By Marlynda Meraw
KUCHING, Oct 8: Sarawak holds the potential to become the new Saudi Arabia, says Sarawak Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg.
He said this in reference to the State’s capacity to produce new, clean energy for the future, such as hydrogen to replace fossil fuels.
“If crude (oil) is out of the market, those who have hydrogen become the main players. Then, you’ve got a new Saudi Arabia, a new oil-producing country,” said Abang Johari during his speech at the Sarawak Corporate Leadership Summit 2025 held at the Damai Lagoon Resort here today.
With hydrogen, he said that the environment could become cleaner, making the world safer for future generations to live in.
“Where is Sarawak? Sarawak can become a new Saudi Arabia,” he added.
According to Abang Johari, Sarawak has the potential to produce hydrogen especially due to the abundance of rivers across the State, which are not shared with other countries.
He cited examples such as River Rhine in Europe, the Mekong River of East Asia, and the Nile in Africa—all shared between several nations, making water management complex.
“But in Sarawak, we don’t (have to) share. We’ve got so many rivers. Meaning, there’s water. Water can be filtered with new technology.
“Once you reach the required water standard, then you can produce hydrogen. Then we (Sarawak) can control the economy, at least in this region,” he explained.
Following this, Abang Johari said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim had tasked Sarawak with exploring ways to become part of the ASEAN Green initiative, and pointed out that Sarawak had already begun exporting energy to Kalimantan and Sabah –DayakDaily
