As INC-4 Gets Underway, Arabian Gulf Leaders will Converge in Dubai next Month to Discuss the Future of Plastics

The fourth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-4) to develop a Global Plastics Treaty is taking place from 23-29 April 2024 in Ottawa, Canada

Dubai, UAE, 26 April 2024 – Hundreds of industry leaders, policy makers, academia and value chain partners will converge at the 13^th annual Gulf Petrochemicals and Chemicals Association (GPCA) Plastics Conference from 13-14 May 2024 at the Address Sky View Hotel, Dubai, UAE to discuss the future of plastics and its role in solving modern day challenges. The conference will take place at a crucial time for the global plastics community – just weeks after the fourth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-4) being held this week from 23-29 April in Ottawa, Canada.

With eyes firmly set on the resolution from the high-profile meeting, which has set out to agree on an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, Arabian Gulf plastic producers and their value chain partners will descend to Dubai next month to discuss the technologies, innovations, and the need for collaboration that will help enable a sustainable transformation for plastics.

Held under the theme “Innovating for Sustainable Growth – Charting the Future of Plastics”, the annual GPCA conference will attract leading global and regional plastic producers, policy makers, converters, brand owners, recyclers and members of the region’s youth to share insights and participate in thought provoking discussions about addressing the growing plastic waste challenge, while ensuring sustainable industry growth.

Delivering the Welcome remarks on Day 1 will be Naser Aldousari, CEO, EQUATE Group and Chairman – Plastics Committee, GPCA, who will set the scene for the two-day event. Aldousari will be followed on stage by Jacob Duer, President and CEO, Alliance to End Plastic Waste, who will deliver a Keynote address entitled “Beyond the solo act: Composing a sustainable future together”.

On Day 2, Othaibah Saeed Al Qaydi, Director, Municipal Affairs, Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, UAE, will join Jamila El Mir, Senior Advisor to the UN Climate Change High-Level Champion, COP28, alongside Monir Salem Bou Ghanem, Advisor – Environment Policy and Regulations, Integrated Environment Policy and Planning, Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi and Priya Sarma, Chairperson, Circular Packaging Association and Head of Sustainability & Corporate Affairs, Unilever Middle-East, Turkey, for a fireside chat in which they’ll discuss the opportunities and challenges in closing the loop on plastics for the Arabian Gulf region.

This year the conference program offers a dynamic array of session formats, including a Leadership dialogue, moderated by Moveed Fazail, Director, Polymers, S&P Global Commodity Insights, featuring Fayez Al-Sharef, CEO, Sadara; Khalid Al Dawood, MD, NATPET; and Muayad Al-Faresi, MD, Equipolymers GmbH.

Delegates will have an exclusive opportunity to hear from Naif Al-Ayed, CEO, NUSANED Investment Company, who’ll present a case study about enabling the development of a regional conversion industry. Senior industry leaders from SABIC and brand owners PepsiCo and Procter & Gamble will come together to discuss the quest to sustainable innovations, and particularly the regional opportunities to a global challenge.

With plastic production expected to double by 2030 and then double again by 2050, the need to enable the circular economy and address the plastic waste challenge is more important than ever. From the nascency of viable recycling technology, to a lack of robust infrastructure, a lack of coordination and standardization of plastic waste, a number of challenges confront the industry today. Therefore, circularity will require concerted effort from all stakeholders involved and public-private dialogue to become a reality. Sara Jackson, Technical Director, Circular Packaging Association, will address this topic and more as part of a dedicated presentation on Day 1.

The final day of the conference will host a must-attend Keynote address by Yavuz Eroğlu, President, PAGEV and Board of Directors Chair, SEM Plastik (Türkiye), who’ll address the power of associations in accelerating the green transition. The conference will facilitate important conversations about advancements in recycling technology, achieving zero plastic loss, priorities for the packaging industry, emerging markets, overcoming cost pressures and supply chain challenges, and much more.

Dr. Abdulwahab Al-Sadoun, Secretary General, GPCA, commented: “The plastic landscape is facing significant disruption as a result of mounting regulatory pressure, changing consumer habits, demand for more recycled and recyclable plastic, and supply chain challenges. As the modern world requires solutions which are reliable, sustainable and circular in nature, the responsibility on the industry is high to invest in innovation and value chain collaboration to enable more sustainable materials fit for a future that is more demanding than ever before.”

“The 13^th GPCA Plastics Conference aims to address the themes that will prevail in the short term and shape the future of plastics, and facilitate the exchange of knowledge from some of the industry’s leading minds on how to address the plastic waste challenge, how to build a more sustainable and profitable plastic industry and how to design products with circularity in mind,” he added.

To book your place, visit: https://gpca.org.ae/conferences/plastics/

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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 USD 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.