Oil ministers from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Egypt and Bahrain will meet with the region’s energy industry leaders in Manama on 19 November to discuss energy policy, energy market outlook and financing options available to the Arab region’s energy markets.

The leading figures from the region’s energy industry will gather in Bahrain at the Arab Petroleum Investments Corporation’s (Apicorp) Energy Forum.

“This is an absolutely critical time for accurate information flow and knowledge transfer.”

Apicorp Chairman Dr Aabed Bin Abdulla Al Saadoun

They will be joined by some of the most respected names in the global energy industry, including specialists from Citigroup, Standard Chartered, HSBC, Abraaj Group, Goldman Sachs and the Oxford Institute of Energy Studies, to share their insight in 11 interactive sessions.

Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, Ali bin Ibrahim Al-Naimi will provide a keynote speech to delegates.

Al-Naimi will then take part in a ministerial panel that will discuss policy decision making in a volatile market.

Al-Naimi will be joined on the panel by Bahrian Energy Minister Dr. Abdul Hussain bin Ali Mirza, Egypt’s Minister of Petroleum & Mineral Resources Tarek El-Molla, and Kuwait’s Oil Minister Ali Al Omair.

Volatile market

The Apicorp Energy Forum takes place at a particularly tense time for the region’s oil industry, and for the global economy more generally.

“We have been able to bring together some of the most influential names in the industry.”

Apicorp Chairman Dr Aabed Bin Abdulla Al Saadoun

As the price of oil continues to hover around the $50 a barrel mark, and with Egypt recently discovering a huge offshore natural gas field, investors will be eager to gain a better sense of where the Arab region’s decision makers are focusing their attention.

Apicorp is a multilateral development bank established in 1975 by the 10 member states of the Organisation of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC). The organisation celebrates its 40th anniversary on 23^rd November 2015.

Policy direction

Talking ahead of the forum, Apicorp Chairman Dr Aabed Bin Abdulla Al Saadoun said: “Given this organisation’s unique ownership and mandate within the Arab energy sector, we have been able to bring together some of the most influential names in the industry, to debate and discuss the issues that really matter to governments, investors and private companies.

“With oil prices remaining low, questions being asked about national budget deficits, and major new gas discoveries being found in the Eastern Mediterranean, this is an absolutely critical time for accurate information flow and knowledge transfer.”

“That is what the Apicorp Energy Forum hopes to provide on behalf of the sector as a whole.”