With crude oil flirting with the $100 a barrel mark, world's largest oil producer Saudi Arabia is emulating marketing savvy West to showcase oil cartel Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries in a new light when it organises the third OPEC Summit in Riyadh this week.Besides discussing world oil supplies, prices and energy policies, the summit of 12-member countries on November 17 and 18 promises to open up the cloistered group to the world.
The Saudi government has invited 350 journalists from the US, China, India, Canada, Brazil, South Africa and Mexico to attend the summit, with a promise to give unprecedented access to OPEC's decision-makers and oil industry executives.
Prior to the actual conference, Saudi government has organised four days of "familiarisation tours" to the Kingdom's historically off-limits oil installations. Journalists have also been taken to Saudi national oil firm Saudi Aramco's Dhahran headquarters.
Pre-summit conferences included a two-day conclave of oil ministers of member countries that has been thrown open for the media.
The summit, only the third after the Algerian meet in 1975 and Venezuelan gathering in 2000, is convening under three general themes: providing petroleum, promoting prosperity, and protecting the planet.
The summit will be preceded by several activities, including a two-day symposium in which leading energy ministers and international oil experts will take part. The symposium will cover topics such as energy for sustainable development, OPEC's role in securing oil supplies and boosting stability, and the future of oil in the global energy mix.
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