For the second consecutive week, the Durra field remains a critical issue in the statements of Saudi Arabia and Kuwait on one side and Iran on the other.
This field, known as Durra in Arabic and Arash in Iran, was discovered in the 1960s and holds extractable gas reserves estimated at around 200 billion cubic meters, worth billions of dollars.
Utilizing its resources is the focal point of the dispute between Saudi Arabia and Kuwait on one side and Iran on the other.
After a series of escalatory statements last week, tensions have slightly eased, allowing room for negotiations.
On August 2nd, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait issued a joint statement reaffirming that the ownership of natural resources in the disputed area, including the entire Durra field, is a shared ownership solely between the two countries, and they have full sovereign rights to exploit the resources in that area.
They also reiterated their repeated calls for Iran to engage in negotiations on the eastern boundary of the area according to international law and principles of good neighborliness.
Two days later, the Kuwaiti Foreign Minister received an invitation from his Iranian counterpart to visit Tehran, followed by a statement from the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson on Monday, suggesting leaving the final decision to the law.
Will negotiations begin soon? It's worth noting that Kuwait and Iran have been negotiating for years over the sharing of rights in the field without reaching a resolution.