Abu Dhabi CEO Roundtable: Mukesh Ambani, IOC's Vaidya among world leaders to discuss post-COVID-19 economic recovery

New Delhi: Reliance Industries head Mukesh Ambani and Indian Oil Corp (IOC) Chairman Shrikant Madhav Vaidya will join over 30 world leaders from oil, gas and petrochemical industries to discuss post-COVID-19 economic recovery at the 6th Abu Dhabi CEO Roundtable, ADNOC said on Saturday.
World leaders will on November 11 "discuss critical issues facing the industry including how oil and gas companies are building resilience in response to COVID-19 and the role of the industry in the energy transition," Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) - the event organiser - said in a statement.

"The roundtable will provide a high-level forum for dialogue on key topics that also include energy market dynamics and the outlook for post-COVID-19 economic recovery," it said.

The invitation-only gathering will be held virtually and under the Chatham House rule to increase openness of discussion, the statement said.

The senior executives, representing the world's major oil, gas and petrochemical companies, have been invited to the event by Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and ADNOC Group CEO.

Besides Ambani and Vaidya, the roundtable will be attended by Patrick Pouyanne, Chairman and CEO, Total; Darren Woods, Chairman and CEO, ExxonMobil; Bernard Looney, CEO, BP; Claudio Descalzi, CEO, Eni; Takayuki Ueda, President and CEO, INPEX; and Dai Houliang, Chairman, China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC).

Other leaders expected at the conference include Vicki Hollub, President and CEO, Occidental; Vagit Alekperov, President and CEO, LUKOIL; Lorenzo Simonelli, Chairman and CEO, Baker Hughes; Wang Dongjin, Chairman of China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC); and Musabbeh Al Kaabi, CEO, Petroleum and Petrochemicals, Mubadala Investment Company.

Al Jaber said: "The Abu Dhabi CEO Virtual Roundtable provides an excellent opportunity for the oil and gas industry's leaders to engage on key issues and challenges facing the energy sector as we continue to closely monitor oil markets and the potential impact of new COVID-19 restrictions on the strength and speed of energy demand and economic recovery."

This edition, he said, will build on the productive discussions at the last roundtable held in June and will enable sharing perspectives on the role of the industry in the energy transition and how industry can reinforce its resilience, operate more sustainably and remain competitive in a fast-evolving energy landscape.

Commenting on the upcoming roundtable, Darren W Woods, Chairman and CEO of Exxon Mobil Corporation, said: "I look forward to joining the ADNOC CEO Roundtable to exchange views on the issues facing the oil and gas industry. I am incredibly optimistic about our future; affordable energy will be key for global economic recovery and remains essential to human progress."

Bernard Looney, CEO of BP, said: "2020 has been an extremely challenging year for everyone - and our industry is no exception. I'm especially looking forward to joining our friends and partners at the CEO roundtable, listening to how they're responding to the current circumstances and learning from their experiences."

Vicki Hollub, President and CEO of Occidental, said the roundtable continues to provide an important platform to exchange views on the critical issues facing the energy industry.

"As we navigate this challenging period, the roundtable is all the more vital as an opportunity for dialogue on strategies for post COVID-19 recovery as well as longer-term approaches to the energy transition," he said.