The 25th WPC, themed “Pathways to a Sustainable Energy Future for All,” will be held in Saudi Arabia in May next year. This marks only the second time in the congress’s 90-year history—after the Doha, Qatar, event—that it will take place in the Middle East.

A key focus of the congress will be how the energy industry can transition to a future that effectively addresses social, environmental and economic challenges.

The event will host energy industry leaders, including heads of state, ministers, CEOs, heads of international organizations, engineers and academics, who will discuss the latest developments in policy, technology, research and innovation to advance the sector.

Following coordination between the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) and the WPC Secretariat, six Iranian nominees were selected as vice chairs for the congress’s forums. The NIOC has planned for maximum participation by Iranian oil and energy sector representatives.

Technical papers will be presented across five main thematic blocks and 31 sub-forums. The responsibility for reviewing papers and managing the forums will fall to each forum’s chair and two vice chairs.

Saudi Arabia (the host) and China lead with 10 representatives each, followed by Kazakhstan with nine and Kuwait with eight. The U.S. and Canada each have six representatives, the same as Iran. The U.K., Germany, Japan, Russia and Brazil rank below Iran.

The 25th WPC’s planning committee has invited industry professionals and researchers to submit paper abstracts under specified themes for review by May 2, 2025. The NIOC will support authors of accepted papers to attend the congress.