Helium diplomacy: The invisible bottleneck in the AI economy

A warning from Ras Laffan The Middle East is usually described as the engine room of the hydrocarbon economy. But it also sits quietly inside the infrastructure of the digital age. When conflict disrupted natural-gas processing in Qatar in March 2026, international attention focused on liquefied natural gas. Another, less visible supply chain was also shaken: helium. Qatar is not a marginal supplier. US Geological Survey data reported by Reuters show that it produced about 63 million cubic metres of helium in 2025 out of roughly 190 million cubic metres globally—close to one-third of world output. As Qatari production stopped, helium spot prices rose sharply and industries far beyond the energy sector began assessing their exposure. This was not a […]