The United Arab Emirates plans not only to meet domestic demand for liquefied natural gas (LNG) but also to expand its exports, Energy Minister Suhail al-Mazrouei said on Monday. Speaking on the sidelines of Abu Dhabi Financial Week, Mazrouei noted that he agrees with Qatar’s energy minister that global demand for natural gas is outpacing investment in production projects. “We intend not only to satisfy our local demand, but we are also growing our LNG exports. And I agree with His Excellency, the Minister of Qatar, that demand is going to far exceed the projects currently under development,” Mazrouei said. Qatar Energy Minister Saad al-Kaabi said on Saturday that global gas demand would remain strong, citing rising energy needs driven by artificial intelligence, and projected that LNG demand could reach 600-700 million tons per year by 2035. The international investment arm of the UAE’s Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, XRG, announced in June its goal to develop a gas and LNG business with a capacity of 20-25 million metric tons annually by 2035.