IEA, IEF, and OPEC convene industry leaders for critical dialogue on energy security
Joint Symposium on Energy Outlooks focuses on enhancing global decision-making processes.
Riyadh, 19 February 2025 – The International Energy Agency (IEA), the International Energy Forum (IEF), and the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) today convened the world’s most influential policymakers in the global energy transformation at the 15th IEA-IEF-OPEC Symposium on Energy Outlooks.
The annual flagship event gathers governments and energy leaders for critical producer-consumer discussions on energy security, centered on the achievement of shared climate and sustainable development goals. The symposium is an inclusive platform for open dialogue on differing perspectives and building understanding between various stakeholders.
Held under the patronage of His Royal Highness Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman Al-Saud, Minister of Energy of Saudi Arabia, and hosted by the IEF, the event coincided with the publication of the IEF Outlooks Comparison Report. The document compares the key scenarios and underlying methodologies of the IEA and OPEC’s most recent outlooks, which offer vital analysis of the energy transformation, designed to increase predictability and help investors make informed decisions.
Hosted by the IEF at the King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center (KAPSARC), participants were welcomed by IEF Secretary General Jassim Alshirawi; Haitham Al Ghais, Secretary General of OPEC; and Keisuke Sadamori, the IEA Director of Energy Markets and Security.
Mohamed Hamel, Secretary General of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum, and Francesco La Camera, Director of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), were invited to reflect on the evolving energy governance and technology landscape.
Jassim Alshirawi, IEF Secretary General, said: "With geoeconomic shifts, market volatility, and a widening 'uncertainty gap' between different energy scenarios, dialogue on outlooks that influence policy and markets, is mission critical for energy security, market stability, and a just transition. The IEF is focused on convening global governments and energy leaders to help deliver energy security through dialogue. A closer range of energy scenarios will enable policymakers to provide a clearer and more predictable context for IEF energy market stakeholders to invest, trade, and thrive."
Haitham Al Ghais, Secretary General of OPEC, stressed "how important global energy dialogue and cooperation continue to be in supporting oil and energy market stability, for the benefit of consumers and producers, as well as the global economy. In this regard, OPEC’s analysis is grounded in accurate, transparent and data-driven analysis. It is also rooted in realistic thinking and strives to keep ideology and wishful thinking out of decision making."
Fatih Birol, IEA Executive Director, commented: "Given the vital role energy plays in economic development and raising living standards, we need to have the best possible understanding of the outlook for energy markets and the various drivers and uncertainties shaping demand and supply. This can only be achieved through regular constructive dialogue that brings together all the key stakeholders across government and industry."
On his first foreign visit as Acting Assistant Secretary for International Affairs at the U.S. Department of Energy, Tommy Joyce joined a special session chaired by HRH Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman Al-Saud, who is also Chairman of the Board of Trustees at KAPSARC. They were joined by George Thomas, Deputy Secretary of International Cooperation at India's Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, and other dignitaries, senior government officials, and industry thought leaders from IEF member countries, including Algeria, Bahrain, Iran, Japan, Kuwait, Libya, Norway, the United Arab Emirates, and Venezuela.
The IEA-IEF-OPEC Symposium on Energy Outlooks is part of a wider joint program of work agreed upon by the three organizations and endorsed by energy ministers at the 12th International Energy Forum, held in Cancún, Mexico in March 2010, as part of the Cancún Declaration.
