The Industry Advisory Council (IAC)

The Industry Advisory Council (IAC) provides a structured channel for senior leaders and experts from across the energy sector to inform the work of the International Energy Forum. The Council was established in 2005 at the invitation of Qatar, then Host of the IEF Ministerial.

Industry involvement with the IEF began in 2004, when the 9th IEF Ministerial Meeting, hosted by the Netherlands, recognised the importance of industry participation by convening the first International Energy Business Forum. In 2005, Qatar, as host of the 10th IEF Ministerial, established the IAC as a permanent mechanism for structured dialogue. By 2008 in Osaka, Japan, industry leaders and ministers were already meeting informally ahead of the Ministerial itself. Since then, industry engagement has become an integral part of both the IEF Ministerial meetings and the wider, ongoing IEF dialogue process.

Through ongoing dialogue with the IEF Secretariat and Member Countries, the IAC ensures that the sector's perspectives on market dynamics, investment trends, and energy transitions are understood appropriately through IEF dialogue and inform the IEF's Program of Work agreed by the IEF Executive Board, including IEF reports and accounted for in the development of Ministerial agendas.

The IAC provides a vital bridge between policymakers and industry leaders. By bringing real-world expertise into global energy dialogue, it strengthens trust, fosters cooperation, and helps ensure that policies and partnerships remain grounded in market realities. In doing so, the IAC plays a critical role in shaping practical solutions to today's challenges and building confidence in the pathways to a secure, affordable, and sustainable energy future.

The current Industry Advisory Council comprises: