The inaugural Global Water: Oil and Gas Summit opened yesterday at the Mina A’Salam Hotel in Dubai’s Madinat Jumeirah.
The event has brought together leading experts from the energy and water sectors to examine effective water management solutions in the oil and gas industry.
The summit themed “Water Solutions for the Oil and Gas Industry” opened with a session chaired by Mohamed F. Dahab, professor of engineering at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and featuring Mariam Al-Shenasi, undersecretary, UAE Ministry of Environment & Water, along with Taher Diab, director of strategy and planning, Supreme Council of Energy.
The summit held a discussion between key representatives from NASA, Saudi Aramco, AES Arabia and Water Standard exploring new treatment processes and strategies to ease costs and boost oil and gas production though effective water management.
Afternoon sessions focused on proven water management techniques.
such as the sustainable model used in the Nimr oilfield in Oman, for boosting the efficiency of oil and gas production. Tuesday’s program concluded with a panel discussion chaired by Adil Bushnak, chairman and CEO of the Bushnak Group, and featured key representatives from ConocoPhillips, Global Water Intelligence, Water Standard and Abu Dhabi’s Water, Regulation & Supervision Bureau. The discussion focused on the importance of reducing water usage footprints during oil and gas production while examining the long-term effects of efficient water management.
The summit will continue today with sessions examining the effectiveness of seawater desalination processes in operations throughout the Middle East and North Africa, and analyzing how particularly water-intensive procedures, such as extracting oil from mature fields, can be efficiently managed. The summit will conclude with a session hosted by DOW Water & Process highlighting their innovative solutions for managing limited water availability.
The CWC Group has partnered with UAE Ministry of Environment & Water, Dubai’s Supreme Council of Energy and the Government of Dubai, to organize the event.
Water solutions for oil industry focus of summit
Water solutions for oil industry focus of summit
Saudi Arabia opens 3rd round of Exploration Empowerment Program
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources, in collaboration with the Ministry of Investment, has opened applications for the third round of the Exploration Empowerment Program, part of ongoing efforts to accelerate mineral exploration in the Kingdom, reduce early-stage investment risks, and attract high-quality investment from local and international mining companies.
The third round of the Exploration Empowerment Program offers a comprehensive support package targeting exploration companies and mineral prospecting license holders.
The initiative aims to lower investment risks for projects and support a faster transition from prospecting to development.
"The program provides coverage of up to 70 percent of the total salaries of Saudi technical staff, such as geologists, during the first two years, increasing to 100 percent thereafter, in line with program requirements.
This support aims to develop talent, build national capabilities in mineral exploration, promote job localization, and facilitate the transfer of geological knowledge.
The application for the third round opened on Jan. 14, allowing participants to benefit from the Kingdom’s attractive investment environment, its stable legal framework, and streamlined regulatory structures, as well as integrated infrastructure that supports the transition from mineral resources to operational mines.
The ministry has set the timeline for the third round, with the application period running from Jan. 14 to March 31.
This will be followed by the evaluation, approval, and signing of agreements from April 1 to May 31, with the eligible projects set to be announced between June 1 and July 31 of the same year.
The program stages include submitting exploration data during the reimbursement and payment phase from Sept. 1 to Nov. 30, followed by technical and financial verification of work programs and approval of the disbursement of support funds in January 2027.
The exploration data will then be published on the National Geological Database in April 2027.
The ministry emphasized that the EEP focuses on supporting the exploration of strategically important minerals with national priority. It also contributes to enhancing geological knowledge by providing up-to-date data that meets international standards, helping investors make informed decisions and supporting the growth of national companies and local supply chains.
The ministry urged companies to apply early to benefit from the program’s third round, which coincided with the fifth edition of the International Mining Conference, which was held from Jan. 13 to 15.
