On 24th March, MEED will host the MENA Oil and Gas Technology Summit. It’s a one-day virtual event that will bring together stakeholders from NOCs, large end-users, and utility companies to discuss topics such as digitization, automation, cybersecurity, and asset integrity in the region's oil and gas sector.

Global oil price volatility is currently affecting the oil and gas industry. According to the International Monetary Fund, the GCC's GDP growth would only rebound to pre-COVID-19 levels in 2023, citing poor oil demand, exacerbated by the pandemic's dramatic drop in oil prices.

MEED editorial director Richard Thompson said, "The region's NOCs are experiencing a significant transformation as they carry out new initiatives aimed at diversifying and decarbonizing their activities while still seeking to maximize the efficiency of their assets and operations. Investment and successful implementation of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, smart sensors, robotics, etc; to the NOCs' success.”

“Next-generation technologies will assist in the modernization of operating models and development of a potential workforce to meet the demands of the emerging energy consumer,” Thompson said. MEED's virtual summit aims at how the region's oil and gas industry is investing in advanced technologies and what it means for businesses and staff in the region's most important industry.

New technology will unlock opportunities for oil and gas companies. Experts from ADNOC, Saudi Aramco, and Petroleum Production Oman will explore how to boost market performance by leveraging data through global oilfield operations in the first-panel discussion.

After a panel discussion on digital transformation featuring speakers from Kuwait Oil Company, Sharjah National Oil Company, Khalifa University, and GlobalData, HKA will explore mapping historical data to eliminate potential risk. In the summit's final session, Dr. Mohamed Al-Kuwaiti, UAE's head of cybersecurity, and Qasem Kharbat, Saudi Aramco Energy Ventures' head of digital investments, will discuss cybersecurity with experts from Khalifa University and KPMG.

The meeting will concentrate on mitigating risks when experiencing a digital transformation, as well as the changing threat environment in the oil and gas industry and how to stay agile.

From 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., the summit will take place. Attendance to the virtual event is free, but pre-registration is required.