Renowned speakers and panelists from around the world will deliberate in 11 plenary sessions and three workshops on ‘Pathways to a Clean, Stable and Sustainable Energy Future’, at high-profile conference in Riyadh in February.

Hundreds of accepted papers from researchers and academics from around the world covering 18 energy and environmental topics will be presented in concurrent sessions at the 44th International Association for Energy Economics (IAEE) Conference, preparations for which are nearing completion.

To be held in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) for the very first time, the Conference, at the King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Centre (Kapsarc) from February 4 to 9, 2023, will bring together policy makers, academia and corporate and non-government organisations, providing an empowering platform to present, discuss, and debate critical challenges and solutions surrounding the unfolding energy trilemma.

Rising energy costs

The need for such dialogue is crucial in light of rising energy costs and increasing pressures to transition from fossil fuel reliance to clean and renewable alternatives. Individuals, businesses, industries, and nations require a long-term balance between energy reliability, affordability, and sustainability. The foundations for successful post-conference outcomes have already been laid with Egypt’s recent hosting of COP27. The event also has the potential to consolidate the wider region’s climate change leadership credentials ahead of COP28 in the UAE in 2023.

Fahad Alajlan, President of Kapsarc, said: "As accelerating the energy transition becomes ever more imperative for achieving net zero and definitively overcoming the evolving climate crisis in due course, the global community has a unique opportunity to work together to realize mutual aspirations. The 44th IAEE Conference represents another key chapter in facilitating dialogue and exchanging knowledge and innovation on the local, regional, and international levels and we are proud to be hosting an event of such profile and influence."

From energy access, security, and transition to technology developments, partnership frameworks, and pathways of change, the event’s open forum format will enable participants and the wider scientific community to identify opportunities that unlock new value in an evolving energy landscape, as well as discuss breakthrough research that helps combat climate change and shapes the sustainable and holistic energy policies of tomorrow.

Active player

Dr Majid Al Moneef, the chairman of the Saudi Association for Energy Economic (SAEE), said: "This timely conference will address the energy and environmental issues facing the region and the world," and "Saudi Arabia has been an active player in the global energy and climate change fora, launching the Saudi and Middle East green initiatives."

The event programme will cover the broadest possible range of views over 11 plenary sessions and three workshops, beginning with an inaugural speech by Abdulaziz bin Salman Al Saud, Minister of Energy of Saudi Arabia and Kapsarc’s Chairman of the Board of Trustees.

Renowned keynote speakers and panelists presenting at the conference include Daniel Yergin, Vice Chairman of S&P Global, Jason Bordoff from Columbia University, Javier Blas from Bloomberg, Jeffrey Currie from Goldman Sachs, Roberta Gatti from the World Bank, Ahmed Al Khowaiter and Ashraf Al Ghazzawi from Saudi Aramco. Additionally, other confirmed speakers and panelists include Arunabha Ghosh, Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW); Hoesung Lee, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC); Rola Dashti, U.N. Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA); Bassam Fattouh, Oxford Institute for Energy Studies (OIES); Amrita Sen Co-Founder and Director of Research at Energy Aspects, and Kenneth B. Medlock III, professor at Rice University, US.

Data-driven discussions

Presentations will be based on independent research and academic findings, providing the basis for data-driven discussions. The Programme Committee of the 44th IAEE Conference has accepted over 300 papers from authors across 42 countries for presentation in concurrent panel and daily poster sessions.

The most popular topics submitted included energy and the environment, renewables, the economy, energy modelling, and electricity.

The 2023 President of the IAEE, Professor Jean-Michel Glachant, stated: "Saudi Arabia is a giant of today's energy and already investigating a future made of renewables and green hydrogen. Our IAEE annual conference in Riyadh is an outstanding opportunity to meet the Saudis and discover the Middle East. Missing that is missing the point."

Social and cultural activities

The conference will also feature an array of social and cultural activities, allowing all participants to experience Saudi culture. There will be visits to the historic Ad Diriyah, home to one of Saudi Arabia’s Unesco World Heritage Sites.

Peter Hartley, IAEE 2022 President and Professor of Economics at Rice University, said: "This is a significant milestone for the IAEE because the Middle East plays a critical role in world energy markets, and we think it's important that we have a presence in that region."--

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