Saudi Arabia has become one of the world’s fastest-growing economies, with national development plans presenting investment opportunities in the hundreds of billions of dollars. With renewable energy, hydrogen, and water all pegged to play a critical role in enabling its visionary transformation, the kingdom has attracted its first convention dedicated to these three critical economic sectors.
Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 aims to see the country become one of the most competitive in the world by the end of the decade, with an economy powered by renewable energy, a burgeoning private sector, and thriving small and medium enterprises. The kingdom’s ongoing socioeconomic reforms have already enabled it to become the fastest-growing G20 economy in 2022 according to the International Monetary Fund, with overall economic growth reaching 8.7 per cent.Saudi Arabia has been experiencing unprecedented development in response to its national plan, which is expected to attract US$90 billion in energy investments and US$53 billion in water investments to meet local demand. The kingdom is also targeting more than US$36 billion in investments under its National Hydrogen Strategy, through which, it is looking to become the world’s biggest supplier of hydrogen, a promising energy carrier that is expected to play a key role in achieving net zero goals around the world.Taking place on 19-21 May 2024 at the Riyadh International Convention and Exhibition Centre (RICEC), the Saudi Energy Convention has been launched by international events company dmg events as the kingdom’s first event designed to focus on energy, hydrogen, and water –three sectors at the heart of the country’s development roadmap.Christopher Hudson, President of dmg events, the organisers of the Saudi Energy Convention, said: “We are thrilled to announce the upcoming Saudi Energy Convention, a new focal point for the global energy industry. This new event is being designed to respond to the great investment and collaboration opportunities present in Saudi Arabia as the kingdom leverages its passion, ambition, and resources towards providing the world with a new model for economic and social strength. We look forward to having the Saudi Energy Convention play a key role in facilitating the partnerships, innovation, and investment in energy, hydrogen, and water that can fast-track Saudi Arabia’s ongoing transformation and growth.”The Saudi Energy Convention will convene leaders and experts from across the energy value chain to accelerate and scale the energy transition. Covering both the conventional and renewable energy sectors, the event will gather the people and solutions required to build a more resilient, efficient, and eco-conscious energy landscape.The Saudi Energy Convention also includes the Saudi Water Convention and the Saudi Hydrogen Convention, providing a 360-degree view of Saudi Arabia’s forward-looking energy diversification and economic development efforts. This triad of events will create an integrated platform for Saudi Arabia that addresses the challenges facing the entire energy value chain and the pivotal role of hydrogen and water in the energy transition.The three conventions will jointly showcase the latest innovative solutions that are accelerating the global energy transition and support Saudi Arabia’s goals of seeing renewable energy meet 50 per cent of its energy mix and becoming net-zero for carbon emissions by 2060. Featuring a dynamic trade exhibition hosting 250 exhibitors from over 20 countries across the energy ecosystem, the conventions will offer direct access to financiers from key infrastructure and utilities projects within the kingdom, alongside international investors and decision-makers, facilitating new growth opportunities and commercial partnerships.Altogether, the convention will feature over 250 international speakers leading more than 50 conference sessions, providing attendees with essential insights into the latest energy trends and strategies. The Saudi Energy Convention’s high-level Strategic Conference and insightful Technical Conference will convene experts, leaders, policymakers, and stakeholders, while each event will also feature its own focused conference, converging industry leaders to discuss opportunities and issues of importance to the respective sector. The three-day convention in Saudi Arabia will provide a platform for industry leaders to fast-track collaborative efforts to meet decarbonisation goals and identify the most promising innovation and growth opportunities.