RIYADH — The Ministry of Water and Electricity will host the ninth Saudi Water & Power Forum (SWPF) on December 1-3 in Jeddah. The event has become a fixture in the calendar for key personnel involved in Saudi Arabia's water and power industries and will offer more opportunities for networking and developing new business contacts than ever before due to the interactive nature the forum program. “The forum will provide a fantastic opportunity for industry stakeholders to discuss policies, exchange strategies and develop solutions to some of the most prevalent issues being faced in the Kingdom. The accompanying exhibition will provide a platform for showcasing the latest and most innovative new technological solutions being offered in Saudi Arabia,” said SWPF Event Director Gurpreet Hayre. The event comes at a crucial time as Saudi initiates the five-year water and power demand investment plan and a wave of investments are expected to reach $133 billion for power generation and water projects over the next decade. In addition, Minister Abdullah Bin Abdulrahman Al-Hussein has signed 24 contracts for the implementation of water and sanitation projects. Some of the companies and organizations to be represented at the event include the Ministry of Water and Electricity, Saline Water Conversion Corporation (SWCC), Saudi Electric Company (SEC), The Electricity & Co-Generation Regulatory Authority (ECRA), ACWA Power, KAUST, Marafiq, General Electric, Alstom, National Water Company (NWC), German Desalination Industry Association (DME) and Doosan Enpure. A full list of speakers and facilitators is available online. SWPF will feature a host of networking functions which will help participants to interact with fellow stakeholders. New for 2013, forum delegates will have a chance to participate in chosen interactive roundtable discussions and gain valuable one-on-one time with the experts such as Abdullah Khalifa Al-Buainain, President & CEO of Marafiq; Paddy Padmanathan, President and CEO of ACWA Power; Philippe Cochet, President of Alstom Thermal Power and Executive Vice-President of Alstom; Dr. Abdul-Rahman Al-Ibrahim, Governor, SWCC; Dr Abdullah Al-Alshaikh, Deputy Governor for Planning and Development, SWCC. They are just some of the leaders taking up roles as roundtable moderators. Another new feature is the development of the free opportunity to attend the CWC Technical Seminars, which will provide participants with an opportunity to hear about innovative new technologies being offered and implemented in the region. The German Desalination Industry Association (DME) will lead in a morning focussing on “Key Solutions for Key Desalination Markets”. – SG
