EGYPS 2023 off to a strong start with MoUs and vital discussions on energy transition

The sixth edition of the Egypt Petroleum Show (EGYPS 2023) got off to a roaring start on Sunday following its inauguration by His Excellency Abdel Fattah El Sisi, President of the Arab Republic of Egypt, in the presence of the Egyptian Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, prominent dignitaries, global energy CEOs, as well as industry influencers, decision-makers and investors across the energy sector.

Running from February 13 to 15 at the Egypt International Exhibition Center in Cairo, EGYPS 2023 is being held under the theme 'North Africa and The Mediterranean: Supporting Sustainable Global Energy Supply and Demand'. It addresses global energy security dynamics and showcases the latest trends in the production, transformation, transportation, distribution, and trade of energy while focusing on the sector’s environmental impact.

EGYPS 2023 represents the largest oil, gas and wider energy convention in North Africa and the Mediterranean basin, offering unparalleled opportunities to connect with industry experts and partner with market leaders to drive growth, sustainability, and energy transition.

That was evident on the first day of the show, when hundreds of delegates and visitors thronged the venue and several significant bilateral and multilateral agreements were signed.

On Monday, a trilateral meeting took place at EGYPS 2023 between HE Tarek El Molla, Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Arab Republic of Egypt; Kadri Simson, Commissioner for Energy European Union; HE Israel Katz, Minister of Energy, Israel; and HE Osama Mobarez, Secretary General, East Mediterranean Gas Forum (EMGF).

The signing of several Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) also took place at EGYPS 2023 in the presence of His Excellency Tarek El Molla. These included an MoU to advance regional dialogue to support the sustainability and resilience of global energy markets, signed by Osama Mobarez, Secretary General, East Mediterranean Gas Forum (EMGF) and Joseph McMonigle, Secretary General, International Energy Forum; an MoU To Provide A Framework For Cooperation Between The Parties For The Implementation Of Activities Of Mutual Interest signed by Osama Mobarez, Secretary General, EMGF and Dr Houda Ben Jannet Allal, Director General, Observatoire Méditerranéen de l'Energie (OME).

The first day also saw an MoU signed on building capacity and sharing best practices related to lower carbon projects by Alaa Adel Hagar, Undersecretary for Technical Office, Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, Arab Republic of Egypt and Kristian Svendsen, Egypt Country Manager, Chevron; in the presence of Clay Neff, President, Chevron International Exploration and Production.

Another MoU was signed for cooperation to build capacity and share best practices related to lower carbon projects, by Alaa Adel Hagar and Tamer Abulazm, Consulting Managing Partner, IBM Egypt; in the presence of Saad Toma, General Manager Middle East & Africa, IBM and Marwa Abbas, General Manager Egypt, IBM.

Yet another MoU involved Joint Marketing Agreement For Qarun Mix Crude Oil, signed by Alaa Elbatal, Chief Executive Officer, EGPC and David Chi, Vice President & General Manager of Apache Corporation.

The first day of the Strategic Conference at EGYPS 2023 also ended on a high note, with esteemed panelists engaging in meaningful discussions around 'Fostering enabling strategies, policies and frameworks – driving energy transition and climate-change actions'.

The panel speakers on Day 1 included HE Haitham Al Ghais, Secretary General, Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), Dr Omar Farouk Ibrahim, Secretary General, African Petroleum Producers’ Organization (APPO), Joseph McMonigle, Secretary General of IEF, and Dr Houda Ben Jannet Allal, General Director, Observatoire Méditerranéen de l'Energie (OME).

Shortly after participating in one of the panel discussions, Mario Mehren, CEO of Wintershall Dea, observed: “As Africa's second largest gas producer, the country makes a major contribution to domestic and regional energy supplies. Egypt has strong infrastructure connections, both within the region and with Europe, undeveloped resources and political will. All this makes Egypt, together with other East Mediterranean countries, an important partner for Europe in combating the continent’s ongoing gas crisis. The key question, however, is how to get new gas supplies to the markets quickly.”

Dominating the topics discussed at the Strategic Conference at Al Manara Center, was the energy transition dialogue – addressing the realities of current converging market dynamics.

Highlighting Egypt’s leadership role as an important strategic energy hub, EGYPS 2023 brings together more than 500 companies, 12 country pavilions, and several leading countries in the field of energy.