This year’s theme, ‘Energy for a Prosperous Future: Leading a Sustainable Tomorrow’, builds on the evolving priorities of the industry, from hydrocarbon optimisation and digitalisation to decarbonisation and talent development

In a region defined by its deep legacy in oil and gas production, the Middle East continues to position itself as a pivotal player in shaping the global energy future.

The Middle East Oil, Gas and Geosciences Show (MEOS GEO), returning to Bahrain from September 16-18, 2025, serves as a flagship platform uniting energy leaders, innovators and geoscientists under the shared vision of progress, sustainability and resilience in upstream operations.

Held under the patronage of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Bahrain, MEOS GEO 2025 will take place at Exhibition World Bahrain, one of the largest convention venues in the region.

The event is organised by Informa Markets in partnership with leading professional societies, such as the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE), the American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG), the European Association of Geoscientists and Engineers (EAGE), and the Society of Exploration Geophysicists (SEG), in collaboration with the Ministry of Oil and Environment. OGN energy magazine is a media partner.

This year’s theme, ‘Energy for a Prosperous Future: Leading a Sustainable Tomorrow’, builds on the evolving priorities of the industry, from hydrocarbon optimisation and digitalisation to decarbonisation and talent development.

With the global push towards net-zero targets, climate resilience, and the rise of Industry 4.0 technologies, MEOS GEO presents an influential platform to foster partnerships, unveil technologies, and spark dialogue.

A LEGACY EVENT AMPLIFIED

Originally held as two separate events—the Middle East Oil & Gas Show (MEOS) and the GEO Conference and Exhibition—MEOS GEO merged these formats in 2023, creating a unified show that caters to the entire upstream value chain.

Global energy leaders will discuss issues in the Strategic Sessions

The 2023 edition hosted from February 19-21 saw a robust return to in-person exhibitions post-pandemic, with over 17,000 participants attending from 78 countries, more than 180 exhibitors showcasing products and services and 890 expert speakers.

The success of the 2023 edition not only validated the new combined format but also set the stage for a larger and more diversified 2025 edition.

Chaired in 2023 by Faisal AlNughaimish, Vice-President and Chief Drilling Engineer at Saudi Aramco, the event saw participation from regional and global leaders such as Eni, ADNOC, Halliburton, SLB, Chevron, ExxonMobil, TAQA, CGG, and Baker Hughes.

In addition to hosting panel sessions, technical workshops, and strategic roundtables, MEOS GEO 2023 launched the inaugural MEOS GEO Energy Awards, recognising excellence in innovation, sustainability, and organisational transformation.

The 2025 edition builds on this foundation with a wider exhibitor base—more than 180 companies are expected—and an upgraded conference programme spanning over 396 hours of content.

The technical programme is once again led by top regional experts from Saudi Aramco, Tatweer Petroleum, and PDO Oman, alongside international technical leads from SLB, Halliburton, and academia.

DEEP-DIVE INTO THE 2023 BLUEPRINT

The Young Professionals and Students corner serves as a real-world classroom for students

To understand the significance of MEOS GEO, it is useful to revisit highlights from 2023. The three-day programme spanned over 100 technical sessions and six high-level panel discussions, covering topics like carbon management, 4IR applications, frontier geophysics, reservoir engineering, and supply chain resilience.

The key sessions included:

• ‘Vision to Reality: Revolutionising the Industry through 4IR Advancement’, which explored the transformative potential of AI, cloud computing, and digital twins in subsurface analysis.

• ‘Extreme Computational Capabilities and Beyond’, focusing on how companies like Saudi Aramco, NVIDIA, and TotalEnergies are pushing the frontiers of real-time simulation and visualisation.

• ‘Talent 4.0: Attracting and Preparing Talents for a Digital Future’, a forward-looking dialogue on workforce transformation amid automation, remote operations, and Gen Z’s entry into the industry.

The CEO Plenary Session was another highlight, featuring speakers such as Nasir Al-Naimi, Executive VP Upstream, Saudi Aramco; Lorenzo Simonelli, Chairman and CEO, Baker Hughes; and Saugata Saha, President, S&P Global Commodity Insights.

