanced stages of development. In January, Egypt exported its first LNG cargo. Enormous tankers to transport LNG are being constructed, even without being dedicated to specific long-term delivery contracts. The increasing availability of LNG around the world should lead to much greater flexibility and efficiency in the allocation of energy resources.