Prince Saud K al-Faisal, deputy governor for Investment Affairs, Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority (SAGIA): “Each nation in the region is distinct — we are not just competitors but friends and partners.”

“Our private sector needs to flourish to set the economy on a sustainable, long term path.”

Sayyid Faisal bin Turki al-Said, director-general for Marketing and Media, Ithraa: “Oman should focus on being a logistical hub with services around that.”

Abdulrahman Rashed al-Rashed, chairman, Rashed Abdul Rahman al-Rashed & Sons Group: “We need to develop the infrastructure for SMEs and develop a vibrant SME sector.”

 Dr Prem Mahi, group practice manager, Power, Mott MacDonald: “For each country within the GCC, the utilisation of renewables will be different. Where there is a lot of power capacity, for example in Saudi Arabia, the figure will be much higher, both in terms of percentage and also in terms of megawatts, because then there is a lot of backup. If the GCC countries want the private sector to come in then they will have to provide subsidies. Then the renewables and private sector gas power plants can sit side by side. They need to bring more renewables in and think about what their back up power supply will be when the renewables are not operating,”

Peter Madden, executive vice-president MAC, Amec Foster Wheeler: “We need more engineers globally. Happily in the UK we are well-provided for but we need more.”

“Every time any of the GCC countries engages with a provider, a key part of their strategy is to look for development of their own resources as well as getting the product. I think that is absolutely the way it needs to be — any provider needs to establish a local presence.”

 Mounir Bouaziz, vice-president, Shell Upstream International Commercial, MENA-NB & LNG country chair, Dubai and Northern Emirates: “Demand on energy will double by 2050 so every form of energy will have to play a role. The percentage of these will have to be driven by policy — especially when it comes to climate change technologies. Historically, and from a global perspective, for any new form of energy to take one per cent in the overall energy mix it has taken about thirty years.”

“At one point there were worries that there was not enough gas in the world. But what is happening in the US? Over a period of five to 10 years has completely shifted the picture. We think there will be enough gas for the world for at least 200 years. LNG is the solution. What also makes LNG easier is the infrastructure required on the utilisation side. You can very easily take an LNG ship — convert it into a regasification terminal, stick it next to a harbour and you could have natural gas within two to three years basically.

“Now a lot of countries are entering the club of LNG importing countries because it is so easy to implement.”

“We see more and more the penetration of LNG in the transport sector. It’s happening on a big scale in the US; you have a fleet of trucks — instead of diesel they are run on natural gas. Also, in the marine sector — on the Rhine, barges are fuelled with LNG. Big fleets are thinking of converting their tankers and ships but they need, of course, strategic filling points around the world and the industry is working on that.”

 Richard Fraser-Smith, European finance director, CH2M Hill: “We are hired for our programme management skills but we need a client who is willing and open to accept and nurture those skills and deploy them in their own projects. Qatar 2022 is a great example that enables us to deliver those skills within an infrastructure environment.

Qatar 2022 embraces the concept of programme management for on time, on budget and benefits delivery.

 David Leam, director of infrastructure, London First: “London is an open market — and there are significant overseas holdings in airports, electricity distribution networks, UK Power Networks, Thames Water, and HS1, the high speed rail link. The biggest live opportunity right now is the Thames Tideway Tunnel — that is out to the market. It’s a big new super sewer right underneath the Thames.”

Dr Chris Andreou, Head of Strategy, Heathrow: “We trade twenty times as much with countries with which we have a direct daily flight. We also know that British goods sell for a premium in emerging markets and, unfortunately, we cannot connect to those emerging markets at the moment, so we are restraining the ability of British businesses to sell abroad and sell at that premium abroad. Expanding Heathrow would absolutely help expand our exports and trade.

“We have an option that we have put forward which is another runway to the North West of the airport — that is our option. Heathrow Hub, which is a different company has its own option which is extending the northern runway. We obviously prefer our own option.”