Former Saudi minister Dr Hashim A.Yamani will join a list of high-profile speakers at the Saudi Water & Power Forum (SWPF) to be held from October 2 to 6 in Jeddah.

SWFP, said to be the gateway to the Kingdom’s water and power industry, is being organized by the CWC Group, global experts in oil, gas, power, infrastructure and investment sectors, and the Saudi-based Bushnak Academy.

Dr Yamani, the Saudi commerce and industry minister from 2003-2008, is now the president of the newly-established King Abdullah City for Atomic & Renewable Energy (KA-CARE), which has the mandate of tackling the energy demands of the Kingdom.

Dr Yamani will be giving delegates an insight into the transformation of the energy sector and Saudi’s long-term strategy for sustainable growth during his keynote presentation on October 3, said the organisers.

He will be joined by Dr Mahmoud Abu-Zeid, the president of the Arab Water Council, who will discuss Saudi power and water in a regional context as the forum focuses on the policies, projects and projects determining the future of the industry.

A veteran, Dr Abu-Zeid was the Egyptian minister of water resources and irrigation for 12 years from 1997-2009.

Besides being the Arab Water Council president, he is also honorary president of World Water Council and a member of UN Advisory Board on Water Supply and Sanitation.

He was earlier the president of International Water Resources Association (IWRA), said the organisers.

The other key speakers joining the line-up include: Prince Khalid Bin Faisal Bin Abdulaziz, Governor of the Makkah Region, Abdullah Al-Hussayen, Minister of Water & Electricity, Prince Dr Turki bin Saud bin Mohammad Al Saud, vice president, KACST, Fehied Fahad AlShareef, Governor of SWCC, Loay Al-Musallam, CEO of National Water Company, Steve Bolze, president and CEO of Power & Water, GE and Paddy Padmanathan, president and CEO of  ACWA Power International.

The forum programme includes the Exhibition Opening Tour and Inauguration Ceremony, the Marafiq and GE Oil & Gas corporate luncheons, the new Networking Roundtable Discussions and the exclusive gala dinner featuring the SWPF Awards Ceremony hosted by ACWA Power International, the organisers said.

They said the nominations for the SWPF awards, including the SWPF Award for Innovation and the Marafiq Award for Sustainability have now been closed and a shortlist of nominees is being compiled.

A panel of leading industry experts will pick the winners who will be honoured at the SWPF 2010 award gala dinner on October 3.-TradeArabia News Service