SAOGE brings 190 oil and gas companies to EP

DHAHRAN: Eastern Province Gov. Prince Mohammed bin Fahd yesterday opened the prestigious Saudi Arabia International Oil and Gas Exhibition (SAOGE).
Nearly 190 top-ranking companies from the region and around the globe are taking part in the three-day exhibition organized jointly by the Rome-based International Exhibition Services (IES) and Dhahran International Expo. This is SAOGE’s fourth edition.
Prominent businessmen and diplomats were in attendance at the opening ceremony. They included British and South African ambassadors and the US Consul General Joey Hood. The response was massive and the huge hall was packed with visitors.
Speaking to Arab News, IES President Piero A. Zipoli said he was more than delighted with the response. “The fact that SAOGE 2012 has been able to attract these many companies indicates the prestige surrounding this annual event,” he said. “All these companies know full well that 80 percent of the business in the region is generated by Saudi Arabia and so they want to be here to get business for them.”
Zipoli said the booming Saudi economy is the fulcrum around which the region’s fortunes revolve. “We are happy to maintain SAOGE’s position as the sole oil and gas exhibition in the Eastern Province … We continue to deliver an essential platform for key industry professionals, specialists and decision-makers to meet, network, learn and strengthen relationships,” he said.
Zipoli and Dhahran International Exhibitions Company CEO Mohammed H. Al-Hussaini accompanied the governor and other dignitaries as they toured the large exhibition hall after the traditional ribbon-cutting inauguration. “Prince Mohammed seemed happy with the response,” said Zipoli.
Al-Hussaini urged companies in the region to make full use of the exhibition. “We are constantly improving the many services at the Dhahran International Exhibitions Center. We are engaged in getting better and better with every season,” he told Arab News.
“Saudi Arabia is where business is and it makes immense for the oil and gas companies in the region and the world to be seen and heard at these important exhibitions,” said Al-Hussaini. “Saudi Arabia holds a quarter of the world’s proven oil reserves and plays a vital role in meeting global energy.”
Al-Hussaini congratulated the 190 participating companies for making the right choice. “SAOGE is the perfect place to understand the industry’s opportunities and challenges in the Kingdom,” he said.
“The growing number of local and international exhibitors taking up more than 10,000 square meters is a clear indication to the importance of SAOGE as the leading event in the oil and gas sector in the region,” he added.
Abdulmohsen Al-Majnouni, chairman of the Saudi Arabian Section of American Institute of Chemical Engineers, was all praise for SAOGE for providing an excellent opportunity for chemical engineers and other professionals to meet fellow engineers to discuss subjects of common interest.
“SAOGE 2012 is an impressive showcase of the latest technologies, products, services and trends across the oil and gas sector, providing visitors with the knowledge they need,” said Al-Majnouni.
Among the prominent sponsors of the event are industry giants such as Saudi Basic Industries Corp. (SABIC), Industrialization & Energy Services Company (TAQA), Al-Abdulkarim and Abdulla Fouad. Arab News is among the key media partners of the event.