Announcing the 'GCC Power 2012 Conference and Exhibition' to be held from November 12 to 14 at Shangri-La's Barr Al Jissah Resort here, Dr Ali Al Ghafri, assistant chairman of Electricity and Water for International Relations and Information at the PAEW said that the Sultanate was connected to the UAE in the second phase and in the third phase which was completed in the beginning of this year, Oman was connected with the rest of the GCC countries.
He pointed out that all countries have started to reap the benefits of this grid, which helps GCC states meet rapidly rising power demand and avoid power outages, linked Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait in the first phase.
The grid aims at guaranteeing an adequate supply of power even in emergencies and also reducing the cost of power generation in member countries.
About the conference, Dr Ali Al Ghafri asserted that the conference will discuss dozens of worksheets provided by senior decision-makers, academics and manufacturers in the region, experts, researchers and investors from around the world to deliberate on the present and future of the electricity industry in the Gulf region and ways to develop this dynamic sector.
"Projects have been carefully selected from over hundreds of projects worksheets that have been submitted to the technical team for presentation during the conference. The conference will also be attended by board members and country directors of the GCC CIGRE from across the Arab world and international CIGRE research committee representatives,-? he added.
800 industry experts
Engineer Thani Al Khusaibi, advisor for transmission and planning affairs, Oman Electricity Transmission Company (OETC) said the event will receive over 800 international industry experts, key specialists from the GCC, as well as a large number of local and international participating companies from the energy and electricity sector. Eng Sultan Al Rawahi, head of operational planning from the Oman Electricity Transmission Company (OETC); George Ayache, general manager of IFP Qatar; Dave Spearman, general manager of Parsons Brinckerhoff were present at the press meet.
The conference, presented by GCC Regional Committee for Large Electric Systems (GCC CIGRE) and organised by IFP Qatar and to be inaugurated on November 12 by Sultan bin Salim bin Said Al Habsi, secretary-general for the Supreme Council for Planning, offers an ideal forum for all those concerned with the power sector to develop business relations and discuss issues and challenges facing the power sector in the region.
Delegates will have the opportunity to discuss the latest trends, challenges, developments and strategies to meet the region's rapidly expanding energy needs through a series of panel and technical sessions.
Times of Oman
5 November