Their discussion tackled the paradoxes of energy security versus environmental goals, and how digitalisation is shaping the agility of global operators in an unpredictable landscape.

Moreover, the SPE Seminar on Energy Transition, led by Kamel Ben-Naceur, 2022 SPE President and a former director at the IEA, offered insights into CCUS strategies, hydrogen projects, and sustainability pathways being adopted globally.

2025 IS BIGGER & BETTER

MEOS GEO is more than an exhibition; it’s a convergence of influence. A relevant list of topics will come under discussion in the Strategic and Technical sessions, with the aim of giving the energy industry a strong sense of direction.

Global energy leaders from Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and elsewhere will tackle key topics head-on. Panel sessions, such as the plenary, ‘Navigating the Future of Energy: Investment, Innovation, and Sustainability’, and ‘Balancing Energy Security and Transition’, ‘Toward a Net-Zero Future’ draw ministerial and C-suite representation to address macroeconomic energy policy.

Meanwhile, the MEOS GEO 2025 technical conference is structured around three main pillars:

• Resilience in volatile markets, which explore ways to maintain production, ensure supply chain continuity, and manage cost inflation amid geopolitical and economic volatility.

• Accelerating digital transformation, which emphasise the integration of AI, machine learning, cloud computing, remote operations, and blockchain into geoscience and engineering workflows.

• Achieving net-zero objectives that highlight CCUS (carbon capture, utilisation, and storage), hydrogen exploration, energy efficiency, and environmental stewardship as key enablers of the low-carbon transition.

Some of the specific technical sessions include presentations on seismic acquisition and imaging; reservoir characterisation and modelling; geomechanics and borehole integrity; well stimulation and enhanced oil recovery (EOR); AI and big data in exploration and production; hydrogen technologies and geothermal exploration; and CCUS project case studies and circular carbon economy insights.

YOUNG TALENT & EDUCATIONAL OUTREACH

One of MEOS GEO’s long-term strengths lies in its commitment to young professionals and students.

The Young Professionals and Students Committee, co-chaired by members from Saudi Aramco, coordinates student competitions, mentorship meetups, and site tours for aspiring geoscientists and engineers.

This outreach is more than symbolic; Bahrain, like many countries in the GCC, faces a challenge in bridging the gap between academia and applied industry knowledge. Events like MEOS GEO serve as a real-world classroom for students, giving them exposure to cutting-edge tools and ideas, and potentially influencing their career paths.

STRONG INDUSTRY SUPPORT

At MEOS GEO 2025, a distinguished list of sponsors reinforces the event’s strategic relevance.

Saudi Aramco, which also led the previous technical and executive committees, is expected to reprise its leading role.

SLB (Co-host), Saudi Arabian Chevron (Titanium Sponsor), and Alkhorayef Petroleum Company and Baker Hughes (Gold Sponsors), and Sawafi Al-Jazeera Oilfield Products and Services, and Shell Overseas Services (Supporting Sponsors) are joined by several other major participants reflecting the region’s diversification into digital and clean technologies.

The Sustainability Sponsor this year is SANAD (Saudi Aramco Nabors Drilling), reflecting its investment in emissions-reducing technologies and ESG practices.

The Kuwait Oil Company and NESR are Registration Sponsors; while Pasqal Arabia for Information Technology is sponsoring the breakout stages like the Live Labs and Genius Talks.

As energy systems evolve, MEOS GEO has evolved with them. From a trade fair focused on upstream oil to a full-fledged innovation and thought leadership platform.

For Bahrain, the show reinforces its commitment to the region’s knowledge economy and positions it as a hub for energy transition dialogue.

Whether through high-stakes strategy sessions, hands-on technology showcases, or knowledge exchanges between generations, MEOS GEO 2025 reflects an industry that is no longer defined by hydrocarbons alone, but by the balance between innovation, responsibility, and adaptability.

In a post-pandemic, post-carbon, and digitally charged world, the value of coming together to exchange ideas, showcase progress, and chart a course forward has never been more crucial.

By Abdulaziz Khattak