Saudi Arabia courts foreign firms for huge gas deals.

(From Agence France Presse)

In the latest step in the reopening of its huge energy reserves to foreign companies, Saudi Arabia invited tenders for three giant natural gas exploration projects at a meeting.

About 40 hand-picked foreign companies attended the gathering to hear Saudi Arabia's oil minister, Ali al-Nuaimi, pitch the projects, each with an area of between 30,000 to 50,000 sq kilometres (19,000 to 31,500 sq miles).

Nuaimi described the conference as "an important landmark in the history of the kingdom's petroleum industry".

"This offering presents your companies with a historic opportunity to establish a long-term partnership with …