The inaugural Egypt Petroleum Show, set to be the biggest industry event ever seen in North Africa, opened yesterday (February 14) in Cairo with participation from more than 400 exhibiting companies.

The debut event, launched by Tarek El Molla, Egypt's Minister of Petroleum & Mineral Resources, will run until February 16 at the Cairo International Convention Centre (CICEC) Nasr City. The exhibition and conference will host more than 25 technical and strategic conference sessions and in excess of 10,000 visitors.

"The new Egypt, which is working on turning its citizens' dreams and aspirations into reality, welcomes and actively supports the convening of this Show. It reflects Egypt's strong, valuable position as an active country in this industry. Egypt's petroleum sector, with the guidance of a dedicated executive committee of industry experts is working to achieve maximum possible use of the event through reviewing and demonstrating research, exploration and production, and investment opportunities,’ said El Molla.

It is anticipated that Egypt will invest more than $14.5 billion into its downstream refining and petrochemical sector in the next five years. Current infrastructure project investments for receiving, transfer, and trading of petroleum products in Egypt stand at EGP8.8 billion ($504 million).

"The Egyptian petroleum sector has ambitious plans to jump-start its oil industry, taking it to new horizons. We are investing heavily in the sector, and have successfully launched international bids and concluded new petroleum agreements, the cornerstone of petroleum activities," said the Minister.

The Egypt Petroleum Show (EGYPS 2017 offers the opportunity for graduates through to recently qualified young engineers, geologists and technicians to develop their skills and learn the latest state-of-the-art research and techniques thanks to the EGYPS Graduate Programme.

EGYPS Women In Industry programme will celebrate the growing role of women within the North African oil and gas sector. This will include dedicated conference sessions regarding women in upstream, midstream and downstream strategic and technical positions, and the opportunities that lay ahead.

Christopher Hudson, president of dmg events, Energy Division, organiser of the conference and exhibition, said: "EGYPS 2017 is the first step in establishing the leading annual platform in North Africa for the oil and gas sector; especially Egypt. With the active support and participation of our local partner ACG-ITF, we are in agreement that choosing Egypt reflects the faith international partners have in its investment climate and its potential for significant economic growth in the near future."

"Egypt is clearly a growing market with huge opportunities, and EGYPS presents the first opportunity for local, regional and international players to come together and create a blueprint for the future energy security of Egypt. This inaugural show will provide an opportunity for global buyers and sellers to display their products and services on the exhibition floor, and to establish alliances and partnerships. The conference represents an unparalleled opportunity for the global oil and gas industry to explore the opportunities and challenges of the exciting North African market," he said.

EGYPS 2017 is the latest expansion in dmg events' Energy Division conference and exhibition portfolio, which includes some of the world's largest and most important events, including the Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference (ADIPEC), Gastech in Japan, and the Global Petroleum Show (GPS) in Canada. – TradeArabia News Service