Qatar has won its bid to host the 20th World Petroleum Congress to be held in 2011, widely recognized as the “Olympics” of the oil and gas industry. Turkey and the United Kingdom were the two other contenders to host the event.
This is a historic achievement for the State of Qatar, as it will be the first time in the WPC’s 75-year history a Congress will be held in the Middle East.
Qatar’s final presentation to WPC members at the annual Council Meeting this week which was held in Punta Del Este, Uruguay, included pre-recorded endorsements for the bid from H.H Sheikha Mozah Bint Nasser Al-Missned, H.E. Abdullah Bin Hamad Al-Attiyah, Deputy Premier, Minister of Energy and Industry, Mr. Abdulla Salatt, Chairman of Qatar´s National Committee for the WPC as well as Ministerial support from OPEC members. An OPEC country has never before hosted this prestigious industry event.
Addressing delegates at the WPC Council Meeting, H.E. Dr Mohammed Al-Sada, Minister of State for Energy and Industrial Affairs and Qatar’s WPC National Committee Chairman Abdulla Salatt outlined the strengths of Doha’s bid ahead of the voting.
Following the announcement, H.E. Al-Attiyah said it was an honor for Doha to be chosen as the venue of 20th Congress in 2011.
“I am extremely proud that Qatar has the honor to host the 20th WPC. I am proud not just as the Minister of Energy and Industry and as a Qatari, but proud that the WPC will be coming to this region for the first time and that Doha will be for many their first chance to come to know more about the petroleum industry here and our way of life,” H.E. Al-Attiyah said.
The Turkish capital Istanbul and Aberdeen in the UK were the two other candidate cities to host the 20th WPC. Qatar was chosen by 58% of WPC member countries who attended the Council Meeting, followed by Turkey (38%) and UK (4%).
Qatar´s National Committee for the WPC and its Youth Sub Committee has been conducting a strenuous campaign since October 2006. Over the past 13 months, a large team from Qatar Petroleum, its subsidiaries and Qatar University visited most of the WPC member countries to present Qatar´s case and to promote its campaign to host the prestigious event.
The WPC conference and exhibition, held every three years, is regarded as the largest event of its kind for the industry and is expected to attract more than 4,000 delegates and 500 exhibitors. The 19th WPC will be held in Madrid, Spain next June.
Qatar’s bid highlighted Doha’s wealth of experience in hosting large scale events, conferences and exhibitions, most recently demonstrated with the highly successful 15th Asian Games. In terms of the industry Qatar by 2011 will be one of the world’s major energy centers as the number one producer and exporter of LNG, be the capital of the gas-to-liquids industry, as well a leading producer of fertilizers and petrochemicals.