Abu Bakr will also serve as vice president of the IGU after the 2025 World Gas Conference, which will be held in Beijing next May.

This marks the first time in the IGU’s history that a president has been elected from Africa.

Abu Bakr brings 39 years of experience in gas management and has played a key role in advancing the gas sector across Egypt, Africa, and the Middle East. He currently serves as chairman of the Egyptian Gas Association, president of the Italian-Egyptian Business Council, and vice president of the American Chamber of Commerce in Egypt.

Abu Bakr has also been IGU’s Africa regional coordinator for over 12 years and is a member of the IGU Executive Committee.

The IGU represents the entire global gas value chain, with members in more than 80 countries, covering over 90 percent of the global gas market across all sectors, including the supply of natural gas, decarbonized gas, renewable gas, and hydrogen, as well as their transmission, distribution, and end-use.

The IGU also organizes the world’s leading gas industry events, including the World Gas Conference (WGC2025), the World LNG Conference (LNG2026), and the International Gas Research Conference (IGRC2027).