The World Energy Council announced that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, represented by the Ministry of Energy, will host the 27th edition of the World Energy Conference from October 26 to 29, 2026, in Riyadh. The Kingdom won this hosting opportunity after presenting highly competitive bids from all members of the national committees of the council, which consists of more than 70 members representing over 3,000 organizations from the entire energy sector.
The World Energy Conference, the most prominent and comprehensive global event in the energy field, has supported energy transitions for more than a century by connecting stakeholders representing all energy interests worldwide. In this context, Minister of Energy Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman stated, "We are pleased in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to host the World Energy Conference 2026 at a time that represents an important phase for the global energy sector. There is no doubt that the World Energy Conference, which began a century ago, holds a special place for energy leaders worldwide as it is a global event where all individuals and institutions relevant to both producing and consuming countries meet. The Kingdom will strive to achieve the objectives sought by the conference, which align with the Kingdom's Vision 2030, and I assure all participants attending the conference that they will experience a world-class conference in all aspects, held in an atmosphere of Saudi hospitality."
On his part, the Chair of the Executive Council of the World Energy Council, Mike Howard, remarked, "The Kingdom's competitive bid clearly demonstrated its strategic vision for the World Energy Conference, which included strong institutional and governmental support. The 27th World Energy Conference will celebrate the heritage of this event alongside the Kingdom's strategic vision for the future of energy in today’s changing world."
The World Energy Conference will gather over 150 executive speakers, more than 250 speakers, 70 ministers, and over 7,000 international energy stakeholders, linking sectors, geographic regions, and systems to achieve a more equitable energy transition. Angela Wilkinson, the Secretary General and CEO of the World Energy Council, stated, "I congratulate the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on its successful bid to host the 27th World Energy Conference. While energy transitions are extremely significant, they should not solely fall on the energy sector; cooperation among all energy sectors is essential, which the conference excels at. The Kingdom's wise leadership and the global energy community will ensure that during the 27th conference, energy leaders from around the world work towards achieving faster, fairer, and more sustainable energy transitions."
Saudi Arabia will officially host the World Energy Conference after the 26th edition, which will take place in Rotterdam, Netherlands. The Kingdom will organize its own pavilion at this important event. The conference will occur biennially following the 2024 conference in April.
