UAE Minister of Energy: Inaugurating WPC by HH the Emir Has Given It A Great Impetus

Doha, December 05 (QNA) -The UAE Minister of Energy Mohammed bin Dhaen Al Hamili, has stressed that the inauguration by HH the Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani of the activities of the 20th World Petroleum Congress at Qatar National Convention Center here early Monday has given it a great impetus. He noted however that Doha's hosting of such a congress for the first ever time in the Middle East represents a remarkable achievement for qatar in view of being one of the most prominent international conferences in the energy field. Al Hamili further said in an exclusive interview to Qatar News Agency (QNA) on Monday , Mohammed bin Dhaen Al HamiliIn said such conferences help further communication between the energy producers and consumers noting that these events represent an opportunity for communication between the energy producers , the consumers and those operating in this field alike. Highly praising the exhibition associated with the WPC , the UAE Minister of Energy said the pariticipants in such an exhibition represent the biggest specialized companies working in the several sectors of the energy field including oil producing companies, and those companies operating in oil and gas pipelines and services relating to the oil and gas industry. Doha, he said is the suitable place to host such a WPC event to discuss challenges facing the energy sector . Mohammed bin Dhaen Al Hamili, made clear that the WPC is characterised with lots of several working an technical papers that would further enrich the oil and gas industry in the world and seek to find practiccal solutions to the several challenges facing such an industry. Asked about the future of energy industry in the UAE, Mohammed bin Dhaen Al Hamili said,'' Our commitment is to widen diversification of our domestic energy and promotion of the renewable energy, does not mean we neglect the oil industry." He also noted that despite expectations that the contribution of oil share will fall from 34 per cent to 28 per cent, the demand will continue to reach over 109 million barrels per day in 2035. that 's commitment to maintain and strengthen its role as a major oil and gas producer, highlighting that oil will continue playing a prominent role in the global energy for many decades to come. Today's theme, Energy Solutions from the Middle East, shows our region has become a generator and an exporter of ideas and solutions for global energy markets, in addition to being a regional energy production hub . Nowhere is this truer than in the UAE which in recent years has announced a wide range of energy initiatives that go beyond our traditional role as a leading oil and gas producer. The exceptionally fast pace of our economic development over the last few decades has given the UAE a unique perspective as both a major energy producer and a growing energy consumer. For example, our national annual peak demand for electricity is set to more than double by 2020 and demand for other forms of energy has been growing, he said. Our growing population and fast-moving industrial developments have forced us to choose between continuing burning fossil fuels which would otherwise be exported and finding complementary energy solutions for use at home. We realized that by widening our domestic fuel mix, we could release more hydrocarbons for export, Al-Hamili concluded. (QNA)