Adnoc to convene meeting of energy sector’s top brass to discuss the future

Adnoc will convene a meeting of 30 energy industry chief executives on Wednesday to address issues critical to the sector amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The Abu Dhabi CEO Roundtable will provide a platform for discussion on issues such as energy market dynamics and the expected economic recovery after Covid-19.

Dr Sultan Al Jaber, Adnoc group chief executive and UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, said it will build on the productive discussions from the last round table in June.

The forum “will enable us to share perspectives on the role of the industry in the energy transition and how our industry can reinforce its resilience, operate more sustainably and remain competitive in a fast-evolving energy landscape”, he said.

The sessions will be attended by chief executives from global oil companies such as Exxon Mobil, Occidental and BP, while the moderator will be energy historian and economist Daniel Yergin.

The forum will be held on the sidelines of the annual Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference that takes place online this year due to the pandemic.

Mr Yergin said the round table “will tackle the critical question of resilience – both economic and physical – in the post-Covid world”.

The author of The Prize, which chronicles the boom and bust of the US shale basins and the predominance of oil in the global energy industry, has released a new book called The New Map: Energy, Climate and the Clash of Nations.

“The global oil industry has demonstrated remarkable resilience in seamlessly operating and delivering supplies to consumers worldwide in the face of both the massive Covid disruption and a demand requirement that is down only 10 per cent for the year, despite lockdowns,” he said.

This year’s theme for Adipec is “Examining the oil and gas industry’s response to unparalleled change”. It will address current market dynamics and the effects of Covid-19 on energy transition.

Adipec will take place over four days, starting tomorrow, and will have more than 700 speakers and 135 sessions.

Ministers speaking at the event include Dr Al Jaber, UAE Energy and Infrastructure Minister Suhail Al Mazrouei and Saudi e nergy minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman.

The 30 chief executives are expected to discuss the energy industry’s resilience after the pandemic ends