The International Energy Forum is an intergovernmental organisation headquartered in the Diplomatic Quarter of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, at Amr Aldamri Street, Circle 6. It describes itself as the world's largest international organisation of energy ministers and as a neutral platform where ministers of producing, consuming and transit countries meet with industry leaders and experts. Jassim Alshirawi became the sixth Secretary General on 1 January 2025, the first from the Middle East; the site carries an IEF 2026 copyright.

Origins and mandate

The IEF's history page states that the organisation was founded about 35 years ago, in the early 1990s, as a forum to facilitate dialogue between producing and consuming countries represented in OPEC and the IEA. The Saudi government offered to host the secretariat in Riyadh, the headquarters building opened on 19 November 2005, and the IEF Charter was adopted by all member states on 22 February 2011. Its biennial Ministerial Meetings are described as the world's largest gathering of energy ministers; the most recent meeting recorded on the history page is IEF16, held in New Delhi in 2018, and a 2026 press release announced that Italy will host IEF18 in 2028.

Membership and governance

Sixty-seven countries are listed as members, spanning all six continents and including both established and emerging energy supply chains — from Algeria, Angola, Argentina and Australia to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, the United States' fellow consumers such as Japan, Korea, Germany and France, and transit states including Egypt, Türkiye and Djibouti. Pakistan joined the Forum in July 2026, a move the secretariat linked to its role in global energy security dialogue. Beyond member states, an Executive Board guides the organisation and an Industry Advisory Council brings companies into the conversation; Ansaldo Nucleare joined the council on 30 July 2026 and Evos on 24 July 2026.

Work programmes

Three focus areas frame the agenda — energy security, energy market transparency, and climate and energy transitions — supported by the IEF Trilateral Work Program and a wider set of workstreams:

  • Global Energy Solutions Initiative, investment and Energy For All.
  • Methane Initiative and Circular Carbon Economy.
  • Energy efficiency, hydrogen market pathways and infrastructure.
  • Oil and gas, power, smart energy, transport, sustainability and resilience.

The Forum administers the Joint Organisations Data Initiative (JODI), the international oil and gas data transparency programme, through a dedicated site and events. Its analytical output includes IEF Comparative Analysis and the IEF Oil and Gas Data Review.

Recent publications and meetings

In 2026 the secretariat has continued to publish joint studies and convene its members. On 14 September 2026 it released Global LNG Market Security, a report prepared with the Japanese state agency JOGMEC examining the structure of global liquefied natural gas markets and the implications for energy security, affordability and market resilience. On 22 June 2026 it launched Empowering Sustainable Futures — MENA NDCs Climate Action, produced with the Circular Carbon Economy Regional Collaboration and the Middle East Green Initiative. Annual fixtures include the Ministerial Meetings and the Outlooks Symposium, and the organisation also publishes articles, commentary and video through its IEF TV channel.

Contact

General enquiries go to [email protected] and media enquiries to [email protected], with the media line reached on the main number, +966 11 4810022, extension 110, and a fax line on +966 11 4810055. The postal address is P.O. Box 94736, Diplomatic Quarter, Riyadh. The secretariat is open Sunday to Thursday and closed on Fridays, Saturdays and Saudi public holidays. The website also lists careers and subscription pages for its newsletters and notifications.