The extraordinarily-large attendance at the Middle East Oil and Gas Show (MEOS 2011) has once again proved Bahrain is the hub for international world-class events, said Energy Minister Dr Abdulhussain Mirza.

More than 6,000 visitors attended the show on Monday which revealed that Bahrain was back in business again.

Speaking on the sidelines of the opening ceremony of an exhibition held alongside the show, he said MEOS, over the years, had become one of Middle East's leading oil and gas shows.

The event is being held under the patronage of His Royal Highness Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa and is organised by the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE), in co-operation with Arabian Exhibition Management at the Bahrain International Exhibition and Convention Centre.

HRH the Premier earlier opened the event in the presence of ministers, ambassadors and dignitaries.

'This exhibition and conference has become a leading industry event in the oil and gas sector,' Dr Mirza said.

'It has contributed to the economic growth in the region and by the number of papers organisers have received, it goes on to show it is living up to its reputation.'

He said more than 1,700 participants at the event include experts, specialists and stakeholders who will speak on topics of great importance through the working papers and research.

'The event will result in important recommendations which will result in contributing to improving aspects of oil and gas sector and issues related to it.'

He said the conference will also discuss the most important current challenges in the field of oil exploration and oil and gas reserves and environmental considerations related to the oil industry.

'Innovations in the areas of surveying and prospecting, exploration, maintenance and services, as well as national oil companies in the GCC will also be discussed,' he added.

Among overseas companies taking part are Saudi Aramco, ExxonMobil, Occidental, Schlumberger and Chevron while local firms include Bapco, Gulf Petrochemical Industries Company and Bahrain National Gas Company.

Dr Mirza later opened the Middle East Prospect Exhibition (Mepex).

'Mepex has established itself as the region's prime business event, which will act as a one-stop shop to conduct business,' he said.

'It will also contribute in introducing the investment opportunities offered by the upstream sector to various interested parties in the region.'

He said the forum has been established to create real strategic opportunities for business collaboration and investment funding initiatives.

'It has been eight decades since our region entered this industry and yet the investments share of our region is very low.

'This is the time that the region should consider seriously the oil and gas investment sector and we hope that through the Mepex and the associated Mepex Oil and Money Forum we pave the way for redirecting the investments to this important and high-return sector,' he added.-TradeArabia News Service