Power and water experts from more than 60 countries are taking part in the Power-Gen Middle East (PGME) and WaterWorld Middle East (WWME) conferences and exhibition which opened in Abu Dhabi, UAE, today.

UAE Minister of Energy Suhail Mohammed bin Faraj Al Mazrouei officially opened the show and toured the exhibition floor.  

Prior to the official ribbon cutting, Yury Sentyurin, state secretary – Deputy Minister of Energy of the Russian Federation; Dr Hisham Khatib, honorary vice chairman, World Energy Council, Jordan and former Jordanian cabinet minister; and Alan Thomson, managing director of the event partner for WWME, Abu Dhabi Sewerage Services Company (ADSSC), gave keynote addresses.

“The main message of our presence here is still the same as it was before,” said Sentyurin.  “Russia is reliable, safe for investment and open for new partnerships.”

“There’s no doubt that the GCC countries punch above their weight when it comes to the water and energy marketplace,” said Thomson.  “The wealth from the oil and the willingness to go one step further for well supported and well investigated projects and programmes mean that not only do we invest but we innovate and that’s down to the leadership of our Ministries, of our government and our leaders who recognize that investing in infrastructure will give benefits on the medium and long term for the future of the country and indeed the region.”

“Growth in the demand for power in the region is three times the world average and the main culprit of this is subsidies,” said Dr Khatib.  “The regional governments should make an effort to phase out subsidies whenever they can reasonably and socially do so.”

The 12th annual Power-Gen Middle East provides the platform for the international power community to meet and receive vital information first hand.  For the third occasion, WaterWorld Middle East is being held as a co-located event, establishing itself as an important regional event dedicated to strategic and technical issues in the water and wastewater industry.

The events will run till October 14 at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (Adnec).
Both Power-Gen Middle East and WaterWorld Middle East are owned and managed by PennWell Corporation. – TradeArabia News Service