Deputy Premier aims to increase trade with Middle East
Edmonton... Alberta Deputy Premier and Minister of International and Intergovernmental Relations Ron Stevens will support a delegation of 30 Alberta companies to the Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference (ADIPEC), the largest oil and gas conference in the Middle East.
The four-day conference brings together more than 1,800 exhibitors from around the world, featuring 200 international speakers and is one of the highlights of the Oct. 30 to Nov. 14 mission.
“Alberta’s expertise in oil and gas is well known in North America and Asia, but it is imperative that we promote our forward-thinking, innovative companies in the Middle East,” said Stevens. “Alberta businesses are industry leaders in environmental practices, drilling and pipeline development. These are all areas in which companies in the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Oman are looking for assistance.”
During the conference, Stevens will meet with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) minister of energy, Canada’s Ambassador to the UAE, and will also attend the official launch of Alberta’s Prairie Halal Foods into the UAE market.
Following ADIPEC, Stevens will travel to Jerusalem, Israel to participate in the Prime Minster’s Conference for Export and International Cooperation. More than 1,500 business leaders will attend what is widely known as Israel’s leading economic conference.
“I look forward to attending the Prime Minster’s conference and showcasing that Alberta’s competitive, diversified economy presents tremendous opportunity for investment from Israel,” said Stevens. “Our jurisdictions have strong ties and my goal is to explore and expand our economic and social linkages.”
The remainder of Stevens’ time in Israel will be spent meeting with private and public sector leaders to attract business and investment in Alberta, and promote trade and collaborative research and development. Israeli companies are already active in Alberta’s oil sands and Stevens believes that both jurisdictions can share best practices in nanotechnology.
“Alberta and Israel are leaders in nanotechnology and exploring opportunities for collaboration could bring tremendous benefit to this burgeoning field,” adds Stevens, who will meet with officials from the Technion Institute of Technology - Israel's oldest university that generates the majority of Israeli-educated scientists and engineers, including over 70 per cent of the founders and managers of the country’s high tech industries.
The total cost for Minister Stevens and one staff member is estimated at $44,750.
http://www.theenergynews.com/news/article.php?storyid=3843&newstype=gov
