Invest in African Energy 2026 Forum Confirmed for May 11–12 in Paris
Held in Europe's leading financial and diplomatic center, IAE 2026 will convene energy ministers, national oil companies, utilities, regulators and global investors for two days of strategic dialogue and high-level engagement. This edition will introduce an enhanced focus on the exploration community and its broader ecosystem – from geologists and service companies, to governments and capital providers. With over 150 oil and gas blocks available for bidding across more than 10 African markets in 2025, the continent is experiencing an exploration resurgence, presenting opportunities in both mature and frontier regions. IAE will serve as the premier platform for accessing these opportunities, exploring the latest data rooms, showcasing seismic and subsurface innovation and fostering early-stage collaboration among IOCs and NOCs.
Several high-impact licensing rounds are already lined up for 2026, signaling new momentum across Africa's exploration landscape. Equatorial Guinea has relaunched its open-door licensing process, paving the way for a major licensing round by late 2025 or early 2026. Angola is planning to repeat its multi-year licensing round for oil and gas acreage starting in 2026, while Namibia is lining up new offshore licensing opportunities from 2025 that are expected to continue into the following year. Uganda also plans to issue new exploration licenses in the 2025/2026 fiscal year. In addition, several licensing rounds launched in 2025 will carry over into 2026, offering continued momentum and opportunity for exploration-focused stakeholders.
More than just a development-focused event, IAE 2026 is setting the stage for the next era of African oil and gas exploration. With operators and developers expected to invest $43 billion in Africa's oil and gas sector in 2025 — and capital expenditure projected to reach a decade-high of $54 billion by 2030 — Africa's role in the global energy landscape is only set to grow. IAE responds directly to this momentum, serving as a launchpad for cross-border investment, strategic partnerships and early-stage project financing. The forum is purpose-built to engage geologists, upstream strategists, service providers and capital partners looking to unlock the continent's vast untapped hydrocarbon potential.
'IAE has become the definitive meeting point for Africa's energy stakeholders and global capital markets. We're especially focused on amplifying exploration in 2026 – shining a spotlight on frontier plays, licensing opportunities and early-stage assets ready for partnerships. With preparations underway, we are committed to sustaining this platform's growth and delivering another high-impact edition in 2026,' said Sandra Jeque, Events&Project Director at ECP.
In previous editions, the forum has welcomed official delegations from over 20 African countries, hosted exclusive ministerial panels and investor roundtables, and featured hundreds of B2B meetings that have laid the foundation for tangible, cross-border cooperation. By spotlighting Africa's exploration resurgence — from untapped basins and high-impact drilling campaigns to recent regulatory shifts — the forum will offer clear value to IOCs evaluating global priorities, while outlining what the exploration landscape looks like and what investors need to know to engage effectively.
More information on the 2026 program, speaker lineup and sponsorship opportunities will be announced in the coming months.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Energy Capital&Power.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Tahawul Tech
4 hours ago
- Tahawul Tech
Mobile Security: The blind spot in CISO agendas for 2025
We're living in an era where cybercrime costs the global economy USD 18 million every minute—adding up to a staggering $9.5 trillion annually, according to the World Economic Forum. In the Middle East, the average cost of a cybersecurity breach stands at USD 8.05 million, nearly double the global average. As the Gulf region doubles down on digital leadership, 77% of organizations in the GCC have increased their cybersecurity budgets in 2025, aiming to secure innovation amidst an increasingly complex threat landscape. Yet, in a recent report highlighting top CISO priorities for 2025, one critical consideration was noticeably absent: mobile security. The GCC is among the world's most advanced mobile-first markets. Over 95% of the population is online—compared to the global average of 63%—and rapid 5G deployment is accelerating mobile adoption at an unprecedented pace. The boom in e-commerce, fintech, and digital government services is driving mobile-first behaviors, particularly among the region's young, digitally native population. For enterprises, this mobile-first environment offers immense opportunity—and a growing risk. Mobile apps today serve as the primary interface for customers, employees, and operations—from field services to CRM. Looking ahead, mobile will evolve from a productivity tool into a fully integrated, AI-powered enterprise platform. In fact, enterprises are expected to triple their adoption of AIOps in 2025, leveraging mobile platforms for context-aware automation, real-time threat detection, and self-healing capabilities. As mobile becomes the default interface, we'll also see deeper integrations with edge computing, biometrics, and decentralized identity systems. The risks of a fragmented approach Despite its strategic importance, mobile security often remains fragmented. App development typically sits within product or business units, while security oversight is led by central IT teams. This can result in inconsistent standards, limited visibility, and competing priorities. Add to that the growing reliance on third-party SDKs, APIs, and open-source code, and enterprises face a landscape