Riyadh to host first gathering of energy economies in the Middle East

Arrangements are currently being made in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, to host the Energy Economics Conference. This will be the first time the International Association for Energy Economics holds a conference in the Middle East and North Africa region. The conference will be held from 4 to 9 February next year, at the King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center.

The conference, which is held under the theme “Pathways to a Clean, Stable and Sustainable Energy Future”, will attract the most prominent policymakers, academics, companies, and non-governmental organizations, within an effective platform, to present and discuss current difficulties and potential solutions to the challenges of the triple dilemma of energy sustainability.

The conference came as a dire need is rising greater today than ever before for establishing such a dialogue, in light of rising energy costs and the increasing pressures to shift from dependence on fossil fuels exclusively to alternatives to clean and renewable energy.

The head of the King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center, Fahd Al-Ajlan, stated that the conference represents an exceptional opportunity to unify all efforts, in light of the growing need to achieve an energy transition, support carbon neutrality, and find quick and final solutions to the challenge of climate change.

He added, “The 44th conference of the International Association for Energy Economics paves the way for the launch of a new phase of the dialogue, providing an integrated platform and discussing advanced research that contributes to confronting the climate change crisis and defining the parameters of sustainable and comprehensive energy policies in the future.”

The conference work program will include 11 plenary sessions and 3 workshops, starting with an opening speech delivered by Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, Minister of Energy and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center.

The organizing committee received more than 300 papers prepared by authors from 42 countries around the world. These papers were to be presented during joint sessions and daily presentation sessions in front of the most prominent experts in the sector. It deals with a range of current topics, such as energy, the environment, renewable energy sources, the economy, electricity, and preparing electronic models for energy systems.