Doha, Qatar, October 26, 2015: In the esteemed presence of dignitaries from the government and ambassadors of embassies including Indonesia, Canada, Korea and Palestine, Eng. Abdulaziz Al Hammadi, Manager – Conservation & Energy, Qatar General Electricity & Water Corporation (KAHRAMAA) opened the Power Qatar Summit that got underway in the city today. Held under the patronage of KAHRAMAA and organized by global conference producers, Expotrade, the summit is the only dedicated power generation and transmission event in the region. In the face of the emerging dynamics of Qatar’s power market, the summit presents a unique opportunity for the industry to come together to drive forward actionable insights that spurs decisive action.

The Guest of Honor, Eng. Abdulaziz Al Hammadi delivered the welcoming address that was followed by an opening note from Fahad Al Mohannadi, General Manager & Managing Director, Qatar Electricity and Water Company (QEWC) who offered new viewpoints on the energy sector in the region.

More than 15 speakers and panelists took the stage to enlighten the attendees on the developments and trends in the energy sector that is pivotal to building a sustainable energy future. The first few sessions of the summit pertaining to solar energy were from Arnaud Berthet, Head of Representative Office, ENGIE – Qatar and Saleh Hamad Al Marri, Head of Renewable Energy Technologies, Kahramaa.

Mr. Brad Hariharan, Regional Director, Expotrade Middle East, said, “Being the only power generation and transmission event in the region, this was a much-anticipated summit for the energy industry professionals. The summit draws the expertise of regional and international industry leaders to highlight the developments that boost the energy sector and highlight the successes in the region.”

Sharad Somani, Executive Director & ASPAC Head for Power & Utilities, KPMG Corporate Finance gave a keynote session on Solar Power - Imperatives for success.  Mr. Hashim Al-Zahrani, Head of ICC, GCC Interconnection Authority presented on the 400-kV Interconnection Super Grid - Enabling Power Trading and Electrical Exchange Across GCC Countries, while the topic of Enabling the Smart Grid through Efficient Utilities Solutions was addressed by Wail Gadour, Sales Consulting Director, Oracle Utilities.

KPMG’s Sharad Somani moderated a panel discussion on Reviewing the Challenges Facing Solar Industry Growth and the Role of Solar Energy in Sustainable City Development, that was supported by Dr. Haitham Abu-Rub, Chair of Electrical and Computer Engineering Program, Texas A&M University at Qatar; Mohamed Nagib Omara, Technical Advisor to the President, Kahramaa, ENGIE’s Arnaud Berthet and Mansour Al Qahtani, EVP, Distribution & Customer Service, Saudi Electricity company.

In the afternoon, there were presentations from Faisal Rashid, Director, Demand Side Management, Dubai Supreme Council of Energy on Effective Energy Management: Dubai Demand Side Management Strategy 2030 and Dr. Philippe Freyssinet, Director-Energy & Environment, Qatar National Research Fund on QNRF Actions on Clean Energy Technologies - A Picture of Ongoing Research in Qatar and Perspectives who highlighted the rapid progress made in the energy sector in the region.

Dr. Ilias Belharouak, Chief Scientist, Energy Storage, Qatar Environment and Energy Research Institute delivered today’s closing keynote address sharing his experience in creating Energy Storage Opportunities for Transportation and Grid Applications in the GCC Region.

The dynamic and diverse lineup of regional and international speakers delivering thought provoking sessions garnered immense interest from the attendees. This invitation-only summit brought together more than 300 delegates including project advisors, developers and planners, energy suppliers, utilities and network operators, analysts and system integrators, designers, architects and engineers, research and development institutes, banks and investment firms, consultants and sustainability experts.

At the Exhibition Lounge, more than 20 participating companies showcased their solutions that will help shape the success of the energy sector in the region.