Arabian Gulf Chemical Leaders Discuss Clean Energy Future at 4th GPCA Leaders Forum

Now in its 4^th edition, the exclusive, C-suite gathering took place under the theme ‘Charting the Energy Evolution Pathways in the GCC’, attracting leaders from different organizations in the Arabian Gulf, who are developing some of the biggest and most ambitious projects in the region. Hydrogen took center stage at the discussions this year, as speakers addressed its development in the region, the global outlook and the energy transition in 2024.

Eng. Abdulrahman Al-Fageeh, CEO, SABIC and Chairman, GPCA, delivered the Welcome remarks, in which he discussed the need for the chemical and energy industry to accommodate themselves to a lower-carbon, more-circular economy. His remarks were followed by a research presentation entitled “The big picture: 2024 energy transition outlook” from Claude Mourey, Head of Hydrogen & Low carbon fuels – EMEA, Wood Mackenzie.

Dr. Manar Al Moneef, Chief Investment Officer, Neom, presented the keynote address on the importance of investing in the future and powering the next transformation. Her address was followed by a Leadership dialogue moderated by Florian Merz, Director – UAE Industries (Energy Transition/ Hydrogen), Mubadala & Head of Business Development – Europe, Masdar, who was joined by Dr. Cetin Nazikkol, CEO Regional Platform Asia Pacific Africa and Member of the Executive Board Decarbon Technologies, thyssenkrupp; Uwe Zwiefelhofer, MD & Head of MENA Region, Linde Engineering; and Manuel Kuehn, Global VP for Hydrogen Sales, SIEMENS Energy, on the topic of “Powering the clean energy coalition – A global outlook on the future of hydrogen”.

This was followed by a Panel discussion on “The hydrogen economy for the GCC” moderated by Matteo Mazzoni, Director of Energy Analytics, ICIS, in conversation with Phil Boustead, Director – Hydrogen/Green Gas Engineering, ACWA Power; and Rami Shabaneh, Research Fellow, KAPSARC. Dr. Samir J. Serhan, COO, Air Products, delivered the closing keynote, which discussed the opportunities to generate a cleaner future with hydrogen.

Dr. Abdulwahab Al-Sadoun, Secretary General, GPCA, commented: “The 4^th GPCA Leaders Forum brought to the forefront the latest insights, challenges, and developments in the clean energy transition in the region and globally. It spotlighted hydrogen as an important enabler to drive the industry’s sustainability agenda and shed light on the projects and opportunities for transformation across the GCC. Continuing the conversation from the 17^th Annual GPCA Forum in December, the Leaders Forum brought together Gulf chemical leaders to deliberate on some of the most pertinent questions poised to shape the chemical industry landscape in the years to come.”

To learn more about the GPCA Leaders Forum, visit: www.gpca.org.ae/gpca-leaders-forum

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.