The 25th WPC Energy Congress closed today in Riyadh after five days, from 11 to 15 October 2026, as part of “Energy Week in Riyadh”. Hosted by Saudi Arabia for the first time, it recorded the highest attendance in the event's 93-year history, with more than 33,000 attendees, participants from 135 countries and 489 media representatives.

Held under the theme “Pathways to an Energy Future for All”, the congress was officially opened by Minister of Energy HRH Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman bin Abdulaziz together with WPC Energy President Pedro Miras. It gathered energy ministers, industry leaders, policymakers, investors and experts to discuss energy security, resilience, investment and innovation.

Ministerial dialogues, panels and seminars covered artificial intelligence, digital transformation, transport technologies, financing, energy efficiency and resilient infrastructure, as well as global oil and gas markets and the priorities of the Kingdom's transformation under Saudi Vision 2030. The congress also served as a platform for cooperation agreements and initiatives to develop the sector.

The Dewhurst Award went to Vicki Hollub, board member and former CEO of Occidental Petroleum and the first woman to lead a major US oil company, who became the first woman to receive it. At the first Energy Hackathon, organised by the Ministry of Energy, Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman honoured six winning teams in three categories: operational efficiency, innovative vision and smart control. The nationwide competition drew more than 6,700 participants from over 40 Saudi cities.

On the sidelines, a Saudi Night at the Saudi Pavilion in Boulevard World introduced delegations to performances, crafts, workshops and traditional food from five regions. Riyadh also hosted the 16th session of the Arab Ministerial Council for Electricity on 12 October 2026, chaired by Saudi Arabia, which discussed the Arab Common Electricity Market agreements and a pilot electricity exchange project with Egypt and Jordan. Energy Week also included the 17th Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM17) and the 11th Mission Innovation Ministerial (MI-11).

The congress ended with the official handover to Kazakhstan, which will host the 26th edition in Astana from 11 to 15 June 2028, the first time the event will be held in Central Asia.