Iraq’s Minister of Electricity Ali Saadi Waheeb (left), Iraq’s Minister of Oil Basim Mohammed Khudair (center), and Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman (right) meet in Riyadh on the sidelines of the 25th WPC Energy Congress to discuss strengthening bilateral energy cooperation.
Riyadh (IraqiNews.com) — Iraq’s Oil Minister, Basim Mohammed Khudair, and Iraq’s Electricity Minister, Ali Saadi Waheeb, met with Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman in Riyadh to discuss extending bilateral energy cooperation and boosting coordination between the two nations.
The meeting was held on the sidelines of the 25th WPC Energy Congress, sponsored by Saudi Arabia and attended by energy ministers, industry executives, and representatives from major international energy firms.
According to Waheeb, the talks focused on ways to increase energy cooperation and create tighter coordination in accordance with Iraq and Saudi Arabia’s interests.
The Iraqi electrical minister emphasized Baghdad’s desire to continue discussions with Riyadh and expand areas of collaboration, particularly in ways that could help improve the stability of Iraq’s power system.
The meetings brought together Iraq’s two senior energy ministers and their Saudi counterparts at a time when regional energy security, infrastructure investment, and dependable power supply are still top considerations.
Iraq has been attempting to modernize its electrical infrastructure, diversify energy suppliers, and establish regional alliances in response to local power constraints and rising demand.
The Riyadh meeting was part of a larger series of engagements by Iraqi energy officials at the congress, which included talks with neighboring countries about electrical interconnections, technical cooperation, and investment prospects.
Additionally, the high-level meeting came after a separate high-level energy meeting in Baghdad on Saturday, when Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi welcomed TotalEnergies CEO Patrick Pouyanné and ConocoPhillips CEO Andy O’Brien, along with their teams.
The talks in Baghdad centered on investment in oil production and related gas at Basra’s Bin Umar oilfield, including deadlines for raising output and chances to extend production in adjacent locations.