Minister of Oil opens First Petroleum Media Seminar

His Excellency Shaikh Mohamed bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, Minister of Oil opened on Sunday November 27^th, 2016 the first Petroleum Media Seminar, which was held at Bahrain Petroleum Company (Bapco) Club, Awali. The seminar was organized by National Oil and Gas Authority (NOGA) and the Secretariat General of the Gulf Cooperation Council. A number of experts, researchers, and specialists from various oil companies affiliated to NOGA and faculties of Mass Communication, Public Relations, Business Administration from governmental and private universities, as well as local media representatives and relevant media specialists participated in the seminar. This initiative is considered part of the objectives of media petroleum strategy for Gulf Cooperation Council, as well as NOGA plans to boost media petroleum in Kingdom of Bahrain.

In his opening Speech, His Excellency Shaikh Mohamed bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, Minister of Oil welcomed all participants and speakers, wishing them a pleasant stay in Kingdom of Bahrain, hoping they would benefit from the scientific & technical papers that will be presented during the sessions of this seminar. He also praised the approval of Their Excellencies Oil Ministers of the Gulf cooperation Council (GCC) States to hold this seminar in the Kingdom Bahrain and the efforts of the organizers of this specialized event and all the speakers from GCC countries.

His Excellency the Minister pointed out in his speech to the oil industry in the Kingdom of Bahrain and its stages since 1925 when the government of Bahrain awarded the first concession contract for oil exploration, which was later discovered in 1932 and Kingdom of Bahrain became the first country in the GCC to discover oil. Oil and gas sector also witnessed many developments until 2016 when the share of US Occidental Company and UAE-based Mubadala in Bahrain Field Development project was acquired and Tatweer became fully-owned to the government of the Kingdom of Bahrain.

The aim of this seminar is spreading awareness about objectives of media petroleum strategy for GCC countries, which focus on promoting petroleum culture in GCC countries, enhancing closer cooperation between petroleum media departments in ministries of petroleum and national companies in the GCC countries with local and international media, as well as highlighting the petroleum status of the GCC countries and emphasizing the importance of GCC countries as a main source for reliable energy, while confirming the strategic and economic importance of oil as well as cooperation with international organizations in the field of petroleum media.

Petroleum media is considered part of the oil strategy adopted by GCC countries, where this seminar will be held every two years as per directions of Their Excellencies oil ministers of GCC countries, while Petroleum Media Forum will continue on a regular basis, where it was held for the first time in Kuwait in 2013, and the second forum in Saudi Arabia in 2015. The Forum resulted in agreeing to establish an independent association under the name of “Petroleum Media Association” with the recommendation to present an award for outstanding employees at the petroleum media during the opening of the Petroleum Media Forum, which is held every two years, as well as organizing workshops, training courses and educational lectures including this seminar that is focusing on petroleum media.