Kuwaiti Oil Minister Saad al-Barrak stated today, Sunday, that Kuwait and Saudi Arabia hold the "exclusive right" to the Durra gas field in the Gulf and urged Iran to begin demarcating its maritime borders to confirm its claims to the field. Al-Barrak remarked, "Until this moment, this is an exclusive right for Kuwait and Saudi Arabia in the Durra field, and anyone who has a claim should start demarcating the borders; if they have a right, they will obtain it according to the rules of international law." He added, referring to Iran, "the other party has claims not based on a clear demarcation of maritime borders."
Al-Barrak's statements echo what Saudi Arabia announced last week, asserting that the kingdom and Kuwait exclusively own natural resources in the "divided maritime zone" in the Gulf. The Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported that the kingdom also renewed its call for Iran to begin negotiations with Riyadh and Kuwait regarding the eastern border demarcation in the area. Tehran has previously claimed rights to the field and described the Saudi-Kuwaiti agreement signed last year for its development as "illegal."
