A warning from Ras Laffan

The Middle East is usually described as the engine room of the hydrocarbon economy. But it also sits quietly inside the infrastructure of the digital age. When conflict disrupted natural-gas processing in Qatar in March 2026, international attention focused on liquefied natural gas. Another, less visible supply chain was also shaken: helium.

Qatar is not a marginal supplier. US Geological Survey data reported by Reuters show that it produced about 63 million cubic metres of helium in 2025 out of roughly 190 million cubic metres globally—close to one-third of world output. As Qatari production stopped, helium spot prices rose sharply and industries far beyond the energy sector began assessing their exposure.

This was not a story about party balloons. Helium is indispensable to semiconductor fabrication, medical imaging, advanced research, space technology and quantum computing. The disruption exposed a neglected reality: the AI economy rests not only on algorithms, chips and electricity, but also on a rare gas concentrated in a small number of politically exposed locations.

Why AI depends on helium

Artificial intelligence does not consume helium directly. The dependence lies upstream, in the factories that produce the advanced chips on which AI systems run.

Helium’s chemical stability and exceptional thermal conductivity make it valuable throughout semiconductor manufacturing.

Helium’s chemical stability and exceptional thermal conductivity make it valuable throughout semiconductor manufacturing.

High-purity helium is used to control wafer temperatures, create inert environments, support vacuum systems, detect leaks and assist highly precise fabrication processes.

The Semiconductor Industry Association has warned that many of these applications have no readily available substitute. Even a disruption lasting several days can slow production, while a significant delay could force a fabrication plant to shut down.

This vulnerability is becoming more consequential as demand for AI hardware accelerates. The International Energy Agency reported that electricity consumption by AI-focused data........

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