13th GPCA forum ends with renewed commitments towards circular economy

The Gulf Petrochemicals and Chemicals Association’s (GPCA) 13th Annual GPCA Forum took place in Dubai, the UAE on November 26–28, 2018.

Held under the theme “Executing transformation and investing in growth”, the 13th Annual GPCA Forum addressed the challenges of a changing business environment and trends facing the industry.

The forum brought together more than 2,100 delegates from 600 companies and 80 countries to network, exchange best practices and examine strategies as well as case studies. In addition, a seminar on the circular economy and four masterclass sessions dedicated to digitization, cybersecurity and the global chemical industry in an era of protectionism were held.

Over the course of the two-day event, 40 world class industry leaders provided delegates with an exclusive opportunity to gain insight about the industrial challenges and trends. Among the speakers for this year’s forum were Amin Nasser, President and CEO, Saudi Aramco, Musabbeh Al-Kaabi, CEO, Petroleum and Petrochemicals, Mubadala; Mutlaq H. Al-Morished, CEO, TASNEE, and global chemical CEOs – Jim Fitterling, CEO, Dow Chemical Company, Mark Lashier, President and CEO, Chevron Phillips Chemical Company; and Daniele Ferrari, CEO, Versalis.

Yousef Al-Benyan, Vice Chairman and CEO of SABIC, delivered the opening session and welcome address, highlighting the global challenges to transformation. The vice chairman called on regional and global chemical industry players to focus their efforts on portfolio enhancement to meet these challenges.

H.E. Shaikh Mohammed bin Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, Bahrain’s Minister of Oil delivered the inaugural address at the 13th Annual GPCA Forum. The Minister urged the chemical industry in the GCC to collaborate and innovate to meet today’s global challenges, adding that strong and visionary CEO leadership is essential for implementing the circular economy and reaching new levels of sustainable economic growth.

Keynote speakers included Murat Sönmez, Managing Director, Head of Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution, and Fernando Gómez, Head of Chemistry and Advanced Materials Industry. They highlighted the importance of Industry 4.0, while Raghavendra Rao, Secretary of India’s Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals, provided an insight into global industrial opportunities in India, regional growth prospects and fundamental shifts in customer preferences.