The 9th OPEC International Seminar will be held on 9-10 July 2025 in Vienna, Austria. The seminar, under the theme 'Chartering Pathways Together: The Future of Global Energy', aims to foster dialogue and cooperation among industry stakeholders on issues affecting the petroleum and energy sectors. Participants will include Ministers from OPEC Member Countries, countries participating in the Declaration of Cooperation, heads of international organizations, executives of energy companies, and other industry leaders. The previous seminar in 2023 attracted over 1,000 participants. The UAE recently chaired the 45th annual session of the OPEC Fund Ministerial Council. The OPEC Fund for International Development, established in 1976, works with OPEC and developing country partners to stimulate economic growth and social progress in low- and middle-income countries. OPEC has maintained its forecast for strong growth in global oil demand in 2024 and 2025, despite lower-than-expected use in Q1 2024. The organization expects world oil demand to rise by 2.25 million barrels per day in 2024 and by 1.85 million barrels per day in 2025. OPEC+ has confirmed plans to restore 2.1 million barrels per day of oil output. US shale oil drillers are running out of runway as they face declining production. The OPEC Fund for International Development has provided a $150 million loan to co-finance Colombia's Climate Action Policy and Energy Transition Programme. The new Saudi Arabian Energy Minister, Prince Abdulaziz Bin Salman, has been congratulated by the UAE Energy Minister Suhail Mohamed Al Mazrouei [58bec4f8].