ROME – Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni traveled to Saudi Arabia on Friday for an unannounced two-day tour including Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, aiming to bolster support for Gulf allies against Iranian attacks and safeguard Italy’s energy imports.
The visit, the first by an EU leader to Saudi Arabia since the US-Israel launched conflict in late February, addresses Rome’s growing alarms over oil and gas supply security through the Strait of Hormuz.
Pre-war, Qatar supplied about 10% of Italy’s gas via LNG, while Middle East oil made up 12% of its imports last year. Recent disruptions have worsened: Italy’s Gulf supplier halted 10 LNG cargoes from April to mid-June due to the near-closed Strait, and Iranian strikes have idled 17% of Qatar’s LNG export capacity, per QatarEnergy’s CEO.
To offset shortages, Italy will start receiving LNG from the US Golden Pass facility in June, sources confirmed Thursday. Meloni’s outreach highlights Europe’s scramble to diversify energy sources amid escalating regional tensions.