Since the mid-1970s, oil and gas has taken over from fishing as the area’s largest economic driver. Up to 120,000 related jobs and thousands of international energy companies are now based in the city and surrounding area (figures from Oil and Gas UK, 2017).
Much of the UK’s oil and gas reserves is located under the North Sea, with more than 250 installations now in place offshore which draw out these fossil fuels every day. As a result of the wide-ranging challenges of working in the north sea, and the technologies and engineering that has developed to counteract this, Aberdeen is known as a centre of excellence in deep water exploration within the energy industry.
Increasingly, innovation in the area of renewable energy plays a part of the sector within the City.
Perhaps because of its stature in the international oil, gas and energy industry, Aberdeen is now home to a diverse, multicultural population. There are places of worship for many different religions and a range of international services and shops available to its various communities.