While the Middle East has long been associated with oil and petroleum products, World Fuel Services (Booth 1120) has noted growing interest regarding sustainability and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).

“I think it’s definitely increasing from the perspective that we are getting asked about it regularly in terms of customers asking 'can you supply this market or that market,'” said Riyan Qirbi, World Fuel’s director of market development for the region. “Of course, in most cases, we say we can’t because there is no supply source [in the region] that we can actually access, but there’s definitely an interest from multiple parties. If it were available and at the right price, I think there would be a market for it.”

He believes that if the regional governments were to more firmly embrace environmental sustainability either through incentivization like in North America or by mandate, as is being done in Europe, that would spur further interest.

Yet, Qirbi explained to AIN, the deck is stacked against the growth of SAF in the Middle East. The region, which is largely arid, has little to offer in terms of potential feedstocks crops.

“They don’t grow anything so the chances of taking plants and converting them into sustainable aviation fuel, this is a very limited opportunity, and where they do grow stuff, they grow it to meet a part of their overall food balance which is negative,” he said. “All of these countries are net importers of foodstuffs.” While there are some differences from area to area, Qirbi noted, “in terms of SAF being produced in Africa and the Middle East, I think we are still some time away from that happening.”

But SAF is just one part of the sustainability solution, said Matt Whiton, World Fuel’s v-p of European fuel supply for aviation and land. “There are many solutions, and they have to be complementary and work together.”

This week at MEBAA 2022, World Fuel is featuring its World Kinect sustainability product among its full range of offerings, and one of the company’s experts on the subject is participating in a panel discussion.

“Through our sustainability division, we really take a broad view of the carbon reduction challenge of which SAF is a portion of it,” said Peter Stevens, the Miami-based fuel provider’s v-p of global marketing for aviation and marine. “We want and we guide and we advise our clients to source renewable fuels, but on the path to net-zero [carbon emissions] it starts with a really strong advisory function.”

 “I think that eventually the first stage for us in this region is going to be carbon trading and offsets,” said Qirbi. “We’ve talked to the various players about it, so the conversation has already commenced.”