In a debate geared more towards the regional audience in the Gulf, the third edition of the Dubai Debates tackled the issue of energy in the region. Finite resources like oil and gas are not only detrimental to the environment and expensive; they have also been a cause of tensions and conflict in the region. Nuclear energy has been described as an alternative, with some governments in the GCC pursuing plans to build reactors within the decade. But what are the right approaches to ensure energy security in the region going forward?

This highly informative debate brought to the table some of the leading experts on Middle East energy. In addition, the world-renowned energy expert and award-winning author, Bjorn Lomborg, addressed the Dubai Debates in a memorable video contribution. This third event also featured the first “townhall-style” segments of our debates, with audience members freely contributing opinions and questions.