Guyana Energy Conference and Supply Chain Expo 2026: “Tomorrow’s future will and must be built today” – Pres Ali charges delegates

…as Saudi Arabia, UAE signal long-term energy partnership with Guyana

Declaring that “tomorrow’s future will and must be built today”, President Dr Irfaan Ali on Tuesday opened the Guyana Energy Conference and Supply Chain Expo 2026 at the Guyana Marriott Hotel, urging boldness, partnership and strategic investment as Guyana positions itself for long-term prosperity.
This year’s conference, which is being held under the theme “Building Tomorrow’s Future Today” and runs until Friday, is expected to bring together regional and international leaders, investors and energy executives from all across the world.
“With strong footing, focus, discipline and precision, tomorrow’s future will and must be built today. And this is a journey. This is a time. This is the moment, the moment when we dare. When you imagine. When we become bold,” the President underscored.

He stressed that boldness and risk-taking are essential.
“This is the time. This is the moment. Without being bold, without taking risks and without partnership, we will live in isolation. That is why this energy conference is about partnership. We are not just building in Guyana; we are building a sustainable future,” the President underscored.
The conference’s activities began last Sunday with its annual “5KM Energy Walk/Run”, aimed at promoting health and wellness while raising awareness of sustainable energy practices. The popular “Taste of Guyana” section, showcasing local food, arts, crafts and cultural displays, has also returned and has been relocated to the Marriott Hotel to integrate more seamlessly into the overall conference experience.
In his feature address, President Ali outlined what he described as a deliberate strategy to leverage Guyana’s rapidly expanding oil and gas sector to secure long-term sustainability.
“How do we ensure that today’s prosperity is building tomorrow’s sustainability? “It is not achieved by spending; it is achieved by strategic alliances, integration, partnership, understanding what the sectors are that will lead to long-term sustainability and how you are investing in the infrastructure to create those long-term opportunities,” the President said.
He pointed to major infrastructure projects, including a deep-water port linked to Brazil and the wider region, positioning Guyana as a transport and logistics hub.
“Because of our strategic geographic location, [we will be] the transport and logistics hub for the region. That by itself creates an ecosystem that generates high-paying jobs that lead to industrialisation and manufacturing and accelerate the productive sector,” he noted.

Energy security
On energy security, he reminded that Guyana must not only be energy-rich but also capable of generating energy for export.
“Our national security must lead to regional energy security and allow us to be more structurally integrated into the rest of the region.”
He also highlighted the Wales Gas-to-Energy project, including the 300-megawatt power plant and natural gas liquids facility, and noted that expressions of interest have been issued for a gas bottling plant, which he said Guyanese will have the opportunity to own.
“That is how we build prosperity at the level of families,” he stated.
The President underscored investment in human capital, noting that Guyana has already graduated its first cohort from its local oil and gas training institute and is expanding into agriculture, construction, tourism and hospitality training. The President challenged participants to think of energy not only in scientific terms but also as a broader force for national development.
“But if energy is a force supplied to make things move, then I want us to think beyond this energy conference. Think about a wider aspect of energy and what energy entails. Momentum, movement. And what, in this context, in the national context, is needed to create movement and momentum in this world? “It is people; it is technology; it is capital; it is partnership; but, importantly, it is ideas,” he said.
Referencing a survey conducted by young participants at the conference, President Ali noted that while many felt their personal lives were improving, few believed the world was moving in the right direction, highlighting climate change, food prices and technology deficits among top global concerns.
“All of these challenges require energy. Technology requires energy. Food requires energy. Transformation requires energy,” he said.

Tangible benefits
Also making remarks at Tuesday’s opening were Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Member of the Council of Ministers and Climate Envoy of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Adel bin Ahmed Al-Jubeir, and Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology of the United Arab Emirates, Sultan Al Jaber.
In his virtual address, Al Jaber said Guyana’s rise as a major energy producer was already delivering tangible benefits.
“Guyana’s emergence as a major energy producer is already delivering the kind of results that matter. Jobs created, capital mobilised, national capabilities built for the long term. Guyana is proof of what progress looks like when energy becomes a platform for development,” he noted.
He emphasised that as energy demand continues to rise, the world needs solutions grounded in reality.
“The world needs energy that is affordable, energy that is secure and energy that delivers lower emissions. In other words, we need practical solutions that are grounded in reality,” he said.
He noted that the United Arab Emirates (UAE), through its international platforms, works “with countries, not just in them”, focusing on economic growth, jobs and lasting prosperity.
Addressing the gathering in person, Al-Jubeir praised Guyana’s leadership and development path.
“You have embarked on a path to take advantage of your natural resources that God has blessed you with in order to improve the standard of living of your people, and you’ve done it in a very rational, systematic and forward-looking way. A way that connects you with the rest of the world and makes you a responsible member of the international community,” he noted.
He recounted Saudi Arabia’s own transformation since oil was discovered in the 1930s.
“At the end of the day, we all inhabit a very small, beautiful planet, and it is our responsibility to make the planet work. We believe the world is win-win for everybody if we work together and lose-lose if we do not,” he noted.
Drawing comparisons with Saudi Arabia’s own transformation following oil discovery in the 1930s, Al-Jubeir explained that development must prioritise infrastructure, education and diversification, lessons he believes align closely with Guyana’s current path.
He made it clear that Saudi Arabia sees Guyana as a long-term partner.
“We come here as friends, and we come here as partners, and we look forward to further developing, broadening and deepening our relationship with you in all areas,” he added.
As the conference continues through Friday, organisers say it remains one of the premier platforms in Guyana for executive networking and B2B marketing, reinforcing the country’s ambition to harness energy as a driver of national and regional transformation.
First hosted in 2022, over the years the Guyana Energy Conference has attracted more than 10,000 participants, 200-plus exhibitors and over 75 speakers from more than 40 countries.
The Energy Conference was first launched to connect local businesses with international partners and introduce Guyana’s burgeoning energy sector to a global audience amid the country’s rapidly-growing oil and gas industry.