The World Energy Congress (WEC) does not come around very often — only 24 times since it was founded in 1924 — so the host country should make the most of its opportunity as a venue for thought leaders in the vitally important energy sector.

In a few weeks’ time, WeWork, the American workspace company whose mission is “to elevate the world’s consciousness,” will be listed on a US stock market with a multibillion dollar valuation, and a lot of responsibility on its shoulders.

That was a week the oil industry will want to forget, but there is little chance energy policymakers will be allowed to do so. The “perfect storm” of negative forces on the global crude benchmarks looks set to continue blowing for the foreseeable future.

Job description: The head of one of the most important organizations on the planet, aiming to “foster global monetary cooperation, secure financial stability, facilitate international trade, promotehigh employment and sustainable economic growth, and reduce poverty around the world.”

The big three US airlines — Delta, United and American — are obviously carrying a serious grudge against their competitors in the Arabian Gulf. It is a dispute that began as a disagreement over business strategy, but has rapidly become personal, and tinged with anti-Arab sentiment.

There is an investor relations (IR) revolution under way across the Middle East, as regional corporations increasingly appreciate the real financial benefit they can get from sound IR practice.