Media Center
2016-04-19
Minister of Energy His Excellency Dr. Abdul Hussain bin Ali Mirza opened Bahrain Infrastructure Security Conference ‘InfraSec 2016’ on April 19, at the Gulf Convention Centre, Gulf Hotel. Bahrain’s first infrastructure security conference was organized by Messe Frankfurt Middle East in cooperation with the National Oil and Gas Authority (NOGA), and supported by Bahrain National Gas Company (Banagas). The event was attended by a number of specialists in the field of infrastructure security from around the world and the GCC.
In his opening speech, H.E. Dr. Mirza, said that the safety of energy sector was vital for the Middle East since the region was into the business of energy production. It included aspects such as improved protection, resilience of critical infrastructure, creating a culture of infrastructure security, safeguarding the supply of petroleum products, preparedness to emerging security challenges, reducing vulnerabilities of critical assets as well as networks and eliminating imminent threats through cyber security.
The Minister said the future of global economic growth in the coming decade relied majorly on significant changes in energy security. Infrasec 2016 was held against such a dynamic backdrop, which further highlighted its relevance. The growing energy demand in developing countries and their dependency on supplies from the region made it imperative to ensure safe and secure production, storage and distribution of resources in the countries of the region. The gathering of renowned thought leaders in infrastructure security from business and government sectors in the Middle East, together with experts from international organizations and research institutions was a welcome initiative in favour of the region’s infrastructure security interests, he said.
The Minister urged all delegates to actively participate in the various sessions and conference activities, and learn about the latest technology, challenges, trends and innovative solutions in infrastructure security in order to protect the basic infrastructure facilities in the region.
He quoted Oil & Gas Infrastructure Security Market Forecast 2015-2025 released in 2015, saying the value of the global oil & gas infrastructure security market in 2015 reached about $25.43 billion, which showed how key the issue is for the future of the industry, and the region.
The Minister concluded his speech expressing his gratitude and appreciation to Messe Frankfurt for their outstanding efforts in organizing the conference in Bahrain in cooperation with NOGA and Banagas. He praised their decision to make Bahrain the venue for the important event authenticating the Kingdom’s status as a great host for key international conferences and exhibitions. He thanked all experts and participants who enriched the conference sessions with their knowledge and experience in this field, and all sponsor companies and supportive institutions for making the event a great success. He wished all participants a great time in Bahrain.
