On Saturday, Iraq will witness the launch of the first edition of the Iraq Energy Forum, with high-level attendance from OPEC and its Secretary General, as well as wide participation from inside and outside the organization, as well as international institutions specialized in oil, gas and energy markets.
SOMO Director General Ali Nizar al-Shattari said the forum is a strategic step to highlight Iraq's pivotal role in balancing global energy markets, noting that Baghdad, as OPEC's second-largest oil producer, should be at the forefront of international energy events.
A balance between fossil fuels and clean energy
Al-Shattari explained that the forum will discuss fundamental issues related to the need to strike a balance between fossil and renewable energy, ensuring that societies are provided with affordable energy that is free from sharp fluctuations, with a focus on the sustainability of supplies.
Oil and gas at the center of technological shifts
Discussions will also include the role of oil and gas in supporting the industrial and technological renaissance, especially in light of the growing need for high-density electricity generation to meet the requirements of artificial intelligence and modern technologies.
Iraqi Clean Energy Initiatives
The forum will highlight the Iraqi government's efforts, under the direct guidance of the Prime Minister, in the field of clean energy, especially hydrogen and ammonia production projects, with the aim of integrating fossil fuels and renewable energy locally and internationally.
Wide International Participation
Invitations were extended to 13 OPEC member countries, most of which have confirmed participation, as well as allied countries such as Russia, non-OPEC countries such as Egypt, as well as organizations and institutions representing consumer countries, reinforcing the forum's status as a high-level global event.
The forum will make Iraq a platform for global dialog
According to Al-Shattari, the Baghdad International Energy Forum will make Iraq a platform for global dialogue on the balance between production and consumption, and contribute to consolidating its position as a major hub in the global energy map.
Al-Shattari said, in a statement to the Iraqi News Agency (Wa): "This forum is of great importance to Iraq, both at the level of education and the return to the global energy arena," explaining that "Iraq, as the second largest oil producer within OPEC and a major supplier to global markets, it is necessary to be at the forefront of global energy-related events."
He added that "the forum will bring together local and international participants from various relevant sectors, and will address important topics related to energy in general, and the balanced relationship required between fossil energy on the one hand and clean and renewable energy on the other," pointing out that "the world needs a professional and responsible language that ensures the provision of energy in a way that enables communities and consumers to access it at acceptable prices, away from sharp fluctuations that may affect producers and consumers alike."
"The discussions will also include the role of oil and gas in the industrial and technological renaissance that the world has reached, and the growing need to provide high-powered electrical energy to meet the requirements of development, especially in the fields of artificial intelligence and modern technologies," Al-Shattari said, stressing that "price balance and sustainable energy supply are among the main objectives that the forum seeks to consolidate."
"The forum will also highlight government efforts, under the direct guidance of the Prime Minister, to enhance reliance on clean energy within Iraq through hydrogen and ammonia production projects of various kinds, in order to achieve the required integration between fossil fuels and clean energy at the local and international levels," he said.
"Invitations were sent to 13 OPEC member countries, most of which have confirmed their participation, while some other countries are in the process of confirmation, and countries allied with the organization to balance the market, led by Russia, as well as other countries outside the organization, such as Egypt, will participate," Al-Shattari explained.
"The forum will also witness the presence of consumer countries and organizations representing them, ensuring integration between production, processing and consumption, and making the forum a high-level international event that strengthens Iraq's position in the global energy map," he said.
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