OAPEC

The Twelfth Arab Energy Conference

The 12^th Arab Energy Conference will be held in Doha, State of Qatar, during the period 11-12 December 2023, under the slogan “Energy and Arab Cooperation”. The conference examines the energy situation from its many aspects related to international developments in energy markets and their implications for the Arab energy sector, and the efforts of Arab countries to tackle the challenges of energy security, and issues of energy, environment, and sustainable development. The conference also discusses topics related to Arab and global energy resources, downstream industries, and energy demand management in Arab countries, in addition to technological developments and their implications for the energy sector.

Conference Objectives

The conference aims to:

1. Creating an institutional framework for Arab ideas and perceptions on oil and energy issues to formulate harmonious visions in this respect.

2. Coordinating relations between Arab institutions working in activities related to energy and development.

3. Linking energy policies to development issues.

4. Studying Arab energy needs, at present and in the future, and means of meeting them.

5. Identifying available Arab capabilities and the efforts made to develop energy resources, and coordinating between these efforts.

6. Learning about international dimensions of energy and their impact on Arab countries.

Presidency of the Conference

His Excellency Eng. Saad bin Sherida Al Kaabi, Minister of State for Energy Affairs and Managing Director and CEO of Qatar Energy, will chair the twelfth conference.

Conference Sponsoring and Supervising Institutions

- League of Arab States

- Organisation of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC)

- Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development

- Arab Industrial Development, Standardization and Mining Organisation

Organizing and preparing for the conference

The Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC) will undertake the tasks of preparing for the conference by forming an internal committee charged with setting the general framework and time frame for the conference. The committee is also responsible for proposing the topics for the sessions and technical papers that will be presented to the conference and the entities that will prepare, review and evaluate those papers, in addition to forming a financial committee that will follow up all financial matters related to the conference.

Participants

Official delegations from Arab countries, contributors to its agenda invited by the conference committee, and figures concerned with energy issues will participate in the conference. Participation is exclusively by invitation of the Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries.

Conference Language

Arabic is the official language of the conference. Simultaneous translation to and from English is available.

Historical Background on the Arab Energy Conference

Birth of the Conference

The idea of organising the conference emerged in May 1977 with a decision of the Council of Ministers of the Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC). After consultation, it was agreed that OAPEC and the Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development would supervise and organise the conference in order to ensure comprehensive representation of Arab countries and to link energy to development.

Conference Evolution

1. The First Arab Energy Conference was held in March 1979 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, under the slogan “Arabs and Energy Issues.” Following holding the conference, contacts were made between the League of Arab States and OAPEC to coordinate the work of the Energy Conference and the Arab Petroleum Conference, which had been held under the supervision of the League of Arab States since 1959. It was agreed to merge them under the name of the Arab Energy Conference. Thus, the League of Arab States became one of the institutions supervising the organisation of the conference. Given the interest of the Arab Industrial Development Organization in the petrochemical industries, it was decided that it would also participate in supervising the conference.

2. The Second Arab Energy Conference was held in March 1982 in Doha, Qatar, under the supervision of the four aforementioned institutions, and its slogan was “Energy in the Service of Arab Economic Development and Integration.” The conference recommended adding the Arab Mineral Resources Organisation to the supervising institutions, thus becoming the fifth organisation sponsoring the conference.

3. The Third Arab Energy Conference was held in May 1985 in the city of Algiers, Republic of Algeria, under the slogan “Energy and Arab Cooperation,” which became the slogan for subsequent editions of the conference.

4. The Fourth Arab Energy Conference was held in March 1988 in Baghdad, Republic of Iraq. It was decided at that time to hold the conference every four years instead of every three years. The year 1992 was set as the date for holding the fifth conference. However, the difficult circumstances that swept the Arab world in 1990 necessitated its postponement to 1994.

5. The Fifth Arab Energy Conference was held in May 1994 in Cairo, Arab Republic of Egypt, under the supervision of the four institutions after the merger of the Arab Organisation for Mineral Resources with the Arab Organisation for Industrial Development, to whose name the words “and Mining” were added.

6. The Sixth Arab Energy Conference was held in Damascus, Syrian Arab Republic in May 1998.

7. The Seventh Arab Energy Conference was held in Cairo, Arab Republic of Egypt, in May 2002.

8. The Eighth Arab Energy Conference was held in Amman, Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan in May 2006.

9. The Ninth Arab Energy Conference was held in Doha, State of Qatar in May 2010.

1. The Tenth Arab Energy Conference was held in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates in December 2014.

1. The 11th Arab Energy Conference was held in October 2018 in Marrakesh, Kingdom of Morocco.

These conferences were sponsored by the Organisation of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC), the Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development, the League of Arab States, and the Arab Industrial Development, Standardization and Mining Organisation.

Conference Programme

The conference programme includes holding an opening session in which Their Highnesses and Excellencies the energy ministers of the Arab countries review their countries' efforts to handle energy security challenges.

The programme also includes two open dialogue ministerial sessions in the following areas:

1. International developments in energy markets and their implications for the Arab energy sector

2. Energy, environment and sustainable development

The conference includes holding four technical sessions during which sixteen technical papers will be presented. They are distributed as follows:

First Technical Session

Energy Sources in Arab Countries and the World

Four technical papers will be presented on:

1. Oil and Natural Gas in Arab Countries and the World

2. The Future of Nuclear Energy in Arab Countries

3. Renewable Energies: Prospects and Challenges

4. Biofuels and their Role in Energy Transitions

Second Technical Session

Downstream Industries: in the Arab World and Globally

Four technical papers will be presented on:

1. Oil Refining Industry: Challenges and Future Prospects
2. Petrochemicals Industry: in the Arab World and Globally
3. Natural Gas Industry Developments
4. LNG Industry Developments in the State of Qatar
5. Hydrogen and its Future Role in the Energy Mix

Third Technical Session

Energy Demand Management in Arab Countries

Four technical papers will be presented on:

1. Energy Demand Forecasts in Arab Countries until 2045
2. Investments Necessary to Develop the Energy Sector in Arab Countries
3. Transition towards Circular Carbon Economy: Opportunities and Challenges
4. The Role of Electric Power Generation Sector in achieving Sustainability and Energy Security

Fourth Technical Session

Technological Developments and their Implications for the Energy Sector

Four technical papers will be presented on:

1. The Role of Technological Innovation and Low-Carbon Technologies in Accelerating Energy Transitions
2. Technological Developments and their Implications for Oil and Gas Supplies
3. Fourth Industrial Revolution Technologies and their Applications in the Oil and Gas Sector
4. Applications of Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CCUS) Technologies in the Oil Industry and Power Generation