SALALAH: Under the auspices of Mohsen bin Hamad al Hadhrami, Under-Secretary of the Ministry of Energy and Minerals, the 5th GCC Petroleum Media Forum began here on Wednesday, August 7, 2024. Organized by the Ministry of Energy and Minerals and supported by the GCC General Secretariat, the forum aims to enhance the role of the media in addressing energy sector issues, with a particular focus on oil and gas.
The forum is designed to foster communication and cooperation between media professionals and energy experts. It provides journalists with the latest updates in the energy sector, enabling them to keep pace with rapid changes, counter misinformation, and address challenges related to oil and gas.
In his opening remarks, Al Hadhrami welcomed the attendees, noting, "Hosting this forum in the Sultanate of Oman underscores the close collaboration among GCC countries and seeks to improve communication and understanding in the oil and gas sector. This forum emphasizes the significance of this crucial economic sector and facilitates the exchange of ideas and expertise among media professionals and industry experts."
He further emphasized, "We are aware of the challenges facing the energy sector and are committed to providing accurate and objective information to both local and international audiences."
The forum's agenda includes panel discussions and workshops that address key topics such as optimizing petroleum resources, enhancing media skills in the energy sector, exploring energy transitions, and highlighting the importance of global energy security.
Shaikh Dr Nimr Fahd al Malik al Sabah, Under-Secretary of the Kuwaiti Ministry of Oil, commented: “The importance of our presence today at the Fifth Petroleum Media Forum in Oman is significant. We will also discuss challenges in oil production and, importantly, energy transitions aimed at reducing gas emissions. A major focus will be on unifying the petroleum media strategy for GCC countries into a cohesive framework, ensuring comprehensive coordination and experience exchange among GCC countries in petroleum media.”
Eng Jamal al Loughani, Secretary General of the Organisation of Arabic Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC), stressed the important role that petroleum media forum in safeguarding the integrity of information related to this critical economic sector.
“It is well known that there is a fierce campaign by some parties to spread negative perceptions about oil and gas, particularly concerning their environmental impact. Therefore, there is a crucial role for Gulf electronic media, and Arab media in general, to refute these claims and present statistics and studies that confirm that energy transitions will be managed. All GCC countries are working on projects to offset their carbon and pollutant emissions, and they are also leading in environmental conservation and renewable and alternative energy projects. The role of media is to focus on delivering a unified message from all GCC countries to the world.”
Dr Abdulaziz al Muqbil, Energy Advisor to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, added: “This forum also highlights important issues related to the future of energy in this region, including sustainability, petroleum energy, and renewable energy. The GCC leaders have set significant goals not only for oil and gas but also for renewable energy, making it a vital part of the future energy mix in GCC countries. This commitment is not just to meet economic targets but also to maintain the leading role that GCC countries have held in the global economy for over 50 years.”
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