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Bahrain’s Jassim Alshirawi Elected Secretary General of International Energy Forum

Meeting of the IEF, chaired by Mohamed Kurdi of Saudi Arabia in Rome (IEF website)
Meeting of the IEF, chaired by Mohamed Kurdi of Saudi Arabia in Rome (IEF website)
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Bahrain’s Jassim Alshirawi Elected Secretary General of International Energy Forum

Meeting of the IEF, chaired by Mohamed Kurdi of Saudi Arabia in Rome (IEF website)
Meeting of the IEF, chaired by Mohamed Kurdi of Saudi Arabia in Rome (IEF website)

The Executive Board of the International Energy Forum (IEF) elected on Tuesday Jassim Alshirawi of Bahrain as the sixth IEF Secretary General at a meeting chaired by Mohamed Kurdi of Saudi Arabia in Rome.

Alshirawi will start his term as Secretary General on January 1, 2025 when the term of current Secretary General Joseph McMonigle ends.

“I am honored by the Executive Board's confidence in electing me as the organization’s next Secretary General,” Alshirawi said in a statement.

“I look forward to working with the board and Secretariat staff to facilitate and strengthen the dialogue of important energy issues and challenges facing our member countries,” he added.

Alshirawi had a distinguished career spanning more than 40 years in the energy industry, sustainability and energy efficiency, covering areas of engineering, management, and policy development and implementation.

Alshirawi was a member of the IEF's Executive Board from 2014 until 2021 and has been a member of the IEF's International Support Group since 2008.

He will be the first IEF Secretary General from the Middle East and North Africa region.

The IEF is the world's largest gathering of energy ministers from both producing and consuming countries as well as transit states.

Its membership represents 90% of global supply and demand for oil and gas.

The Secretary General serves as Chief Executive and Head of Mission of the IEF, which is headquartered in the Diplomatic Quarter of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

On Tuesday, the US Department of Energy congratulated Alshirawi on his election as the sixth Secretary General of the IEF.

“We look forward to working with him to advance a robust energy consumer-producer dialogue and help meet our collective energy security, access, and transition goals,” it wrote on X.

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Saudi-UAE Trade Exchange Reaches $244 Billion in 10 Years

The Saudi Minister of Economy and Planning addresses attendees at the Saudi-Emirati Economic Forum. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
The Saudi Minister of Economy and Planning addresses attendees at the Saudi-Emirati Economic Forum. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Saudi-UAE Trade Exchange Reaches $244 Billion in 10 Years

The Saudi Minister of Economy and Planning addresses attendees at the Saudi-Emirati Economic Forum. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
The Saudi Minister of Economy and Planning addresses attendees at the Saudi-Emirati Economic Forum. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

The Saudi-Emirati Economic Forum, which kicked off at the Federation of Saudi Chambers headquarters in Riyadh on Sunday, highlighted significant growth in trade between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, reaching SAR 915 billion ($244 billion) over the past decade (2014 to 2023). In the past three years alone, trade reached its highest levels, totaling SAR 327.5 billion ($87.3 billion).

Saudi Minister of Economy and Planning Faisal Al-Ibrahim noted that trade between Saudi Arabia and the UAE increased by 25% over the past five years, reaching SAR 113 billion ($30 billion) by the end of 2023, compared to SAR 90 billion ($24 billion) in 2019.

He added that both countries have seen significant transformations in investment due to policies and measures designed to develop and improve the investment environment.

Al-Ibrahim also highlighted that, as of the end of last year, the UAE recorded positive growth in foreign direct investment (FDI) in Saudi Arabia, totaling around SAR 111 billion ($29.6 billion), marking a 15% increase from 2022.

Saudi Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar Al-Khorayef emphasized that Saudi Arabia and the UAE have promising potential to enhance integration in industry and mining.

He expressed eagerness to collaborate on joint initiatives to support entrepreneurs by improving access to financing and training.

Al-Khorayef noted that Saudi exports to the UAE grew at an annual rate exceeding 9%, reaching about SAR 31 billion SAR this year.

UAE Minister of Economy Abdullah Al Marri revealed that UAE investments in Saudi Arabia have reached AED 15.7 billion, stressing that the forum provides a platform to continue strengthening the economic partnership between the two countries and advancing it to new levels.

He underlined the forum’s role in helping business communities explore promising growth opportunities in both countries. Al Marri underscored the private sector’s critical role as a key partner in helping both governments achieve their future vision, stressing that current global economic challenges underline the need to strengthen partnership channels.

He further highlighted that the UAE is Saudi Arabia’s largest Gulf and Arab trading partner and second-largest global partner, while the Kingdom is the UAE’s top Gulf and Arab trading partner and fourth globally.

Non-oil trade between the two nations reached AED 137 billion in 2023, with non-oil trade exchanges totaling AED 75 billion in the first half of this year, reflecting over 18% growth compared to the same period in 2023.

UAE investment inflows into Saudi markets grew by more than AED 15.7 billion in 2023, a 6% increase from 2022. Saudi cumulative investments in the UAE reached $6.5 billion by the end of 2022, making Saudi Arabia the fourth-largest investor in the UAE, according to Al Marri.

Chairman of the Saudi-Emirati Business Council Abdulhakim Al-Khaldi said the economic partnership with the UAE is strong and growing, encompassing trade and investment cooperation in most major sectors.

Vice President of the Federation of Saudi Chambers Fayez Al-Shuaili said the forum would support achieving shared goals, produce actionable recommendations, and foster a business-friendly environment to boost trade and investment growth.

Trade between the two countries reached around $30 billion last year, with further growth anticipated in trade and investment relations, he added.