Global Energy Leaders to Gather in Riyadh for WPC Energy Congress

Riyadh will host the 25th WPC Energy Congress from October 11 to 15, marking the first time the global gathering has taken place in Saudi Arabia. The five-day event, themed “Pathways to an Energy Future for All,” will be held at the Riyadh Front Exhibition and Conference Center, bringing together energy ministers, industry chief executives, policymakers and other leaders from across the sector.

The program includes more than 30 plenary, strategic and ministerial sessions covering energy security, global oil and gas markets, technology, digital transformation, investment, critical minerals, carbon management, natural gas and the shifting energy mix. The congress arrives as global energy investment is projected to hit a record 3.4 trillion dollars in 2026, up 5 percent, according to the International Energy Agency’s World Energy Investment 2026 report, with roughly 2.2 trillion dollars expected to flow toward clean energy, grids, storage and efficiency, compared with about 1.2 trillion dollars for oil, gas and coal. Organizers described the gathering as WPC Energy’s flagship event, bringing together governments, energy companies, investors and experts from across the value chain to explore practical paths toward a broader energy future.

The event is expected to draw more than 25,000 delegates, including 100 energy ministers and 500 chief executives, alongside 800 speakers and representatives from 1,000 companies, with an exhibition space spanning more than 50,000 square meters. A ministerial gala dinner on October 11 opens the week, followed by the official inauguration on October 12, featuring Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman and WPC Energy President Pedro Miras, who signed the agreement bringing the congress to Riyadh during the 24th World Petroleum Congress in Calgary back in September 2023.

Opening ministerial dialogues will bring together leaders from major energy-producing and consuming economies to discuss the future of oil and gas markets, with key sessions moderated by Daniel Yergin of S&P Global and Helima Croft of RBC Capital Markets. Separate sessions will feature executives from Saudi Aramco, Siemens Energy, Microsoft and Samsung E&A discussing how digital technologies are reshaping energy operations and performance, alongside discussions on financing, critical mineral supply chains, carbon capture and storage, carbon markets and renewables. Confirmed participants include BP CEO Meg O’Neill, ExxonMobil Chairman and CEO Darren Woods, and TotalEnergies Chairman and CEO Patrick Pouyanne.

A dedicated ministerial dialogue titled “Economic Transformation and Global Competitiveness” will examine Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 transformation and its growing role in the global energy economy. The technical program will run 30 forums featuring paper and poster presentations from international experts, organized around five themes: primary energy supply, energy infrastructure, energy fuels and molecules, energy technologies, and energy leadership, covering market trends, technological advances, process optimization and emissions reduction.

Running alongside the congress, Riyadh Energy Week will incorporate the IEF17 Ministerial, CEM17/MI-11, OAPEC-led sessions and various industry and networking events, along with initiatives on the circular carbon economy, women in energy, young professionals, social responsibility and digitalization, plus an Energy Hackathon, Knowledge Sprints and Energy Games. The congress will close on October 15 with a closing and handover ceremony.

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