Saudi Aramco CEO will not attend Houston energy conference

HOUSTON, March 3 (Reuters) – The chief executive of Saudi Arabian state oil company Aramco will not attend an energy conference organized by S&P Global next week, the event’s updated schedule showed.

Amin Nasser, head of the world’s largest oil company, had been listed as delivering a keynote address at CERAWeek, the largest gathering of high-profile oil executives and energy ministers.

Nasser was one of the few high-level Saudi officials on this year’s schedule and has been a regular presence at past CERAWeek conferences.

CERAWeek organizer S&P Global declined to comment through a spokesperson.

The agenda for this year’s event is dominated by major oil company executives and U.S. government officials, with fewer Middle East executives and officials.

A record 7,000 people have signed up for the week-long event, which will includes discussions of fossil fuels, clean energy and advanced energy storage.

Recent clashes over supply and demand between the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, Europe and the U.S. have led to some visible vacancies. Unlike in past years, the event’s agenda has no oil ministers from Iraq, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates or Russia.

OPEC’s output cut of 2 million barrels per day last November led to a bitter dispute between OPEC and the United States, as President Joe Biden was fighting mid-term elections and high gasoline prices.