OPEC Secretary General Haitham Al Ghais delivers a speech at the opening ceremony of the 9th OPEC International Seminar in Vienna, Austria, on July 9, 2025. (Xinhua/He Canling)
VIENNA, July 9 (Xinhua) -- The 9th OPEC International Seminar opened here on Wednesday, bringing together global energy leaders to discuss key issues including energy transitions, market stability, energy security, investment, technology, and innovation.
Under the theme "Charting Pathways Together: The Future of Global Energy," the two-day event features exhibitions, ministerial sessions, and high-level roundtables aimed at exploring energy security and cooperation across the energy sector.
OPEC Secretary General Haitham Al Ghais said at the opening ceremony that 2025 holds special significance for OPEC, marking its 65th anniversary and the 60th anniversary of its Vienna headquarters. How to reduce carbon emissions while achieving energy security, improving energy accessibility and reducing global energy poverty is a key topic of the seminar, he added.
Meanwhile, Saudi Energy Minister Abdulaziz bin Salman Al Saud highlighted that energy transition is not a threat, but an opportunity to drive innovation, investment and economic development.
In a video address, Mohsen Paknejad, president of the OPEC Conference for 2025, urged countries to commit to peace and cooperation to ensure secure and sustainable energy supplies.
During the seminar, the organization will launch the 19th edition of the World Oil Outlook, one of its flagship publications that provides in-depth review and analysis of the global oil and energy industries and offers assessments of various scenarios in the medium- and long-term development.
The first OPEC International Seminar was held in 2001. As one of the most influential platforms for dialogue and cooperation in the energy sector, this year's seminar attracted numerous ministers from OPEC member countries, representatives from major energy-producing and consuming nations, heads of international organizations, executives from energy companies and financial institutions, as well as experts and scholars. ■
Saudi Energy Minister Abdulaziz bin Salman Al Saud delivers a speech at the opening ceremony of the 9th OPEC International Seminar in Vienna, Austria, on July 9, 2025. (Xinhua/He Canling)
Mohsen Paknejad, president of the OPEC Conference for 2025, delivers a video address at the opening ceremony of the 9th OPEC International Seminar in Vienna, Austria, on July 9, 2025. (Xinhua/He Canling)
People attend the 9th OPEC International Seminar in Vienna, Austria, on July 9, 2025. (Xinhua/He Canling)
Artists perform at the opening ceremony of the 9th OPEC International Seminar in Vienna, Austria, on July 9, 2025. (Xinhua/He Canling)