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March 4, 2011 - Texas A&M Engineering’s Turbomachinery Laboratory presented the First Middle East Turbomachinery Symposium (METS) in Doha, Qatar, in February.

Qatar Petroleum (QP) was the primary sponsor. QP said they were pleased at the success of the first METS and announced in the Feb. 20 Gulf Times that they would be please to sponsor a second METS in 2013.

The first METS saw more than 1,000 participants and guests from 35 countries. It attracted more than 560 experts and specialists who gave and attended its presentations. The METS program was organized by an advisory committee representing major OEM and support manufacturers of turbomachinery and major turbomachinery users. The committee was co-chaired by Dr. Dara Childs, director of The Turbomachinery Laboratory, and Abdul Aziz Al Naimi, Lead Specialist Engineer (EES) Technical Services Department, QP.

An international exhibition took place within METS and attracted over 60 exhibiting companies representing 35 countries. Childs said, "The exhibitors displayed their latest products and services, and their top engineers manned the booths. Many exhibitors want to take an expanded role in a next METS exhibition."

H.E. the Minister of Energy and Industry, Dr. Mohamed Bin Saleh al-Sada, accompanied by ExxonMobil Corporation executives, and senior officials from QP and RASGAS visited the exhibits. The Gulf Times stated, "The minister was impressed with the exhibition and the number of people who visited the symposium. He suggested regional universities must take advantage of future METS as it will provide a great learning opportunity for young engineers to meet with world-class experts that attend this event."

QP served as the host sponsor; ExxonMobil the platinum sponsor; Qatar Electricity and Water Co. the gold sponsor; and RasGas the silver sponsor. Texas A&M University at Qatar - particularly Dr. Mark Weichold, dean and CEO - has supported METS from the outset.

The METS symposium was modeled after the Turbomachinery Symposium in Houston. The Turbo Lab will host its 40th Turbomachinery Symposium in September at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston in conjunction with the Pump Users Symposium and ChemInnovations.

The Turbomachinery Laboratory is part of the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Texas A&M University and the Texas Engineering Experiment Station, an engineering research agency of the State of Texas and a member of The Texas A&M University System.