GPCA PlastiCon and R&I Summit to take place in Bahrain this March

GPCA conferences will be held under the patronage of His Excellency Shaikh Mohammed bin Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, Minister of Oil, Bahrain

Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 20 January 2019 – The Gulf Petrochemicals and Chemicals Association (GPCA) is proud to announce that the 10th edition of PlastiCon and the 6th edition of GPCA Research and Innovation (R&I) Summit will be held under the patronage of His Excellency Shaikh Mohammed bin Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, Minister of Oil, Bahrain, at ART Rotana, Amwaj Islands, Bahrain from 11-12 March and 13-14 March respectively.

The week-long activities will kick off with PlastiCon which will address the theme of ‘Innovative Plastic Designs: Sustainability for Future Generations.’ In light of new research, experts estimate that integrating recycled plastics into the chemical value chain could create a profit pool of USD 55 billion a year worldwide by 2030. To address this trend, PlastiCon will discuss the circular economy in plastics in the GCC and globally and provide an update on the recycling landscape in the region.

The opening address will be presented by Ahmed Omar Abdulla, CEO, Borouge, and Chairman, GPCA Plastics Committee, while the keynote address will be delivered by Dr. Maurits van Tol, SVP, Innovation and Technology, Borealis. Other distinguished speakers include Dave Andrew, VP, Sustainability, ExxonMobil; Lorraine Francourt, EHS Director, Chemicals Management and Circular Economy, Dow Chemicals, and Dr. Waleed Ahmad Al-Shalfan, GM, Technology Petrochemicals SBU, SABIC, who will deliver day two’s opening address.

The changing nature of research and innovation in the digital age will be the focus of the 6th GPCA R&I Summit, which will begin with an opening address by Dr. Moayyed Al-Qurtas, Chairman, GPCA Research and Innovation Committee, and continue with a keynote address by Abdulaziz Al-Judaimi, SVP Downstream, Saudi Aramco. As part of the panel session, Al-Judaimi will be joined by Uwaidh Khalaf Al-Harethi, EVP, Corporate Innovation and Business Development, SABIC, to discuss the oil-to-chemicals (COTC) breakthrough technology.

The keynote presentation on day two will be delivered by Dr. Thorsten Loehl, VP, Innovation, Borouge, who will be followed by Dr. Maurits van Tol, SVP, Innovation and Technology, Borealis.

Dr. Abdulwahab Al-Sadoun, Secretary General, GPCA, commented, “The crude oil-to-chemicals (COTC) technology has the potential to reshape the global petrochemical industry and fundamentally change the dynamics of global competition in the years to come. At the same time, by 2030 digitalization is expected to increase annual margin potential in the global chemical industry by more than USD 1.8 trillion. These and other cutting-edge developments will be discussed during the R&I Summit, while PlastiCon will assess the role of sustainability in the global plastics industry, as well as the future of plastics packaging and design.”

He added, “We are proud to be hosting both conferences under the patronage of H.E. Shaikh Mohammed bin Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, Minister of Oil, Bahrain, and I look forward to welcoming you to these important industry gatherings in Bahrain this March.”

The 6th GPCA R&I Summit will see the launch of the Innovation Competition, GPCA’s latest initiative, aimed at promoting innovation among university students in the Arabian Gulf region, and bridging the gap between industry and academia in the field of chemistry. On 12 March, GPCA will host an exclusive student seminar as part of its Leaders of Tomorrow program in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, dedicated to building local human capital in the GCC region.