Omanexpo has postponed its flagship event, Oman Petroleum & Energy Show (OPES) in light of the growing difficulties of international travel due the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) outbreak. The company said its decision had been agreed with all key stakeholders.
OPES is Oman’s biggest oil and gas event and one of the most important in the Middle East. New dates have already been announced – 14-16 September 2020 at the Oman Convention & Exhibition Centre, which is six months on from the originally planned 9-11 March dates.
This decision to postpone was supported by the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Oil and Gas, and the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE).
Ashley Roberts, Portfolio Director and Acting General Manager of Omanexpo, said: “We must be conscious that many organisations within our community are currently facing difficulties travelling around the world. It is for these travel reasons that OPES will be postponed until later in 2020.
“Whilst we realise that the change in dates may amount to some inconvenience for companies it is paramount to put the health of those due to visit OPES 2020, and the wider population of Oman, at the centre of this decision. The outbreak of Covid-19 is a situation affecting the globe and it is having an unprecedented impact on businesses around the world, events, are of course part of this due to nature of the large gathering of people that they represent.”
“We believe that the postponement allows for the event to be fully inclusive and it is likely that it will be even better for the communities that they serve,” he added.
