India-GCC oil and industrial ties in focus at upcoming GPCA forum

Two high-ranking officials will be speakers on the opening day of the 13th Annual GPCA Forum taking place on Nov. 26-28 at the Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai, the Gulf Petrochemicals and Chemicals Association (GPCA) said in a statement.

Shaikh Mohamed bin Khalifa bin Ahmed Al-Khalifa, the minister of oil, Bahrain, and Raghavendra Rao, secretary, department of chemicals and petrochemicals, government of India, will address the delegates on Nov. 27, the statement added.

More than 2,000 senior industry leaders representing as many as 600 companies from nearly 50 nations will converge at the 13th Annual GPCA Forum to exchange best practices and examine growth strategies at a time of the 4th Industrial Revolution, discuss case studies and take the necessary steps required to enhance their transformational journeys.

Yousef Al-Benyan, Vice Chairman and CEO, SABIC and Chairman, GPCA, will deliver the welcome address, followed by Amin Nasser, President and CEO, Saudi Aramco, who will address the audience in a keynote address on day one.

Other distinguished speakers include Musabbeh Al-Kaabi, CEO, petroleum and petrochemicals, Mubadala; Mutlaq H. Al-Morished, CEO, TASNEE; Mark Lashier, President and CEO, Chevron Phillips Chemical Company; and Daniele Ferrari, CEO, Versalis.

The event will also shed light on the advances and changes in the chemical industry and the increasingly important role it is playing in the region, the statement said.

In its role as a key producer globally of crude oil, chemicals and petroleum products, the Arabian Gulf region continues to play a pivotal role in India’s energy security.

Several new strategic partnerships were announced between the two regions recently. In June this year, Saudi Aramco and ADNOC in consortium with three Indian oil companies committed to the development of a $44 billion mega-refinery and petrochemicals complex in Ratnagiri, India.

“As an important demand center for chemicals and petrochemicals, a demand that is set to remain steady for the future, India remains an important market for GCC producers, offering significant opportunities for closer cooperation and partnerships in the chemicals industry,” said Dr. Abdulwahab Al Sadoun, Secretary General, GPCA.