Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia | 14–15 October 2026 – The Gas Exporting Countries Forum (#GECF) participated in the Third Symposium on Pathways to Reduce Carbon Emissions in the Petroleum Downstream Industries (SPRCEPDI 2026), organised by the Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (#OAPEC), with the support of the Ministry of Energy of the Kingdom of #Saudi #Arabia. The Symposium brought together senior energy officials, heads of international Organisations, industry leaders and technical experts to advance dialogue on practical pathways towards reducing emissions across the petroleum downstream sector.
H.E. Dr Philip Mshelbila, Secretary General of the GECF, delivered a virtual address during the Opening Ceremony, alongside H.E. Eng. Khalid Al-Otaibi, Secretary General of OAPEC, H.E. Eng. Jassim Alshirawi, Secretary General of the International Energy Forum (#IEF), H.E. Eng. Mater Aldhafeeri, Secretary General of the Gulf Petrochemicals and Chemicals Association (#GPCA), Eng. Fahad Mohammed Alajlan, President of the King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center (#KAPSARC), and other distinguished representatives of the energy industry, including H.E. Eng. Khalid Almuhaid, Deputy Minister for Sustainability and Climate Change of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
In his address, the GECF Secretary General emphasized the enduring importance of natural gas in meeting growing global energy demand while supporting efforts to reduce emissions. Drawing on the GECF Global Gas Outlook 2055, he highlighted the projected expansion of natural gas demand and stressed the importance of sustained investment, technological innovation and predictable energy policies to ensure energy security, affordability and environmental sustainability. Dr Mshelbila further underscored the opportunities for emissions reduction. He reaffirmed the GECF's commitment to strengthening cooperation with OAPEC through joint research, knowledge exchange and closer coordination on international energy and climate matters.
Complementing the Secretary General’s high-level participation, Dr Dmitrii Gordeev, Energy Econometrician, chaired Technical Session on “Policies, Regional Strategies and Decarbonisation Pathways in the Petroleum Downstream Industries,” bringing together experts from leading regional and international energy institutions to discuss carbon capture, sustainable refining and industrial decarbonisation. He also delivered a presentation entitled “Powering the Digital Economy: Data Centre Growth and Natural Gas-Fired Generation,” highlighting the growing electricity requirements of AI-driven data centres and the important role of natural gas in supporting reliable power supplies.
Ms Widad Berriche, Energy Statistician, contributed with a presentation entitled “Electrification of Downstream Industries within Constrained Power Systems: A Comparative Assessment of the GCC Countries,” examining the implications of industrial electrification for emissions reduction and the influence of national electricity generation mixes on environmental outcomes.
The Symposium provided a valuable platform for strengthening cooperation and exchanging perspectives among the GECF, OAPEC and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on decarbonisation technologies, energy efficiency, sustainable industrial operations and the role of international cooperation in advancing practical and balanced energy future.