riddled with potential vulnerabilities. The consequences are no longer hypothetical. Industry research shows that 31% of zero-day exploits now target mobile platforms, and 20% of enterprise mobile devices have experienced network-based attacks. In the GCC, 42% of organizations have detected unauthorized mobile apps accessing internal data—often flying under the radar of security tools designed for desktop or web environments. Small and mid-sized businesses face an even steeper challenge. Many lack the resources to manage mobile threats proactively. According to Accenture's Cost of Cybercrime Study, 40% of SMBs experience eight or more hours of downtime after a mobile breach, yet only 14% feel adequately prepared. These are not just operational hiccups—they translate to lost revenue, reputational damage, regulatory fines, and in critical sectors like healthcare or banking, service disruption. Regulation is catching up Governments across the GCC are responding with increasingly robust regulatory frameworks. In the UAE, the country's Personal Data Protection Law (PDPL) includes provisions that apply directly to mobile-based data collection and processing. Similarly, Saudi Arabia's National Cybersecurity Authority (NCA) has outlined mobile-specific guidelines within its Essential Cybersecurity Controls (ECC), including secure configurations, access controls, and continuous monitoring. These frameworks mark an important shift prove that mobile is no longer viewed as a secondary channel; it is now treated as a core component of digital infrastructure, subject to the same expectations around data protection, availability, and accountability. For CISOs, this means mobile security can no longer be managed through piecemeal tools or occasional audits. It requires a lifecycle-based approach that includes secure development practices, continuous testing, runtime monitoring, and integrated compliance reporting. Building mobile resilience At Appknox, we've seen firsthand how organisations can elevate their mobile security posture with the right tools and mindset. Our platform is purpose-built for mobile environments, delivering real-time vulnerability detection, automated compliance checks, and continuous monitoring – without slowing down development cycles. By integrating into DevSecOps workflows, we help enterprises cut security testing time by up to 40% and reduce operational overhead by as much as 30%. But beyond tooling, what's most critical is a mindset shift. CISOs must expand their definition of core infrastructure to fully include mobile. That means evaluating mobile risk at the same level as network, cloud, and endpoint systems, and ensuring that security extends across the entire mobile ecosystem, from development to post-deployment. As the region's digital economy continues to evolve, mobile platforms will increasingly define customer experience, operational agility, and enterprise resilience. The organizations that lead in mobile security will not only reduce risk. They'll be best positioned to scale with confidence, comply with certainty, and innovate without hesitation. This Op-ed is authored by Harshit Agarwal, Managing Director and Co-founder, Appknox.
Zawya
6 hours ago
- Zawya
ACWA Power-led consortium signs 25-year PPA for $4bln Az-Zour North 2 & 3 IWPP in Kuwait
The Saudi-Kuwaiti consortium of ACWA Power and Gulf Investment Corporation has signed a 25-year power and water purchase agreement (PWPA) with Kuwait Authority for Partnership Projects (KAPP) and the Ministry of Electricity, Water and Renewable Energy for the $4 billion Az-Zour North 2 and 3 Independent Water and Power Project (IWPP). Located in Al-Zour, south of Kuwait, the project will provide a net power generation capacity of 2,700 megawatts (MW) and net desalination capacity of 120 million imperial gallons per day (MIGD), according to a press statement by the Saudi-listed ACWA Power. The ACWA Power-led consortium will design, finance, build, operate, and maintain the plant under a Build–Operate–Transfer (BOT) model. KAPP will hold a 60 percent stake in the project company to be established for the project. Fifty percent of KAPP's share will later be offered to Kuwaiti citizens through a public subscription after the plant becomes operational and the company is listed on the Kuwait Stock Exchange, according to the statement. (Writing by Deva Palanisamy; Editing by Anoop Menon) (
Broadcast Pro
2 days ago
- Broadcast Pro
Starlink launches internet services in Somalia
This deployment represents a significant stride toward bridging Somalias digital divide and fostering greater participation in the digital economy. Starlink has launched its high-speed satellite internet service in Somalia, marking its entry into the companys 25th African market. The rollout follows the National Communications Authoritys (NCA) approval of Starlinks operational licence in April 2025, a move government officials have hailed as a major step towards bridging the countrys digital divide. The launch aligns with the Somali National ICT Policy and Strategy (20192024), which prioritises building domestic digital infrastructure and widening access. The service aims to transform internet coverage and drive digital inclusion in a nation where 70% of the population lacks reliable broadband. Starlinks residential plan costs $70 per month, with a one-time hardware fee of $390. While the pricing is higher than that of many local providers, some consumers may view its low-latency, high-speed connectivity as worth the premium. Officials see Starlinks arrival as a boost to socio-economic growth, helping address digital infrastructure gaps and paving the way for a more connected, sustainable future. The Somalia launch comes after Starlinks recent entries into Chad and Lesotho earlier this year, markets where regulatory hurdles were minimal compared to South Africa.
