History

The IEF is the world's largest international organization of energy ministers, representing both producing and consuming nations. It is truly the global home of energy dialogue.

Originally founded 35 years ago as a forum to facilitate dialogue between member producing and consuming countries from OPEC and IEA, the IEF now has more member countries than those two organizations combined and from all regions of the world.

The Saudi Arabian government, under the leadership of the late King HRH Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, generously offered to house the IEF Secretariat in the capital city of Riyadh, thus providing a permanent home to allow for continuous rather than ad-hoc dialogue. The IEF Headquarters building was opened on 19 November 2005 followed by the adoption of the IEF Charter on 22 February 2011 by all member states.

The Forum's biennial Ministerial Meetings are the world's largest gathering of Energy Ministers. The magnitude and diversity of this engagement is a testament to the position of the IEF as a neutral facilitator and honest broker of solutions in the common interest. The IEF17 Ministerial will gather energy ministers, industry leaders, and heads of international organizations from around the globe in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on 11 October 2026. The 17th International Energy Forum Ministerial Meeting (IEF17), hosted by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and co-hosted by Italy and Nigeria, advance dialogue and cooperation on the future of global energy under the theme "Energy Security and Shared Goals in a New Era."

The IEF's unique global platform makes it the ideal place to advance a better understanding of world energy dynamics and, in turn, help promote energy security, cooperation and orderly energy sector transformations.

For more IEF background and history, see below two publications providing more in-depth description of milestones, contributions and activities.