Beirut, April 26, 2018: Under the Patronage of the President of the Council of Ministers His Excellency Mr. Saad Hariri, Unigaz in collaboration with the World LPG Association (WLPGA), proudly hosted on April 25 and 26, 2018, the first Regional LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas) Summit for the Middle East under the title of Exceptional Energy for the Middle East in an attempt to empower further the LPG sector and bring together key stakeholders involved.
Leaders from around the world headed to Beirut to share with LPG industry stakeholders in the region, including customers, the global trends in the industry and its impact on the region. Through this summit, major opportunities in the region were highlighted within the industry as well as spotting the light on national challenges to overcome it. The aim was to bring together all stakeholders from governmental sector to private sector to collaboratively develop the industry, importing global best practices in LPG to Middle Eastern markets and facilitate international business exchange.
Mahmoud Sidani, President & CEO of Unigaz, Lebanon stated, “Beirut was chosen as the destination for this summit due to the city’s strategic location as a gateway to the Middle East, the presence of more than 60 years of distinguished expertise in the storage and distribution of Liquefied Petroleum Gas, and a great knowledge of modern regulatory frameworks and the dynamics of the Lebanese market and other neighboring markets.” Adding that, ” One of the main objectives of this summit is to reorganize the Liquefied Petroleum Gas sector by developing new regulations and legislations, as well as finding solutions to the problems that the sector faces consequently, helping member companies to meet the changing market challenges and have positive interactions with any arising opportunities.”
After the World LPG Forum in Houston and the WLPGA AEGPL Congress in Monaco this year, the regional Middle Eastern summit launched from Beirut at the Four Seasons Hotel in Beirut covered four major discussion points:
Global Energy Trends: What are the impacts in the Middle East?
Getting to know the major LPG trends from around the global through IHSMarkit Presentation. Speakers shared their views of the impacts on their Markets. Leaders discussed a holistic/360 understanding on the future of LPG globally and in the Middle East in terms of Supply, Demand and other Market Dynamics.
Overview of Market Opportunities in the Middle East
Changes and updates happening in the Gas/LPG industry value chain in the represented markets by highlighting the affected elements within the chain, i.e. Supply, Storage, Distribution, etc… Opportunities or Challenges resulting from this change per industry and market channel were also discussed. Looking at the possible opportunities, speakers looked at how will it positively contribute to the companies and end-users, while the challenges were tackled by looking at possible solutions and what is the current impact on the end-user. A major point in this session was about a collaboration between private and public sectors to achieve the desired results.
Regulatory Reform of the LPG Sector
Introducing local regulations framework and major stakeholders involved. Furnishing the process and drivers of the regulatory reform happened or to happen: From the old regulatory framework, to the reformation efforts and process, and to the latest regulatory framework (done or in progress). The session provided information on the regulatory body and how / why it was selected. Major areas/issues/enhancements were tackled in the reformation from the point of view of the government, companies, and consumers, while emphasizing on the consumer protection part. New initiatives (if any) appeared as a result of the reformation. The speakers also briefly explained the laws and decrees governing these regulations.
Good Industry Practices and Models for the Middle East
Relevant technical and technological innovations from around the world and how these will create market opportunities in Middle Eastern markets were highlighted in this session. What changes are afoot and how will this benefit the industry in the long term. Major Models presented were, City Gas Networks (Mega Scale LPG / SNG networks), Autogas, Gas for Power Generation, LPG in Industrial applications, and LPG in Agricultural applications.
The summit also featured women in LPG Global Network and was attended by more than 400 visitors from the LPG industry worldwide, presidents and CEOs of major companies in the region and from the USA, Italy, France, UK, Singapore, and others. Governmental representatives from the regulatory commissions from Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Brazil, Turkey, Morocco and India were also present.
About WLPGA:
The World LPG Association (WLPGA) is the authoritative voice of the global LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas) industry representing the full LPG value chain from Gas Sourcing and Supply to Gas Distribution in all markets globally. The primary goal of the Association is to add value to the sector by driving premium demand for LPG, while also promoting compliance to good business and safety practices. The WLPGA brings together over 250 private and public companies operating in more than 125 countries involved in one, several or all activities of the industry; develops long-term partnerships with international organizations; and implements projects on local and global scales. The Association was established in 1987 and granted Special Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council in 1989.
Glimpse on WLPGA Global Events:
- World LPG Forum (Annual):
- World LPG Forum in Miami 2014
- World LPG Forum in Singapore 2015
- World LPG Forum in Florence 2016
- World LPG Forum in Marrakech 2017
- World LPG Forum in Houston 2018
Congresses (Every 2 years):
- WLPGA AEGPL (European LPG Association) 2016 in Italy
- WLPGA AEGPL 2018 in Monaco
Summits:
- Worldwide Summits in Asia, Africa and America (for more: https://www.wlpga.org/events/)
- For the first time in the Middle East:1st LPG Regional Summit in Beirut 2018 (for more: https://www.melpgsummit.com/#home)
About UniGaz:
Unigaz is one of the few companies in the Middle East to offer a comprehensive range of gas services: Import, Storage, and Distribution of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) Design, Installation, Commissioning, Operation, and Maintenance of LPG and Natural Gas networks. In addition, Unigaz provides specialized engineering work on other energy-related Projects. With a successful track record, and a reliable service offering to its clients, Unigaz has grown rapidly over the years, and has expanded its geographical presence to become one of the pioneers in the LPG industry in the Middle East; the world’s largest exporter of LPG. Unigaz has also expanded its operations into the African markets in countries as Nigeria, Mozambique and others.