Top 10 LNG Terminals Middle East 2026: Ranked by Capacity

LNG terminals Middle East collectively handle more liquefied natural gas than any other region on earth, with Qatar alone targeting 126 MTPA of export capacity by the early 2030s and Kuwait operating the largest dedicated import terminal in the region at 22 MTPA.

The region splits into two distinct infrastructure types: massive export complexes in Qatar, the UAE, and Oman built to serve European and Asian buyers; and strategic import hubs in Kuwait and Bahrain constructed to secure domestic power supply. Both categories are undergoing significant expansion or modernisation in 2026.

Capacity figures below reflect nameplate operational or approved design capacity in million tonnes per annum (MTPA). Where trains are grouped under a single operating entity, combined capacity is stated.

LNG Terminals Middle East: The Ranked List

1. Al-Zour LNG Terminal, Kuwait — 22 MTPA

Kuwait’s Al-Zour LNG Terminal is the largest dedicated LNG import facility in the Middle East, with a regasification capacity of 22 MTPA. Operated by Kuwait National Petroleum Company (KNPC), it was commissioned to reduce Kuwait’s domestic energy deficit, which peaks severely during summer cooling demand.

Al-Zour replaced the earlier Mina Al Ahmadi floating import unit and feeds directly into Kuwait’s national gas grid. The facility includes multiple storage tanks and jetties capable of receiving large-scale LNG carriers, making it the primary energy security asset for the country’s power sector.

2–3. Ras Laffan II and III, Qatar — 29.7 MTPA Combined

Ras Laffan II and III are the highest-capacity individual export terminals in the region, with combined throughput of 29.7 MTPA. Both operate within the Ras Laffan Industrial City complex on Qatar’s northeast coast — a 56 km² integrated export hub that handles LNG, LPG, condensates, and petrochemicals from the North Field reservoir.

Ras Laffan III alone accounts for 15.6 MTPA, making it the largest single active LNG export terminal in the region. The complex includes six LNG berths, of which four can accommodate Q-Max vessels with a capacity of 266,000 m³. QatarEnergy LNG operates all Qatari export trains under a post-merger structure that consolidated Qatargas and RasGas into a single entity in 2017.

4. Qatargas I LNG, Qatar — 9.9 MTPA

Qatargas I was Qatar’s first commercial LNG train, and among the pioneering facilities that established the country’s dominance in global gas markets. Its 9.9 MTPA capacity is now lower relative to newer trains, but the facility remains active and continues supplying long-term contracts, primarily to Asian buyers.

The history of the Qatargas brand — which eventually absorbed multiple train operators before merging into QatarEnergy — is covered in detail in the Qatargas history and LNG trains profile.

5. Ruwais LNG Terminal, UAE — 9.6 MTPA (Under Construction)

ADNOC’s Ruwais LNG Terminal is the most significant new LNG infrastructure project in the Middle East currently under construction. The 9.6 MTPA facility is designed as an all-electric plant powered by Abu Dhabi’s grid rather than gas turbines, reducing carbon intensity by approximately 60% compared to conventional liquefaction design.

First production is targeted for 2028. Ruwais will be the UAE’s first large-scale LNG export facility since Das Island, transforming the country from a minor LNG exporter into a significant global supplier. The project is part of ADNOC’s broader $55 billion capital programme running through 2028, detailed in the ADNOC project awards pipeline.

6. Qatargas IV LNG, Qatar — 7.8 MTPA

Qatargas IV operates at 7.8 MTPA and continues to supply long-term LNG volumes to European and Asian customers. It was developed as part of Qatar’s second wave of expansion and has run without significant disruption since commissioning — with the notable exception of the force majeure declared in early 2026 following infrastructure damage at Ras Laffan.

That event had immediate global market consequences. Shell’s LNG output was forecast to fall 35% in Q2 2026 as a direct result of the supply interruption, underlining the outsized influence Qatari infrastructure exerts on global LNG pricing.

7. Yemen LNG — Balhaf, Yemen — 6.7 MTPA (Mothballed)

Yemen LNG at Balhaf is a fully constructed 6.7 MTPA export terminal that has been offline since mid-2015 when escalating conflict forced the operator consortium — including TotalEnergies and Hunt Oil — to evacuate. The plant is structurally intact and technically capable of restart, but no commercial timeline exists in 2026 given the continued instability of the Yemeni state.

Yemen LNG represents one of the largest stranded assets in global LNG infrastructure and is included here because its nominal capacity still shapes analytical assessments of regional potential.

8. ADGAS Plant, Das Island, UAE — 6.0 MTPA

The ADGAS Plant on Das Island has been the UAE’s primary LNG export operation since 1977, making it one of the oldest continuously operating LNG facilities in the world. Operated by Abu Dhabi Gas Liquefaction Company (ADGAS) — a joint venture in which ADNOC holds the majority stake alongside TotalEnergies, Mitsui, and BP — the facility ships the majority of its output to Japan under long-term contracts.

TotalEnergies secured a new 10-year supply agreement from Das Island in 2026, covering 800,000 tonnes per annum. Full commercial terms are covered in the TotalEnergies Das Island LNG deal article.

9–10. Oman LNG and Qalhat LNG, Oman — 5.5 MTPA Each

Oman LNG and Qalhat LNG operate adjacent facilities at the Qalhat site near Sur, with combined national export capacity of 11 MTPA. The two plants function in an integrated manner, sharing port infrastructure while maintaining separate production trains and offtake agreements.

Oman LNG supplies primarily Asian buyers, with Shell, TotalEnergies, and Mitsubishi among the equity partners. Qalhat LNG — also known as Oman LNG Train 3 — was developed as a capacity expansion and brought on stream in 2005. Both facilities source feed gas from fields operated by Petroleum Development Oman (PDO).

LNG Terminals Middle East: Key Regional Trends in 2026

Qatar’s North Field Expansion Reshapes the Global Market

Qatar’s total LNG production capacity is being expanded aggressively through the North Field development, targeting 126 MTPA nationally. New mega-trains currently under construction will dwarf individual facilities on this list when commissioned. For a full breakdown of train sequencing, investment volumes, and offtake agreements driving this expansion, see the Top 10 LNG Terminals in the World 2026 ranking.

The Shift to Electric Liquefaction

The Ruwais project signals a structural technology shift across LNG terminals Middle East. Electric-drive liquefaction — already adopted at a handful of US projects — is now being applied at scale in the Gulf for the first time. ADNOC has cited emissions reduction targets and long-term competitiveness as the rationale; grid-powered facilities carry lower operating costs as renewable power penetration in Abu Dhabi increases.

Import Hubs as Energy Security Infrastructure

Kuwait’s Al-Zour terminal reflects a pattern visible across the Gulf: energy-producing nations building LNG import capacity as a domestic power security measure. Bahrain has operated a similar facility since 2020. These terminals de-risk national grids from pipeline supply disruptions and seasonal demand peaks, and represent a fast-growing asset class within the broader Middle East tank terminal landscape.

For coverage of the UAE’s upstream gas infrastructure supporting both Das Island and Ruwais, see the ADNOC Terminals UAE portfolio.