Adipec 2008 closes after a record week

11 November 2008

Adipec 2008 was without doubt the most successful to date. The 4-day event started on a high, with the official opening by His Highness Lieutenant General Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, President of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council.

Adipec 2008 closes after a record week

Later that day, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown addressed the Executive Plenary Session on “Working Together to Deliver Sustainable Growth: Innovative Teams and Technology Deployment” – this is the first time ever that a Prime Minister has attended the event, and signifies the importance of Adipec as one of the leading oil and gas exhibitions in the world.

Utilising the whole of the newly opened Adnec, the exhibition halls were busier than ever, with 1,500 exhibiting companies and 37,000 industry personnel attending, as at 12pm on day 4 of the show. Visitors included a number of GCC Energy Ministers, including from the UAE, Bahrain and Oman, in addition to Sheikhs, international Ministers, dignitaries and VIPs. International attendees came from 89 countries, and there were more dedicated country pavilions than ever before, with debut appearances from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Norway and South Korea, making this the most international event ever.

A number of companies announced high level deals during the course of Adipec, such as Adnoc and Shell’s memorandum of understanding under which Shell will evaluate potential joint exploration, development and production with Adnoc of offshore deep gas fields prospects, and ESNAAD’s long term contract for the maintenance of its fleet of offshore support vessels to Abu Dhabi Ship Building (ADSB). Total contracts resulting from Adipec are expected to be worth billions of dollars.

The conference programme brought together a host of key industry executives and academia, and focused on some of the key issues facing the industry.

Speaking on the closing day, David Drake, Business Development Director, dmg world media, organisers of Adipec, said, “We were sure that Adipec 2008 was going to be a success, but it has surpassed all of our expectations. The newly opened Adnec has allowed the event to grow significantly, and the support we have had from exhibitors, visitors and the venue has been phenomenal. Adipec has become an essential event on the oil and gas industry calendar. Already the 2010 event has a waiting list of new companies who have visited for the first time this year wishing to be a part of the next show. We would like to express our thanks to everyone who has helped make Adipec the success that it is today.”

The next Adipec is taking place from 1-4 November 2010 – and already 80% of the exhibition space has been pre-booked, giving a tangible demonstration of the positive feedback across the board from exhibitors this year. Adipec 2010 will see facilities improved even further, with the opening of the Capital Centre, on-site accommodation, and increased parking spaces.