RIYADH: The 16th Gulf Petrochemicals and Chemicals Association (GPCA) Forum commenced in Riyadh Tuesday with the participation of a Kuwaiti delegation headed by Deputy Prime Minister and Oil Minister Dr Bader Al-Mulla. This greatly significant forum tackles issues related to petrochemical industry to which Kuwait and many other countries attach great importance, Minister Al-Mulla told KUNA and Kuwait TV on the sidelines of the forum.

He added that the Kuwaiti government's plan of action is going to prioritize this industry. For his part, CEO of the EQUATE Petrochemicals, a subsidiary of the state-owned Kuwait Petroleum Corporation, Nasser Al-Dosari told KUNA and Kuwait TV that the EQUATE is a founding member of the association.

The forum serves as platform for exchanging expertise and discussing the challenges facing the industry and how to overcome them, he noted. Hosted by the Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC), this year's forum is held under the theme 'Chemistry in Action: Shaping a Sustainable Future.' Earlier, Saudi Minister of Energy Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman Al-Saud inaugurated the forum, taking place from 6-8 December in the Saudi capital.

"The GCC is the land of opportunity, the land of the ambitious and the home of the determined," he told delegates in his inaugural address. The Gulf Petrochemicals and Chemicals Association (GPCA) represents the downstream hydrocarbon industry in the Arabian Gulf. Established in 2006, 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 Arabian Gulf region.

The industry makes up the second largest manufacturing sector in the region, producing over $108 billion worth of products a year. The association supports the region's petrochemical and chemical industry through advocacy, networking and thought leadership initiatives that help 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. - KUNA