• HRH Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman Abdulaziz Al Saud, Deputy Minister of Petroleum & Mineral Resources and President of National Programme for Energy Efficiency to attend opening ceremony
• His Excellency Dr Saleh Al Awaji, Deputy Minister for Water and Electricity, named president of inaugural event and keynote speaker
• More than 500 delegates expected
The Ministry of Electricity and Water and the Saudi Energy Efficiency Centre will organise the first SAUDI HVAC CONFEX, in cooperation with event company IQPC, from February 11-13 at the Al-Faisaliyya Hotel, Riyadh.
His Excellency Dr Saleh Al Awaji, Deputy Minister of Water and Electricity, said Saudi Arabia’s first ever conference and exhibition for sustainable cooling and heating solutions illustrated the determination of stakeholders in the electricity sector to apply technologies that boost energy efficiency in Saudi Arabia.
“Around 70 per cent of electricity consumption in Saudi Arabia goes on air conditioning and with more than 1.5 million new homes needed to keep pace with population growth, domestic energy demand is anticipated to double by 2030,” said HE Dr Al Awaji, President of SAUDI HVAC 2013 and a keynote speaker at the event. “Energy-efficient HVAC solutions are therefore a critical aspect of Saudi Arabia’s continued sustainable development.”
He said: “Sustainable technologies will reduce energy consumption and also reduce the amount of new investment needed in electricity generation as a result. This new conference and exhibition is an example of the cooperation between stakeholders needed to achieve the goals that benefit the Kingdom and the consumer. It will promote advanced technology and help to develop local expertise.”
The deputy minister added: “Demand for electricity in Saudi Arabia continues to rise and more than 500 billion Saudi riyals will be invested in new projects in the electricity sector within the next 10 years. This situation requires immediate concrete action to encourage energy efficiency and sustainability.”
The opening ceremony of SAUDI HVAC CONFEX 2013 will be attended by the Minister of Water and Electricity, the Minister of Commerce and Industry, His Royal Highness Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman Abdulaziz Al Saud, Deputy Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources and President of the National Program of Energy Efficiency and the president of King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology.
Around 50 speakers from the government and private sector will address the conference, of whom 25 are already confirmed, and more than 30 local and international companies will take part in the exhibition, including LG Electronics, Samsung, Saudi Tabreed, and Abdul Latif Jameel. Around 500 industry delegates will attend the three-day event.
Speakers include George Kennich, Head of Infrastructure and MEP at Aldar Properties; Sultan Al Khairaissi, Director of Buildings Department, Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu; Abdulhamid Almansour, the former CEO of Saudi Tabreed; Kishan Khoday, Senior Representative of the United Nations Development Programme; Eng Mohamed Al Badri, Acting Director General, Emirates Authority for Standardisation and Meteorology; George Berbari, CEO of DC Pro Engineering; and Khalid Al Othman, CEO of Saudi Mubadara Development Authority.
Taking place from February 11-13 at the Al Faisaliah Hotel in Riyadh, the SAUDI HVAC CONFEX will also unveil an industry award recognising best practice in the sustainable heating and cooling sector.
