Large industry event Gastech has been moved from Singapore to Dubai for its planned annual gathering after the South East Asian island republic introduced fresh lockdowns in the wake of new Covid-19 flare-ups during May.
Gastech, which is organised by dmg events, said it will be relocated from Singapore to Dubai due to Covid-19 uncertainties and travel restrictions.
The event is now scheduled to take place from 21 to 23 September at the Dubai World Trade Centre, a week later than originally planned.
In 2020, the organisers opted to postpone the planned live Singapore event until 2021 and hold a virtual event as lockdowns and travel restrictions were in place globally.
Key time
Gastech said the Dubai event will be attended by more than 25,000 attendees and over 400 exhibiting companies.
It said these businesses will “set the agenda for the global gas, LNG, hydrogen and energy industry for decades to come”.
United Arab Emirates minister of energy and infrastructure Suhail Mohamed Al Mazrouei said: “Gastech comes at an important time for the energy industry with a shared global mandate to lower carbon emissions and provide clean affordable energy for all.”
Gastech highlighted that the UAE has opened up to the world.
“Dubai provides the energy industry with fantastic opportunities to meet and connect freely, to engage and do business without restrictions, and to bring Asia, Europe, Africa and the Americas together in one of the world’s great free trade zones,” the organiser said.
“The Middle East is also driving ambitions to be a world leader in clean gas production, processing and consumption as the world makes the confident transition towards a net zero economy.”
Separately another Singapore-based event, Sea Asia 2021, has opted to stay virtual for a planned September event, reflecting the ongoing uncertainties about how the pandemic may evolve in the region.
“It is imperative that we adapt to the demands of the current changing market dynamics, and we have therefore decided to move to a fully virtual event for Sea Asia 2021,” said Informa Markets (Maritime Group) managing director Sukumar Verma after a virtual preview event in April during Singapore Maritime Week.
