The International Energy Forum (IEF) and the King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center (KAPSARC) co-hosted a webinar on Monday, 5 October, entitled “Energy Open Data Ecosystem, Energy Data Transparency, Policy Scenario Models & Tools,” in order to discuss the evolving of energy open data, models and tools using Saudi Arabia as a case study.
Local and international experts gathered to discuss how the Joint Organisation Data Initiative (JODI) can support enhancing national data compilation capacity, ways to pave the path to acquire open data required to build complete energy balances for Saudi Arabia using JODI and other public sources, and discuss Saudi Arabia’s open models and deep dive into the KAPSARC Input-Output Model.
The participants explored ways to improve energy data transparency through open models and to address opportunities and challenges in enhancing national data compilation capacity with Saudi Arabia. Additionally, they discussed the modelers’ ecosystem blueprint that will aid in developing, operating, and maintaining open models and data.
The webinar comes as a response to recommendations from the “Energy open data ecosystem, policy scenario models & tools” workshop series which has been organized by KAPSARC since 2018. It also coincides with KAPSARC’s energy webinar series, while the center focuses through its research programs on Energy and Macroeconomics, Transport and Urban Infrastructure, Energy Markets and Industrial Development, Energy Transitions and Electric Power, Policy and Decision Science, and Climate and Environment. In addition to these programs and workshops, the center also seeks to publish the summary and recommendations of these workshops on KAPSARC’s website.
The workshops held by KAPSARC are an interactive and participatory platform that brings together stakeholders, experts and specialists in energy and economics. The center collaborates with a number of global research centers, public policy organizations, government and industrial institutions to share knowledge, analyses and recommendations aimed at improving the welfare of societies locally and globally.