Saudi Arabia emphasized its determination for sustainable energy at the recent WPC energy congress held in Riyadh. The country's Energy Minister, Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, highlighted the country's capabilities in maintaining and providing sustainable energy in light of recent attacks on Saudi energy and transportation infrastructure.
Emphasis on Energy Capabilities
Prince Abdulaziz stated at the congress: "Energy resilience goes beyond spare capacity, pipelines, and gigawatts of production." He added that these capabilities must also be measured against maintenance, repair, rerouting, and recovery capabilities. He stressed: "Most importantly, the ability to continue supplying energy under pressure must be assessed."
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Continuing his remarks, the Saudi Energy Minister pointed out that the country has managed to maintain reliable energy supply under various conditions and continues to invest to tackle challenges. He described Riyadh as the "capital of energy security" and emphasized Saudi Arabia's commitment to providing sustainable energy under any circumstances.
Consequences of Recent Attacks
These statements came in the wake of an attack on the East-West pipeline, which Saudi Arabia uses to bypass the Strait of Hormuz, that occurred a few weeks ago, causing it to be shut down for two weeks. However, this pipeline has now returned to operational status, and Saudi Arabia's export route from the port of Yanbu in the Red Sea has returned to normal.
Attacks on Saudi energy infrastructure did not stop there. Recently, Riyadh International Airport was also targeted by missile attacks, resulting in the deaths of 14 people. This situation caused disruptions in the travel of senior executives from international oil and gas companies attending the WPC energy congress. Companies like ExxonMobil, Shell, BP, and TotalEnergies withdrew from their plans to participate in the event.
BP stated in a statement: "We made every effort to attend the WPC. Unfortunately, due to travel disruptions, we are unable to be present at this event. We highly value our long-term partnerships in the region." This statement reflects the widespread impacts of recent attacks on the global oil and gas industries.
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