OITE Conferences announces dates for Gulf Eco Conference 2013

With the implementation of His Majesty's Vision 2020 to enhance the country's foundation on economic lines, particularly with shifting the country's dependence on oil to that of renewable resources, the time is ripe to debate over the prospect of what clean energy has to offer Oman particularly with respect to Harnessing the potential of Oman's Renewable Energy which is the overall theme of the Gulf Eco Conference 2013

Held on the sidelines of the Gulf Eco Expo 2013 and in keeping with the general theme of the Expo, the Gulf Eco Conference 2013 held under the patronage of the Ministry of Environment & Climate Affairs will take place from 21st-22nd January, 2013 at the Golden Tulip Hotel.

The Conference also receives support from the US Commercial Services and the Department of State, United States of America. Key speakers from the related field will touch upon various aspects essential to driving the country towards a clean energy future under four headings namely Regulations and Policy on Renewable Energy, Finance and Investment on Renewable Energy Projects, Solutions to Energy Challenges and Climate Change, Waste Management and Recycling.

The Conference Opening Address will be delivered by a senior official from the Ministry of Environment and Climate Affairs, while Dr. Benno Böer, Ecological Sciences Advisor-UNESCO Arab Region, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), Doha-Qatar will be one of the Conference key speakers.

Diving straight into the first day of the Conference, the first half session will focus on Regulations and Policy on Renewable Energy. Dr. Mohammed Abdel Raouf, Research Fellow-Environment Programme, Gulf Research Center (Global Focal Point of Science and Technology-Major Group of UNEP) will open the session by providing attendees with an outlook on Sustainable Development in the Middle East and the Real Outcome of Rio+20.

With the exploration of the feasibility of using renewable energy sources being the prime objective of the Conference, other key speakers will focus on the energy outlook in the GCC with focus on Oman, various renewable energy laws and regulations in the region and the challenges and Framework that supports renewable energy in Oman. The last issue in particular will be given the limelight in a panel discussion titled Harnessing and Utilisation of Renewable Energy in Oman.

The second half session of the first day will highlight the viability of Financing/ Investing in Renewable Energy Projects through examination of business renewable energy initiatives, challenges in financing renewable energy projects and risk management strategies in developing renewable energy projects.

Day Two of the Conference will present solutions to energy challenges diving into the realm of solar, geothermal, wind and hydro energy in turn. Dr Rania Ahmed Abd El-Wahab, Researcher, Plant Protection Research Institute, Agriculture Research Center, Eqypt will kickstart the session by analysing solar energy as a new tool of organic agriculture followed by a case study on the first zero-energy building in Oman by Prof Nikolaus Knebel, Associate Professor of Architectural and Urban Design, German University of Technology in Oman.

Other speakers of note will touch upon the geothermal potential, opportunities and scope for development in the Gulf Region and the benefits of Hydropower through subsequent discussions that follow.

The final session of the second day titled Climate Change, Waste Management and Recycling will pitch bigger questions to attendees such as what one can do to tackle climate change and what factors aid to the success and downfall of implementing waste to energy projects while a case study related to the Sustainable Development Project in Oman will showcase the Future Community the country must strive to build.

The Conference will be brought to a close by Dr. Hameed Sulaiman, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Environmental Science, Department of Biology, Sultan Qaboos University who will examine waste management options and their contribution to climate change mitigation potential.