Robin Mills
Non-Resident Fellow, AGSI; CEO, Qamar Energy
Robin Mills is a non-resident fellow at the Arab Gulf States Institute and the CEO of Qamar Energy. He established Qamar Energy in 2015 to meet the need for regionally based Middle East energy insight. He is an expert on energy strategy and economics, described by Foreign Policy Magazine as “one of the energy world’s great minds.”
Mills has led major consulting assignments for the European Union in Iraq, and for a variety of international oil companies on Middle East business development, integrated gas and power generation, and renewable energy. Mills worked for a decade for Shell, concentrating on new business development in the Middle East. He subsequently worked for six years with Dubai Holding and the Emirates National Oil Company, where he advanced business development efforts in the Middle East energy sector.
He is a fellow at the Columbia University Center on Global Energy Policy and senior fellow of the Iraq Energy Institute, spent two years as the non-resident fellow for energy at the Brookings Institution, is a columnist on energy and environment for The National and Bloomberg, and is the author of the influential report on Middle East solar, Sunrise in the Desert, and two books, The Myth of the Oil Crisis, and Capturing Carbon.
He holds a first-class degree in geology from the University of Cambridge, and speaks Arabic, Farsi, Dutch, and Norwegian.
Analysis
Oman in the War
Oman has benefitted from the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran, but continued conflict and Oman’s highwire neutrality balancing act mean that the sultanate’s economic windfall is still in danger.
Qatar LNG Past & Future
As Qatar looks to the future, it will have to assess the battered landscape of the global LNG industry, reassure its customer base, and rethink its approach for a very different market.
What’s Next for Iran’s Energy Sector?
Iran’s energy industry, mismanaged and hit by sanctions, is still crucial for the government in Tehran and important on the global stage.
The Reach of the GCC’s Booming Renewables Sector Exceeds Grasp
Exports of power from the Gulf’s thriving renewables and battery sector could become a key driver of the economy, but restrained grid interconnectivity with neighbors limits any breakthrough.
Kuwait’s Big New Offshore Oil Find
Can the offshore Al-Nokhatha discovery help Kuwait’s oil and gas investments sail ahead?
Can Iran Sustain Its Oil and Gas Export Surge?
Iran’s oil resurgence is a critical market and political development, but the Iranian energy industry remains in a shaky state.
Events
Aug 11, 2026
Beyond the Strait: The Future of Global Energy Security
On August 11, AGSI hosted a discussion on global energy markets.
Speakers
Mar 11, 2026
Shockwaves From Iran: Implications for Energy Markets and the Global Economy
On March 11, AGSI hosted a discussion on global energy and economic market volatility.
Speakers
Assessing Iranian, U.S., and Gulf Reactions and Options Following Israel’s Unprecedented Attack on Iran
On June 16, AGSI hosted a discussion on Israel's attack on Iran.
Speakers
Mar 10, 2022
Following Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine, Can Gulf Countries Stabilize Energy Markets?
On March 10, AGSIW hosted a discussion examining the impact of the Ukraine crisis on global oil and gas markets and the direct effects on the Gulf region.
Speakers
May 19, 2021
The Future of Renewable and Low Carbon Energy in the Middle East and North Africa
On May 19, AGSIW hosted a discussion on the transition to renewable and low carbon energy in the Middle East and North Africa.
Speakers
Oct 22, 2020
The Geopolitics of Oil and Gas and U.S.-Gulf Arab Relations
As part of the sixth annual Petro Diplomacy conference, AGSIW hosted a virtual panel discussion on the geopolitics of oil.
Speakers
