Delegates at this year’s Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference (ADIPEC) will have more opportunities than ever to hear some of the oil and gas industry’s most powerful executives speak in open-invite conference sessions, after organisers confirmed they will increase the number of Global Business Leader panels for 2017.

Held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, hosted by the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), and organised by the Global Energy division of dmg events, ADIPEC has a successful history of attracting the industry’s top CEOs as speakers.

The separate Global Business Leader panels were launched in 2015 with two sessions. The positive response saw a third session added in 2016, and organisers will include a fourth panel discussion for 2017. With this year seeing ADIPEC expand to include downstream industries for the first time, an additional programme will include three Downstream Global Business Leader panels.

 “ADIPEC is unique for its ability to attract such a broad group of industry seniors to an annual event, driven by the market power of the region’s NOCs and their IOC partners,” said Ali Khalifa Al Shamsi, CEO, Al Yasat Petroleum Operations Co. Ltd and ADIPEC 2017 Chairman. “Nowhere else will industry professionals get such an insight into the strategic thinking guiding the industry forward, from individuals whose decisions are critical to the future of oil and gas businesses.”

With planning for ADIPEC entering its final weeks, organisers have confirmed the involvement of 13 CEOs for the Global Business Leader panels and are in talks with many more across the global industry. A further nine CEOs have been confirmed for the Downstream Global Business Leader programme

Beyond the conference programme, CEOs convene at ADIPEC to do business and sign deals, offering conference delegates an opportunity not only to learn from the best, but also to grow their business and find new opportunities.

The confirmed CEO speakers include Bob Dudley, Group Chief Executive at UK-headquartered multinational, BP; Datuk Zulkiflee W. Ariffin, President and Group CEO of Malaysian national oil company, Petroliam Nasional Berhad (Petronas); Patrick Pouyanné, Chairman and CEO of France’s Total; Vagit Alekperov, President, Member of the Board of Directors, and Chairman of the Management Committee, at Russia’s Lukoil; Musabbeh Al Kaabi, CEO, Petroleum and Petrochemicals, Mubadala Investment Company; Mario Mehren, Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors, Wintershall; Toshiaki Kitamura, President and CEO at Japan’s INPEX Corporation; and Claudio Descalzi, CEO at Italian multinational, Eni.

Their individual perspectives include experience at some of the world’s largest vertically integrated oil and gas companies, including two of the industry ‘supermajors’, operating across a diverse range of international markets, both in terms of exploration and production, and in terms of sales.

They will be joined by the heads of three of the biggest international suppliers of oilfield services: David Dickson, President and Chief Executive Officer at McDermott; Mark McCollum, CEO at Weatherford, and Lorenzo Simonelli, President and CEO at Baker Hughes, a GE company.

Offering a regional perspective on oil and gas investment will be Mansour Al Mulla, Chief Financial Officer, Petroleum and Petrochemicals, Mubadala Investment Company, while Brian Gilvary, Group Chief Financial Officer at BP, will offer an international view.

“ADIPEC is the leading event for the global oil and gas industry, and that is reflected in the status of speakers we consistently attract for our conference programme,” said Christopher Hudson, President – Global Energy at dmg events. “The executives who have agreed to be part of our Global Business Leader panels are among those whose decisions shape the future of the industry, and who are most qualified to discuss the path forward for oil and gas in the coming years.”

With ADIPEC 2017 to be held under the theme ‘Forging Ties, Driving Growth’, the four Global Business Leader panels will focus on strategies that can deliver continuing business success, with discussion of the most pressing topics facing the sector today. There will also be a highly focused session on energy finance, investment, consolidation and diversification.

“The oil and gas industry continues to be a key driver for the global economy, but the market is changing, and industry leaders must respond,” said Hudson. “ADIPEC is a platform where businesses can share ideas that will help them evolve with the commercial environment. With our invited CEO speakers for 2017, we are placing greater emphasis on leaders with a truly global footprint. Their decisions will define the future for oil and gas: pioneering new ideas and breaking boundaries, fostering relationships, and building on momentum.”

More than 10,000 delegates, 2,200 exhibiting companies, 900 speakers, and in excess of 100,000 visitors, from 135 countries, are projected to gather in Abu Dhabi for ADIPEC 2017.

In its 20th edition, ADIPEC is firmly established as the world’s most influential oil and gas industry event, and the ADIPEC Conference Programme sets the standard for the exchange of best practice and operational excellence. Dedicated 2017 conference sessions include offshore and marine, women in energy and security in energy, along with global downstream technical sessions. The downstream sessions are new for this year, emphasising downstream expansion, diversification, integration, and technology innovation and R&D.

Other features include the ADIPEC Awards, which celebrate excellence in energy; Young ADIPEC, designed to encourage students to choose a career in energy; and the exclusive VIP programme briefings for members of the Middle East Petroleum Club.

ADIPEC will be held at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre from 13 to 16 November 2017.