Jun 10 2010
The First GPCA Plastics Summit, taking place at the Grand Hyatt Dubai from 15-16 June 2010, will feature an unrivalled collection of guest speakers who will address both critical business and environmental issues regarding the plastics industry of tomorrow and highlight the crucial role of plastics products in society.
This high-level event will engage the raw material (resins) producers, the plastic converters, and traders with a focus on how the Middle East and the global plastic industry are evolving to drive sustainable growth through socially responsible initiatives.
The distinguished lineup of speakers addressing the Summit includes CEOs of leading Gulf Plastic producers such as Sabic, Tasnee, Equate, Borouge and LyondellBasell. Representing the plastic consumers, companies such as Procter & Gamble (P&G), Logoplaste and Taghleef, the Dubai-based global leader in BOPP production, will send representatives to share their expertise. The keynote for day one, renowned futurist Ray Hammond, will address the question: “What the future holds”.
Other speakers on day one will be sharing their insight on growth opportunities for plastics conversion in the Gulf and will also present a regional converter’s perspective on the “Requirements for Growth of the Plastics Value Chain”.
The second day of the Summit will be dedicated to presentations focusing on the sustainability of the plastic industry starting with a key note address given by Hugo Verlomme, environmentalist and author of “The Plastic Bag War”, along with several contributions from world-renown speakers highlighting the concept of “Plastic as a Means of Reducing the Carbon Footprint”. In addition, key regional Green initiatives will be presented with the day 2 concluding by presenting results of a regional field survey entitled “The Image of Plastics: the Real Story”.
“This region is emerging as a leading global plastic production resin hub with capacities expected to double over the next five years or so making the GPCA Plastics Summit an ideal platform for networking and healthy debate on various issues related to the plastic industry in the Gulf,” said Dr. Abdulwahab Al-Sadoun, Secretary General of GPCA.
The polyethylene production capacities in the Gulf Region will increase from 10.7 million tons in 2009 to 21.5 million tons by the year 2015, an increase of slightly over 100 percent, according to Sadoun. Likewise, the production capacities of polypropylene will increase from 4.8 million tons in 2009 to 9.5 million by year 2015, an increase of 98 percent. This will bring the combined production capacities of the two major polyolefin resins to over 31 million tons by the year 2015.
As a result, the Middle East will increase its share of global PE capacity from 13% in 2008 to 19% in 2015, making it the leading global player. The Mideast’s PP share will rise from 9% in 2008 to 13% in 2015, placing it behind Asia/Pacific, which will have a 23% share, China with 17%, and Western Europe with 14%. The Mideast will just overtake North America in PE and the two regions will be neck-and-neck in PP.
“This massive capacity expansion drive taking place in the Gulf region is also bringing a more diversified product portfolio to the industry with a number of new goods being produced for the first time in the Gulf region over the next 5 years including engineering plastics, acrylics and synthetic rubber. These new products will stimulate a new breadth of downstream industries in the Gulf region, resulting in more value add as well as creating numerous job opportunities,” added Sadoun.
Nearly 300 key decision makers, players, and stake holders in the regional petrochemicals and plastic converting industry are expected to gather for this event, organized by the Gulf Petrochemicals and Chemicals Association (GPCA) in conjunction with Chemical Week.