When: 18:30-20:00, Friday 9 October 2026.
Where: Dockrill Room, King’s College London, Strand Campus, London, WC2R 2LS
YCW London are delighted to invite you to a panel looking at how the Iran war has reshaped China’s energy priorities in the Middle East. We will explore Beijing’s dependence on Gulf oil, the risks posed by disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz, and China’s efforts to diversify its energy supplies through closer ties with Russia and other producers. The discussion will also consider what these changes mean for China’s wider role in the region and its long-term energy security.
Panelists:
- Dr Carole Nakhle, Founder and CEO of Crystol Energy
- Neil Hirst, Senior Policy Fellow, Energy and Mitigation at Imperial College London
Moderated by Baran Ayguven, Director, YCW London.
This event is made possible thanks to the generous support of the Department of War Studies, King’s College London.
About the Speakers
Dr Carole Nakhle is the Founder & CEO of Crystol Energy, an advisory firm supporting governments, industry, and international bodies across global energy markets, policy, and geopolitics. An energy economist, Fellow of the Energy Institute, international keynote speaker, and media commentator, her books include Petroleum Taxation and Out of the Energy Labyrinth (co-authored with Lord David Howell). She is also the Founder of Access for Women in Energy.
Neil Hirst is a Senior Policy Fellow for Energy and Mitigation at Imperial College London’s Grantham Institute. He has previously served as a senior UK energy official, IEA Director, Chairman of the G8 Nuclear Safety Working Group, and Energy Counsellor at the British Embassy in Washington. He is the lead author of the Grantham Institute/Chatham House Discussion Paper “The Reform of Global Energy Governance” and author of the book “Six Energy Policies to Save the Planet”.
Tickets are available through our Eventbrite here.