World Petroleum Congress in Riyadh: 7 ministers warn of supply shortage
The 25th World Petroleum Congress, hosted by Saudi Arabia in Riyadh, opened on 12 October 2026 with ministerial sessions focused on energy supply security amid geopolitical tensions affecting oil and gas transport routes. Ministers from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Algeria, the United States, Nigeria, France and Turkey warned of supply shortages and stressed continued investment in production and infrastructure, diversification of supply sources and affordable fuel prices. Saudi Energy Minister Abdulaziz bin Salman said Riyadh is the capital of energy security and that fear has no place in the Saudi dictionary, while Egyptian minister Karim Badawi cited an offshore exploration campaign with ExxonMobil and QatarEnergy and Algerian minister Mohamed Arkab said feasibility studies for the Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline are complete.
Why it matters: The ministerial warnings and calls for investment and diversified supply routes place energy security at the centre of the briefing's coverage of geopolitical risk to oil and gas flows.