Revisiting the geopolitical scene and the current areas of strategic importance, the New Dimensions of Geopolitics and Natural Gas report illustrates the growing role of various stakeholders and their impact on shaping policies. This emerging trend adds new dimensions to the issues already prevalent in the gas industry and leads to higher scrutiny and rising expectations from stakeholders. This theme paper addresses in particular the social impact issue associated with oil and gas extraction activities and the stance of stakeholders in this context. It presents the increasing focus on the creation of productive links between the oil and gas industry and the rest of the domestic economy, showing how the promotion of “local content” can actually contribute to reversing the “resource curse” when robust and collaborative strategies are put in place.