–President Ali says, highlights Guyana’s ambition to leverage oil, gas resources for long-term sustainability

SETTING ambitious goals to leverage oil and gas resources for long-term sustainability, Guyana is looking to strengthen strategic partnerships and collaborations, President, Dr Irfaan Ali has said.
Speaking at the opening of the 2026 Energy Conference and Supply Chain Expo on Tuesday, the Head of State emphasised that Guyana is leveraging its momentum and embracing boldness in the dynamic global energy landscape.
“Tomorrow’s future will, and must be built today, and this is the journey, this is the time, this is the moment, the moment when we dare, when we imagine, when we become bold; because without being bold, without taking risks, and without partnership, we will live in isolation,” he told stakeholders.
The conference was officially declared open by President Ali at the Kingston Marriott Hotel and runs until February 20, bringing together regional and international industry leaders for the premier event centred on innovation, collaboration, and sustainable development.
Under the theme, “Building Tomorrow’s Future Today,” the conference has already attracted participation from companies representing 32 countries, reaffirming Guyana’s expanding role in the global energy landscape.
“That is what this energy conference is about, that partnership. We are not just building in Guyana; we are building for a sustainable future,” the President said.
The country is looking to put key infrastructure in place to withstand the next wave of innovation.
“We are not sleepwalking into this future. We are moving in a bold way into this future, understanding that this future requires technology to work, that this future requires technology to work constantly and consistently. And how do we achieve this? Here in Guyana, we want to outline this journey,” he said.
CHALLENGES
Referencing data from a real-time survey conducted among delegates and participants at this year’s conference, he said 65 per cent of respondents believe the world is not going in the right direction, while 90.22 per cent believe Guyana is heading in the right direction.
According to the survey, many respondents pointed to the rise in the cost of living, conflict, and climate change as leading concerns affecting the world; meanwhile, in Guyana, labour shortage, technology deficit, and climate change were identified as serious concerns.
“There are some challenges that we have to deal with in the future; challenges, all of which require energy. Technology requires energy, food requires energy, economic transformation requires energy. So, we have to be able to make these changes, understand these changes, and build our systems to withstand the challenges that come with these crises that the world is facing,” the President said.
To respond to these deficits and challenges, Dr Ali noted that Guyana must first rapidly expand its oil and gas sectors.
“How do we leverage this sector? How do we ensure that today’s prosperity is building tomorrow’s sustainability? It is not achieved by spending; it is achieved by spending plus strategic alliances, integration, partnership, and understanding what are the sectors that will lead to long-term sustainability and how we are investing in the infrastructure to create those long-term opportunities and what are the long-term opportunities?
LONG-TERM SUSTAINABILITY/COLLABORATION
He pointed to the country’s efforts, citing the soon-to-be-completed gas to energy (GTE) project, with the country already eyeing the prospects of building a second power plant.
Simultaneously, the country has launched an expression of interest in the Amaila Falls Hydro Project, signalling its push to have clean, renewable energy sources while exploring for fossil fuels.
“And we are working with our partners to leverage our gas and our petroleum to become an energy exporter in the region, exporter in terms of infrastructure and logistics…, our national security must lead to regional energy security and allow us to be more structurally integrated in the rest of the region,” he said.
He added: “That is why our long-term sustainability requires integration of our economy with the rest of the region’s economy. It is about us building the infrastructure, creating the infrastructure, investing in the infrastructure, investing in what will optimise these long-term opportunities.”
At this year’s conference key energy partners from the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and the United States have signalled their readiness to strengthen existing partnerships and build new collaborations on mutual interests.
“That is why we have Saudi Arabia here with us, and we are working with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, the U.S., and Bechtel, and we are working on what? The most transformative infrastructure for tomorrow’s future — the deepwater port. Linking the deepwater port with Brazil, linking the deepwater port with the rest of the region, ensuring that we position Guyana to be, because of our strategic geographic location, a transport and logistics hub for the region,” he said.
Such partnerships and investments create an ecosystem that generates high-paying jobs, that lead to industrialisation and manufacturing, and that accelerates the productive sector.
He reiterated that Guyana is blessed with resources that allow the country to build an economy and to accelerate its productive capacity.
“We are strategic in this outlook because we want as many partners as possible to have a stake in our development, because if we have many partners having a stake in our development, then they all have a responsibility to ensure that their stake is successful and it enhances our success rate and create the environment for us to be successful,” he said.