1st IEF-EU Energy Day
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
The IEF was pleased to host the 1st IEF-EU Energy Day at its headquarters on 14 February 2017. IEF Secretary General, Dr Sun Xiansheng opened the event alongside EU Ambassador HE Michele Cervone d’Urso and noted the importance of this inaugural IEF-EU Energy Day as a first step to strengthened IEF-EU relations, and to better inform and further enrich the producer-consumer dialogue.
Mr Hans Steen, Head of International Relations at the European Commission Directorate for Energy delivered a key note speech: “EU energy policies - the international perspective” during the opening session. Mr Steen was joined by guest speakers from Saudi Arabia, the Gulf Region and Europe. The IEF Secretary General noted that the sharing of insights in energy policy and market developments among government and industry officials from IEF and EU member countries strengthens cooperation on energy security, healthy energy market development and orderly transitions to achieve global goals. He further noted that content and feedback from the meeting would help inform the 1st IEF Energy Efficiency and New Technologies Ministerial that Saudi Arabia will host jointly with Japan on 30 October 2017, and the 7th Asian Energy Ministerial hosted by Thailand on the IEF platform in Bangkok on 1-3 November shortly thereafter, as well as many other forthcoming IEF dialogue events including with the EU.
Photo: From left to right: Hans van Steen, Sun Xiansheng, Lucie Berger, Faisal S. Alfadl, Ahmed Al-Ebrahim, Talaat Dafer Al Kahtani
Welcome and Opening Remarks
- HE Sun Xiansheng, Secretary General, IEF
- HE Michele Cervone d'Urso, Ambassador, European Union
EU Energy policies with focus on the international perspective
Special Address
Photo: Left to right: Naif Alragass, Hans van Steen, Sun Xiansheng
Clean energy and energy efficiency trends in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf region
- Ahmed Al-Ebrahim, Chief Executive Officer, Gulf Cooperation Council Interconnection Authority
- Naif Alragass, Assistant Director General, Saudi Energy Efficiency Centre
- Geert Greving, Head Pubic Affairs, Gasterra N.V.
- Mustapha Taoumi, Clean Energy Technology Expert, EU-GCC Clean Energy Network
Other EU and GCC company and government representatives invited
Roundtable discussion
- The external dimension of EU Energy Policy
- Producer consumer dialogue after the Paris Agreement
- Cooperation and new initiatives on energy efficiency and renewables
