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CAIRO: Saudi Arabia will host the 44th International Conference of the International Energy Economics Association from February 4-9 to discuss the path to a sustainable future.

Organized for the first time in the Middle East and North Africa region, the event will take place at the King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center in Riyadh, in cooperation with the Saudi Association for energy saving.

“This will be the first time that IAEE is hosting its annual conference in the MENA region, a region that has produced more than 40% of the world’s oil and gas over the past two decades,” said Fahad Alajlan, President of KAPSARC. , in a press release. statement.

The event will address critical topics under the theme “Pathways to a Clean, Stable and Sustainable Energy Future” by facilitating evidence-based academic solutions and providing a platform for productive dialogue and problem-solving skills.

The conference is expected to welcome over 500 delegates from over 40 nationalities to participate in 10 plenary sessions.

In-depth topics include carbon capture, the circular carbon economy, the role of hydrogen in the energy transition, the impact of oil price volatility on supply and investment, and the challenges facing is facing the electricity sector in the MENA region.

The conference provides an opportunity for academic, industry, government and scientific experts to assess the changing energy landscape in order to explore ideas and strategies for securing a low-carbon future.

“Since its inception, KAPSARC has been very active in conducting critical research on energy conservation and climate sustainability. The upcoming IAEE conference, being hosted for the first time in the Middle East, is a wonderful opportunity to visit KAPSARC and the capital of Saudi Arabia, Riyadh,” said IAEE Director General Yukari Yamashita in a statement.

The event will welcome high-level participants with keynote sessions, workshops and plenary discussions to shape policies around the climate agenda.

On February 4, Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman will open the event with a keynote address followed by a conversation with Daniel Yergin, Vice Chairman of S&P Global.

Prior to the Minister of Energy’s keynote address, the event will host an invitation-only IAEE Council meeting, followed by a Young Professionals and Academics Day at the Hilton Riyadh.

On the second day of the event, Alajlan will deliver his keynote address accompanied by Majid Al-Moneef, Chairman of the Board of SAEE and Jean-Michel Glachant, President of IAEE.

The first plenary session will focus on “Volatility, security and access to energy”. It will describe modern access to energy in rural and developing regions, in line with solving global issues of economic growth and prosperity.

The second day will feature dual-track sessions titled “Energy Investments and Finance” and “Energy and Trade”.

The third day will include a plenary session titled “Pathways to Energy Transitions” to explore whether climate ambitions and energy security can be aligned by asking the question: What realistic pathways could best meet global and regional goals and aspirations? a just energy transition?

It will be followed by two sessions, track 1 will organize the session “Energy, development and climate change” to explore the link between economic development and the preservation of the environment by highlighting the factors that can ensure the pursuit of both simultaneously .

The second track will take the examination of issues from technology to geopolitics to gain a more descriptive insight into the underappreciated aspect of the energy transition in a session on the theme “Interconnections of energy, water, food and minerals”.

On February 7, the “Energy, Mobility and Technology” session will kick off the day to shed light on the technological and regulatory options needed to deliver these services while addressing the multidimensional challenges of resource use, emissions, costs and impact. on the urban environment.

Sessions will continue to explore the opportunities and challenges facing the industry with two sessions “Energy Efficiency and Industrial Competitiveness” and “Challenges and Opportunities for the Energy Sector”.

The fifth day will start with renowned economists in the panel titled “Economy and energy diversification in the MENA region”.

The closing session will be moderated by Al-Moneef, Glachant, Fahad Al-Turki, Vice President of Knowledge and Analysis at KAPSARC, Gurkan Kumbaroglu, Professor of Industrial Engineering at Bogazici University, Christophe Bonnery, President from the French Association for Energy Economics, followed by closing remarks from Alajlan.

The sixth day will be a technical visit to the Shaybah oil production facility in Rub Al-Khali, the largest extended desert in the world.

The tour will include visits to Saudi Aramco’s Shaybah facilities as well as the 637 km² Shaybah Wildlife Sanctuary, an Aramco-sponsored biodiversity protection area that is home to native plant and animal species.

The event will also discuss the impact of COVID-19 on energy and energy poverty and the Sustainable Development Goals, in addition to shedding light on academic research and case studies.

The 43rd IAEE Conference was held in mid-2022 in Tokyo, Japan titled “Mapping the Energy Future – Voyage in Uncharted Territory”, which discussed the impact of new geopolitical conditions and technological advancements in the energy markets.

According to Fumihiko Ito, director of sustainability at Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp., and the role of global collaboration in ensuring smoother energy passage.

Other important discussions focused on technologies to reduce carbon emissions as well as risk assessment and response planning.