The eighth edition of SAOGE is set to draw some 10,000 industry leaders, technical experts and decision makers to this truly unique platform to discuss the global and regional challenges facing Saudi Arabia’s oil and gas industry

Held under the patronage of HRH Prince Saud Bin Naif Bin Abdulaziz, Governor of the Eastern Province, the Saudi Arabia International Oil and Gas Exhibition (SAOGE) 2016 will host some 100 companies from 25 countries, with more than 10.000 visitors set to attend the show.

Set against the backdrop of reduced global demand and depressed prices the need to ensure full asset optimisation and efficiency has never been greater. As the foremost hydrocarbon producer in the world and with a number of midlife assets, the Saudi and broader Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) oil and gas sector plays a pivotal role in supplying global demand. With this in mind producers and end consumers look to both the GCC and Saudi Arabia as field leaders in the optimisation of upstream and midstream oil and gas assets. Thus SAOGE, hosted in Dammam, the hub of the Saudi oil world, provides a truly unique platform to assess the key fundamentals and drivers forging the global markets.

With reduced refining margins across the global oil and gas industry, as well as depressed yet stabilising oil pricing, the need to innovate has also never been greater. Technological innovation allows both regional, national and independent oil companies the chance to enhance the bottom line whilst boosting asset throughputs. Reduced demand and per-barrel pricing as well as the emergence of new regional competitors makes for a turbulent yet exciting time in the region. SAOGE was founded back in 2008 to bring together those crucial elements of the chain and is a must attend event for regional and global sector professionals.

Held as per tradition in Dammam, this year see’s the eighth edition of SAOGE, and is set to draw some 10,000 industry leaders, technical experts and decision makers to this truly unique platform to discuss the global and regional challenges facing Saudi Arabia’s oil and gas industry.

Both internationally and from within the kingdom, SAOGE has enjoyed steady growth over the past seven years with a successful 23 per cent annual growth rate. The SAOGE 2015 show exceeded expectations with a record attendance of 7,953 visitors.

With current demand, SAOGE is expecting some 10.000 visitors over the three days this year. In the past seven years SAOGE has played host to more than 1,000 companies from more than 50 countries, with 40 per cent of exhibitors from the GCC and 60 per cent of exhibitors from international countries.

With the 2016 show already stacking up, SAOGE this year will be run concurrently with Machine Tools Exhibition (MTE), and is expecting over 100 companies from more than 20 countries. MTE exhibitors enjoy a lot of existing synergies with oil and gas industry, many of their key customers coming from upstream
operators.

GLOBAL PARTICIPATION REMAINS STRON

As with previous shows, both local and regional attendance remains high and continues to be mirrored by considerable international participation.

With companies coming from as far afield as China and Italy, recognising the unique market access potential that SAOGE offers, they are using the show to introduce their products and services to the Saudi market. SAOGE has an impressive global representation from participating countries, with 68 per cent of them coming from overseas: Azerbaijan, China, India, France, Germany, India, Italy, Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, Qatar, Russia, the UAE, the US and the UK.

IES: GLOBALLY DEDICATED

For the past 30 years International Exhibition Services (IES) has been at the forefront of the events industry, organising international trade exhibitions, bespoke conferences and seminars and supporting international business all over the globe. 'Three decades of hands on experience has given us a detailed understanding of how to plan and manage high profile events and a genuine confidence in our ability to meet those standards,' says a company spokesperson.

'In synergy with our sister company IES Works, we have extended our services from organising events to providing creative custom stand designs, door-to-door logistics and all the necessary support services to help companies make the most of their marketing investment. As a company, we continually evaluate how we operate, ensuring that IES remains at the forefront of an innovative and exciting industry, providing our customers with exceptional service and industry leadership,' he adds.

'The diverse talents of our project teams allows us to focus on our customers’ needs and dedicate to helping them make the most out of their selected events and exhibitions, no matter how big or how small, and no matter on which continent,' the
spokesperson says.

Over the years IES has been chosen as the exclusive contractor for events such as GE’s Annual Meeting, World Petroleum Council (WPC) 2011 in Doha, WPC 2014 in Moscow and all the OMC editions in Ravenna, the latest being OMC 2015. Continually looking for new challenges, IES offers its experience and creativity to deliver to a world class standard.

Adaptable to the diverse and variable market conditions that exist in today’s global marketplace, IES began operations in Saudi Arabia in 2007 and now has a broad portfolio of trade exhibitions representing the key industrial sectors in the kingdom. Its exhibitions are hosted in partnership with the Dhahran International Exhibitions Company (DIEC) and are held in a purpose built exhibition and conference centre, designed and built to the highest international standards.