With over5,000 participants from around the world, the eventseeks to transform the future of downstream industries
By : Mohamed Khaled
H.E Dr. Mohamed bin Mubarak bin Daina, Minister of Oil and Environment of Kingdom of Bahrain and Special Envoy for Climate Affairs, officially inaugurated the third edition of the International Downstream Conference and Exhibition (IDCE 2025)today at the Exhibition World Bahrain.
This prestigious internationalevent, which will run till October 2, 2025, convenes a distinguished group of leading international companies, industry experts and decision-makers,including over 5,000participants from more than 53 countriesworldwide.
The opening ceremonyfeatured a ministerial keynote address by H.E. Dr. Mohamed bin Mubarak bin Daina. Hussain Al Qahtani, GDA Chairman and SVP of Fuels at Aramco, Mitib Al Harbi, Chairman of IDCE and Vice President Fuels at Aramco, delivered vital keynote addresses at the opening ceremony
Moreover, a fireside chat was also part of the opening ceremony, moderated by Dave Ernsberger, Co-President, S&P Global Commodity Insights, with Dr. Mohammed Y. Al Qahtani, Downstream President of Aramco as a key-note speaker. Notably, theGDA Leadership Award was presented to Dr. Mohammed Y. Al Qahtaniin recognition of his distinctive leadership in the sector.
In addition, a panel discussion on ‘Geopolitics & Energy Markets: What It Means for the industry growth’ was moderated by Paul Gruenwald, Global Chief Economist, S&P Ratings.
The session featured expert panelists, including Eng. Mohammed Alibrahim, Assistant Minister of Energy for Oil & Gas, Ministry of Energy, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Mark Thomas, Group Chief Executive Officer, BAPCO Energies, Srinivas Tuttagunta, COO, Supply & Trading, Reliance Industries Limited, Li Xinhua, Head of Global Trading & International Business, Rongsheng and Yasser Mufti, EVP, Products &Customers, Aramco.
Following the opening ceremony, H.E Dr. Mohamed bin Mubarak bin Dainatoured the exhibition held alongside the conference which featured the latest innovations and technological solutions and witnessed broad participation from leading regional and international companies in the downstream industry.
IDCE is hosting downstream sector exhibitors, attracting industry professionals, business owners, entrepreneurs, government officials, policy makers, investors, academic researchers, innovation experts, supply chain officials, safety and risk management professionals, energy consultants, and contractors, among others. The conference alone is hosting more than 290 global speakers and experts, holding discussions across 120 sessions, 188 panels and roundtables, covering a wide range of key topics.
Day 2 will feature strategic panels and industry dialogues under the theme ‘Downstream Transformation Through Technology & Innovation’, along with technical and poster presentations on ‘Decarbonization and Energy Management’ and ‘Advanced Process Solutions & New Technologies’. On the third day, dialogues and discussions will be held on ‘Maximizing Value Across Downstream’, while showcasing technical and poster presentations on ‘AI & Digitalization’, ‘Reliability & Asset Integrity’, ‘Supply Chain Optimization’, as well as ‘Leadership & People Development’.
Visitors cantake part in workshops, competitions and inspiring sessions scheduled under the Youth Pulse Program,explore unique cutting-edge technologies, and engage with professionals.
In addition, the conference serves as an exceptional platform to network directly with world leaders and decision-makers, further solidifying Bahrain’s position as a prestigious and prominent destination on the global events map.
