While we are honoured today by hosting this conference, we hope its benefits would be reflected on the global gas industry in a way that contributes to realizing the interests of all concerned parties. This conference provides an opportunity to exchange expertise and discuss challenges facing the gas industry, thus it is a chance to make specific recommendations to advance the gas industry to the level aspired by all its participants. Our keenness on holding this conference periodically in Doha reflects our interest in the gas industry and at the same time underlines Qatar commitment to develop its natural resources of gas and make it available to consumers inside and outside the country

      Over the past few decades the global energy sector has witnessed a noticeable change in its components, namely the shrinking of the role of non-clean energy sources such as coal and heavy fuel oils and a growing role of natural gas as one of the most important clean sources of energy in the world, while global efforts are being exerted to reduce gases emissions which pollute the environment and limit the effect of global warming, whose impact on climate change are obvious for everyone.

      As all of you know the State of Qatar ranks third in the world in terms of the volume of natural gas reserves. Since the discovery of the giant North gas field, the State sought to formulate the necessary concepts and plans for its development, to become an additional source of income besides oil to be invested in the economic and social development. The developments included projects to supply the domestic market with gas, exporting natural gas, gas- to- liquids industry and developing petrochemical and other industries which depend on using gas as a clean raw material.

      This conference is being held a few months after we have embarked on exporting Qatari gas to the sisterly State of the United Arab Emirates through the Dolphin Project which aims at exporting two billion cubic feet of gas daily across a marine pipeline, which contributes to expanding the scope of cooperation between the United Arab Emirates and the State of Qatar.

      During a little more than a decade, Qatar was able to turn from a non producer of liquefied natural gas into its biggest exporter in the world. It is expected that the total exports of Qatar this year will be 31 million tons and will increase starting from 2010 to 77 million tons annually, which is approximately one third of the world consumption of this substance.

Honourable Audience,

      The State of Qatar with its natural resources of oil and gas is committed to pursue the development of this wealth and meeting the world market needs of oil and gas. In our march to accomplish this, we will continue pursuing our policy based on openness, transparency, support of national and foreign investment environment, enacting the necessary legislations to support these approaches, with the objective of realizing the interests of the State and at the same time meet the consumers needs of a clean energy.