Top oil & gas leaders discuss challenges and opportunities Facing the Global Energy Market

A spirit of collaboration was in the air last week when over 50 of the top Oil & Gas industry leaders from five countries across the globe met to discuss pertinent issues facing the global energy market at a forum hosted by the Bilateral US-Arab Chamber in Texas.

As the world’s leading exporter of liquefied natural gas (LNG), the spotlight was on the country of Qatar and the keynote speaker at the event, Qatar’s Minister of Energy and Industry, His Excellency Dr. Mohammed Bin Saleh Al-Sada.

“The world has changed because of liquid gas,” said Jim Pryor, Vice President of Chevron Corporation. “And Qatar put natural gas on the map.” Dozens of executives from the world’s leading energy companies honored the minister and the efforts he is leading in Qatar, including ExxonMobil, ConocoPhillips, GDF Suez North America and Occidental Oil and Gas Company.

“Qatar’s willingness to take risks to meet our goals sends a powerful message to our customers about our persistence and determination to succeed,” said H.E. Dr. Al-Sada during his remarks at the event. The Minister referenced the guiding principles for Qatar Vision 2030, which outlines a plan for creating a sustainable economy for Qatar, as well as the biggest challenge facing them today, the commercialization of hydrocarbon reserves.

Dr. Al-Sada highlighted the importance of establishing global partnerships with international oil companies, and acknowledged that those partnerships have significantly contributed to getting Qatar’s vision off the ground.

Several top leaders of Qatar Petroleum attended the forum with the Minister, including Hamad Rashid Al-Mohannadi, Managing Director, RasGas and Vice Chairman, Qatar Petroleum; Sheikh Khalid Bin Khalifa Al-Thani, Chief Executive Officer, QatarGas; Nasser Khalil Al-Jaidah, Chief Executive Officer, Qatar Petroleum International; and Saad Sharida Al-Kaabi, Director, Oil & Gas Ventures, Qatar Petroleum.

The forum concluded with a round of applause as Bilateral Chamber Chairman David Phillips gave Minister Al-Sada a crystallized gas droplet as a token of appreciation. “Statistics show that Qatar has enough gas reserves to last the next 255 years,” said Phillips. “When you run out, here is one extra BTU.”

The Bilateral US-Arab Chamber is an exclusive membership-based network of international business leadership that works to establish strategic connections between the United States and Middle East/North Africa (MENA) for the purpose of fostering economic growth, educational advancement and cultural understanding.

Founded in 1997 by Aida Araissi, the not-for-profit Bilateral Chamber creates access, strategic options and positive results for its members by facilitating relationships with key decision-makers, helping to navigate through the complex field of international trade, and producing effective programming including trade missions, conferences, and educational exchange initiatives. For more information about the Bilateral Chamber, visit http://www.bilateralchamber.org.

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