Atlantic Council Energy Forum 2026 – US-Syria Business Council

Energy Security, energy resilience and a countries national security are no longer separate priorities they are fundamentally interconnected. The decisions made across governments,

industry leaders and the financial institutions will shape the future of global energy systems for decades to come. It was therefore a privilidge to join leaders from across the sector at the recent Atlantic Council Global Energy Forum in Washington, D.C. alongside Rt Hon Professor Charles Hendry.

This year’s Forum brought together senior decision makers from across the global energy sector spanning oil, gas, renewables, nuclear and infrastructure, creating an invaluable platform for strategic dialogue and collaboration.

A particular highlight was a productive one-to-one meeting with Yousef Qiblawy, CEO of the Syria Petroleum Company (SPC), to discuss the continued development of Gulfsands Block 26 in Syria, where Gulfsands have now returned back to production. Our discussions focused on strengthening cooperation, aligning priorities and supporting the next phase of growth and investment.Gulfsands participated in a series of high-level private roundtables examining; energy security, regional connectivity and the evolving of the Middle East in global energy markets. These discussions focused on many of the critical challenges and opportunities shaping the future of energy across the region.

Equally valuable was participation in the US-Syria Business Council’s private High-Level Energy Roundtable, co-hosted by H.E. Mohammed Al Bashir, Minister of Energy, and Yousef Qiblawy, CEO of SPC, which explored the opportunities emerging in what many view as one of the world’s most significant frontier investment markets. We are highly impressed by H.E. Al-Bashir and Mr. Qiblawy in the way they articulated Syria’s investment potential, and by the confidence and professionalism they displayed on the international stage.

Equally valuable were private discussions with senior leaders from Chevron, Conoco Phillips, Hunt Oil and Halliburton. As is often the case, some of the most meaningful business conversations, valuable insights and progress occur through direct engagement beyond the conference stage.

Our thanks to the Atlantic Council and all participants for delivering another exceptional forum. We look forward to building on these relationships, discussions and opportunities that emerged from Washington the months ahead.