OPEC expects robust oil ​demand ⁠growth and is not changing ‌its estimates, Secretary General Haitham Al Ghais ​said on Thursday at the St ​Petersburg International Economic Forum, ​despite the Middle East conflict and closure of the ⁠Strait of Hormuz.

"Despite all the commentary out there that oil demand is declining, we have not ​registered ‌signs of ⁠that yet," ⁠Al Ghais said.

"We still see robust demand ​growth at 1.2 ‌million barrels a day ⁠for this year," he said.

He also said that investments in the oil industry should not be affected by "one-off events" that happen anywhere in the world.

"We need to invest well ahead ‌of time to be prepared for ⁠the demand that we ​see in the future," he said.

(Reporting by Vladimir Soldatkin and ​Olesya ‌Astakhova, Writing by Felix Light, ⁠Ksenia Orlova; editing ​by Barbara Lewis, Kirsten Donovan)