Date/Time
Date(s) - 07 November 2018
12:00 am
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Kuwait, 7 November 2018 – Senior government and industry leaders from across the Arabian Gulf and globally converged at an important industry roundtable, organized by the Gulf Petrochemicals and Chemicals Association (GPCA) and sponsored by EQUATE Petrochemical Company, a global producer of petrochemicals, on 7 November 2018 in Kuwait.
The high-level meeting titled ‘Government and Chemical Industry Collaboration in Chemical Management and Hazardous Waste’, included participation from Naser Aldousari, Senior Vice President, EQUATE, Dr. Abdulwahab Al Sadoun, Secretary General, GPCA, and Dan Roczniak, Director Outreach, American Chemistry Council.
The agenda discussed important topics concerning collaboration between government and private organizations, GPCA’s overall efforts, the prerequisites of establishing a robust recycling industry in the region, the opportunities and challenges for industrial waste recycling or chemicals transportation and the case for ADR, formally, the European Agreement concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road (ADR), as well as Responsible Care® in the GCC.
Dr. Abdulwahab Al Sadoun, Secretary General, GPCA, commented: “We are pleased to have had such a positive outcome at this important government-industry roundtable which gathered together senior government officials, industry leaders and regulators to discuss ways of collaboration between GCC governments and the chemical industry that effectively address chemical management risks and leverages industrial hazardous waste opportunities. By organizing this meeting with the support of EQUATE, we aim to improve the awareness and foster dialogue among regulators on best available practices across the globe, while increasing collaboration to facilitate the development of regulations related to Global Harmonization System (GHS) and Dangerous Goods Road Transportation (DGRT) by working in partnership with the relevant stakeholders.”
For his part, Naser Aldousari, Senior Vice President, EQUATE, said: “Collaboration between our industry and the government regulators is a key element for overall progress, development and growth. As this forum is co-organized by GPCA and EQUATE, we must take note of the challenging role of GPCA as it represents over 95% of the petrochemical producers in the Gulf. While GPCA is establishing initiatives, sustaining and maintaining the success of such initiatives is the role of this regulatory forum that brings together both government and private bodies. Our goals here are simple: Through this partnership between regulatory bodies and GPCA, we want to have common regulations to facilitate regional trade, as well as strengthen our global presence and competitiveness.”
Attended by over 90 delegates from the GCC and other parts of the world, the roundtable included representatives from GPCA member companies, as well as environmental authorities, industrial bodies, fire departments, armed forces, customs and others.
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About the Gulf Petrochemicals & Chemicals Association
The Gulf Petrochemicals and Chemicals Association (GPCA) was established in 2006 to represent the downstream hydrocarbon industry in the Arabian Gulf. Today, the association voices the common interests of more than 250 member companies from the chemical and allied industries, accounting for over 95 percent of chemical output in the GCC. The industry makes up the second largest manufacturing sector in the region, producing over US$108 billion worth of products every year.
GPCA supports the petrochemical and chemical industry in the Arabian Gulf through advocacy, networking and thought leadership initiatives aimed at helping member companies to connect, share and advance knowledge, contribute to international dialogue, and become prime influencers in shaping the future of the global petrochemicals industry.
Committed to providing a regional platform for stakeholders from around the world, GPCA manages six working committees – Plastics, Supply Chain, Fertilizers, International Trade, Research and Innovation, and Responsible Care – and organizes six world-class events each year. The association also publishes an annual report, regular newsletters and various other industry reports.
For more information, visit www.gpca.org.ae.
About the EQUATE Group
The EQUATE Group is a global producer of petrochemicals and the world’s second largest producer of ethylene glycol (EG). The Group owns and operates industrial complexes in Kuwait, North America and Europe that annually produce over 6 million tons of ethylene, EG, polyethylene (PE), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), styrene monomer (SM), paraxylene (PX), heavy aromatics (HA) and benzene (BZ). The EQUATE Group includes EQUATE Petrochemical Company (EQUATE), The Kuwait Olefins Company (TKOC), as well as a number of subsidiaries such as MEGlobal and Equipolymers. Their products are marketed throughout Asia, the Americas, Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The Group’s shareholders are Petrochemical Industries Company (PIC), The Dow Chemical Company (Dow), Boubyan Petrochemical Company (BPC) and Qurain Petrochemical Industries Company (QPIC). Employing more than 1,500 people worldwide, the EQUATE Group is a leading enterprise that pursues sustainability wherever it operates through partnerships in fields that include the environment, economy and society. Visit www.equate.com for more information.
Contact:
Slavka Atanasova
Gulf Petrochemicals and Chemicals Association
P. O. Box 123055,
Dubai,
United Arab Emirates
T: + 9714 451 0666 Ext. 126 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting
E: slavka@gpca.org.ae
Contacts for Kuwait only:
Ali Al-Hamad
+965 97228611
Diana Kaadan
+965 95553867