Badri delivered a speech in which he thanked the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud on his patronage of this Conference. He also thanked the heads of OPEC countries, pointing out that this conference is of great importance for being convened in Riyadh. He said that OPEC has spared no effort in preserving the interests of its members by ensuring the stability of oil markets and securing stable oil supplies, adding that the organization achieved its objectives through precised predicting mechanism of the level of consumption in the medium and long terms. "We are pleased with the success during the last 47 years. The challenges we faced and will face must be read. As we succeeded in facing the past challenges, we must face the future challenges," he said. "There are two challenges before the organization. The first is providing the world's population with their needs of petroleum in order to support the global economy and maintain its growth. The second is environment", he said, stressing that the organization is committed to the preservation of the environment through research that contribute to combating the emission of carbon dioxide. He also affirmed OPEC's support for scientific research that contribute to reducing the use of petroleum and discover alternatives to energy. He highlighted the continuous support of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for OPEC, saying "OPEC derives its strength from the support of its members". --More
