Saudi Arabia to Host Energy Convention in May 2024

The Saudi Energy Convention will feature over 250 international speakers and decision-makers. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
The Saudi Energy Convention will feature over 250 international speakers and decision-makers. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Saudi Arabia to Host Energy Convention in May 2024

The Saudi Energy Convention will feature over 250 international speakers and decision-makers. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
The Saudi Energy Convention will feature over 250 international speakers and decision-makers. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi Arabia will be at the forefront of renewable energy, hydrogen, and water advancements as it gears to host the Saudi Energy Convention in May 2024.

The Convention will feature over 250 international speakers leading over 50 conference sessions, providing visitors with essential insights into the latest energy trends and strategies.

The event, organized by dmg events, will be held at the Riyadh International Convention and Exhibition Centre (RICEC) as the Kingdom's first event designed to focus on energy, hydrogen, and water.

Vision 2030 aims to see the Kingdom become one of the most competitive in the world by the end of the decade, with an economy powered by renewable energy, a burgeoning private sector, and thriving small and medium enterprises.

The Kingdom's ongoing socioeconomic reforms have already enabled it to become the fastest-growing G20 economy in 2022, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), with overall economic growth reaching 8.7 percent.

The Convention will convene leaders and experts across the energy value chain to accelerate and scale the energy transition.

The event will gather the people and solutions required to build a more resilient, efficient, and eco-conscious energy landscape, covering both the conventional and renewable energy sectors.

Furthermore, the conference will address solutions needed for a more flexible, efficient energy landscape that prioritizes environmental preservation.

Specialized sub-conferences will be dedicated to each energy, water, and hydrogen theme, gathering sector leaders to deliberate on vital opportunities and challenges.

President of dmg events Christopher Hudson said the Saudi Energy Convention will be a new focal point for the global energy industry.

The new event is designed to respond to the great investment and collaboration opportunities as the Kingdom leverages its passion, ambition, and resources to provide the world with a new economic and social strength model, he added.

"We look forward to having the Saudi Energy Convention play a key role in facilitating the partnerships, innovation, and investment in energy, hydrogen, and water that can fast-track Saudi Arabia's ongoing transformation and growth," said Hudson.

The Saudi Energy Convention also includes the Saudi Water Convention and the Saudi Hydrogen Convention, providing a 360-degree view of Saudi Arabia's forward-looking energy diversification and economic development efforts.

All these events will create an integrated platform for Saudi Arabia that addresses the challenges facing the entire energy value chain and the pivotal role of hydrogen and water in the energy transition.

The three conventions will jointly showcase the latest innovative solutions accelerating the global energy transition and support Saudi Arabia's goals of seeing renewable energy meet 50 percent of its energy mix and becoming net zero for carbon emissions by 2060.

The conventions will offer direct access to financiers from key infrastructure and utilities projects within the Kingdom, alongside international investors and decision-makers, facilitating new growth opportunities and commercial partnerships.

Saudi Arabia is among the world's fastest-growing economies, with national development plans paving the way for investment opportunities worth hundreds of billions of dollars.

The Kingdom is witnessing unprecedented growth, aligned with the national strategy anticipated to draw in $90 billion in energy investments and $53 billion in water sector investments to cater to domestic demand.

Additionally, the Kingdom is eyeing investments exceeding $36 billion as part of its national hydrogen strategy, aiming to position Saudi Arabia as the world's premier hydrogen supplier.



Ukraine Receives First 3 Bln Euro Tranche of G7 Loan from EU

An explosion of a drone after it hit an apartment building is seen in the sky during a Russian drone strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine January 10, 2025. REUTERS/Gleb Garanich
An explosion of a drone after it hit an apartment building is seen in the sky during a Russian drone strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine January 10, 2025. REUTERS/Gleb Garanich
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Ukraine Receives First 3 Bln Euro Tranche of G7 Loan from EU

An explosion of a drone after it hit an apartment building is seen in the sky during a Russian drone strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine January 10, 2025. REUTERS/Gleb Garanich
An explosion of a drone after it hit an apartment building is seen in the sky during a Russian drone strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine January 10, 2025. REUTERS/Gleb Garanich

Ukraine received its first 3 billion euro ($3.09 billion) tranche of the European Union's portion of the Extraordinary Revenue Acceleration (ERA) loan agreed for Ukraine by the G7 group of countries, its prime minister Denys Shmyhal said on Friday.

It was the first tranche of EU loan secured by profits from frozen Russian assets, Shmyhal wrote on the Telegram app.

G7 leaders in October agreed to provide some $50 billion in loans to Ukraine via multiple channels.
"Today, we deliver €3 billion to Ukraine, the 1st payment of the EU part of the G7 loan. Giving Ukraine the financial power to continue fighting for its freedom – and prevail," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on social media platform X.

In other economic news, Ukraine's steel output rose by 21.6% in 2024 to 7.58 million metric tons, its producers union said late on Thursday, though fighting that is closing in on the country's only coking coal mine threatens to slash volumes this year.

Steel production has already suffered since Russia's invasion on Feb. 24, 2022, which has led to the destruction of leading steel plants.

Ukraine, formerly a major steel producer and exporter, reported a 70.7% drop in output in 2022 to 6.3 million tons. It fell to 6 million tons in 2023.

The steelmakers' union said in October the potential closure of the Pokrovsk mine, Ukraine's only coking coal mine, could cause steel production to slump to 2-3 million metric tons in 2025.
Advancing Russian forces are less than 2 km (1.24 miles) from the mine, Ukrainian military analyst DeepState said on Friday.
The mine's owner, steelmaker Metinvest BV, said last month it had already halted some operations at the mine and two industry sources said it was operating at 50% capacity.
Producers have said they hope to find coking coal from elsewhere in Ukraine should the mine be seized by Russian troops, but imports would inevitably be needed which would raise costs.