Global circular economy – how achievable is this in a pandemic and low crude oil environment? Helen McGeough, Senior Analyst- Plastic Recycling, ICIS Following the wave of outrage at the plastic pollution crisis aimed at parties from governments to the plastics industry, recycling has come to the fore as holding a significant role in creating…
Covid-19 takes a toll on automotive and tire industries, but GCC is a bright spot By Angie Joe, Argus Vice President, Crude C4s and Derivatives, and Blake Vance, Argus Market Analyst The automotive and tire industries have not been immune to the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. Global sales forecasts for light weight vehicles are…
The role of fertilizers in maintaining food security during a pandemic Fertilizers play an important role in maintaining global food security, but the COVID-19 pandemic has significantly disrupted the supply and demand of essential food supplies in recent months. What has the impact been on the fertilizers industry and what role has the industry played…
Are we ready for a more rapidly changing world post COVID-19? A perspective on the future of work in the GCC petrochemical industry by Mercer and Oliver Wyman The Future of Work is everywhere. Almost all think tanks, government and semi-governmental agencies, forums and major corporations have geared up to discuss and prepare for the…
In the foothills of a bullish cycle in crude oil By David Hanna, Argus VP of Business Development, North Asia It has become a truism to declare that the COVID-19 outbreak has caused the greatest demand destruction in modern history. The impact has been deep, broad, and swift. As major economies seized up, and travel…
Chemical recycling of plastics waste – A new business opportunity in the Arabian Gulf By Dr. Mark Morgan, Vice President, IHS Markit Over the last three decades, the Arabian Gulf has emerged as a major global supplier of commodity plastics based on a platform of advantaged feedstock, world-scale production, and state of the art technology.…
Fostering inclusion and diversity in the Arabian Gulf chemical industry Navigating through organizational boundaries with ease and creating dynamic teams is becoming especially important for future leaders. In the wake of the global COVID-19 outbreak, companies need to remain competitive by becoming more diverse and innovative, specifically when it comes to exploring new ways of…
End user market outlook and its impact on petrochemical demand By Andy Nicholson, Business Development Manager, Petrochemicals for Argus Economic downturns are a cyclical phenomenon, typically occurring every 8-10 years. The petrochemical industry follows a similar pattern, with periods of investment followed by consolidation as the supply/demand balance shifts. An economic downturn generally has a…
China’s capacity expansions amid weak recovery threaten imports By John Richardson, Senior Consultant, ICIS During the first quarter of this year China’s economy shrank by 6.8% compared with Q1 2019, according to the official data. Unofficial estimates put the fall in growth at around 8%. This illustrates the problem we all face as we try…
Impact of COVID-19 on the specialty chemicals industry Specialty chemicals play an important role in maintaining public health and safety and national security. How is COVID-19 impacting the specialty chemicals segment, what are the recovery recommendations, and what are the lessons for the GCC specialty chemicals industry? In the beginning of 2020, the world became…
COVID-19’s Impact on the Petrochemical Industry By Mirko Rubeis, Managing Director and Partner, BCG, and Marcin Jedrzejewski, Managing Director and Partner, BCG COVID-19 is one of the biggest humanitarian and economic crises of our time, with almost 200 countries affected. Since the beginning of March, when it became evident that the pandemic is a global…
How Are Trade Measures Affecting Chemicals in the COVID-19 Crisis? By Charles Julien, Counsel, White & Case LLP As the COVID-19 outbreak rapidly expanded, governments around the world have adopted measures affecting trade, primarily to mitigate the immediate health consequences of the pandemic. More trade-related measures are to be expected in the coming months to…
COVID-19’s Impact on Chemical Supply Chains: How to Emerge Stronger By Arun Bruce, Managing Director and Partner; Benjamin Wahl, Principal; and Mayank Saxena, Project Leader, Boston Consulting Group (BCG) COVID-19 is turning out to be one of the biggest health and economic crises of our times. Like many other sectors, the chemical industry is also…
Plastics Industry Must Build on Recycling Progress By Sarah Rae, VP of Olefins for Argus (with input from Will Collins) GPCA members in the Arabian Gulf represent a major centre for the production and use of plastics and can build on recent progress in recycling. Some countries have started plastic waste collection programs, but they…
Saudi-China Chemical Trade in a Changing Market Landscape China and Saudi Arabia are key trading partners in chemicals and petrochemicals. How will the implications from the COVID-19 pandemic affect their long-standing partnership? Over the last few decades, China and Saudi Arabia have emerged as key chemical production hubs, reshaping the balance in the global chemical…
Crude oil crash flattens global ethylene cost curve ICIS analysts share some interim results from new modelling which shows how the previous ethane cost advantage has disappeared with falling oil and naphtha prices By James Wilson, Jonathan Scelle and Ciarán Healy, ICIS Analytics Since the start of March the twin pressures of slumping industrial demand…
Covid-19 provides narrow window to promote the benefits of plastics By Charles P. Venezia is Senior Vice President and Global Head of Petrochemicals of Argus (with contributions from Julia Kelly) The Covid-19 pandemic has had a positive impact on certain segments of global polymer demand. In addition to polymer demand for sanitary, medical and health care…
Commodity markets in a post COVID-19 world By John Baffes, Senior Economist, Macroeconomics, Trade & Investment, World Bank Recent developments in commodity markets Almost all commodity prices experienced a sharp decline since January 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic worsened. Mitigation measures have significantly reduced transport, causing an unprecedented decline in demand for oil, while weaker…
Bridging the Innovation Gap – IP Creation By Brigitte Baldi, Strategy Consultant, Dennemeyer Consulting Everybody active in R&D knows that there are situations when progress seems to be too slow or the evolution becomes stuck along the way. Often, the development is trapped in what we call the innovation gap. This article discusses how Intellectual…
What the Oil Price Slump Means for the GCC’s Economic Diversification With an oil price collapse and now an all too likely recession, is the GCC well equipped to weather the storm? Will petrochemicals investments and economic diversification help buoy the region’s growth? Arabian Gulf economies are faced with major challenges in the face of…
IMO 2020: It Wasn’t Supposed To Be Like This By David Fyfe, Chief Economist, Argus January 2020 saw the introduction of tighter marine bunker fuel sulphur specifications overseen by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO). In brief, this required shippers to stop using fuel containing up to 3.5% sulphur (HSFO) and to replace it with fuel…
Unveiling the Recycling Opportunity in UAE and Oman We’ve all seen photos and videos of wildlife and marine life come in contact with plastic waste and the devastating impact it leaves behind. It makes one wonder as to why plastic waste, or any waste for that matter, ends up in the environment. Over the years,…
How the Chemical Industry Contributes to the GCC Economy From supporting a workforce equal to the entire population of Luxembourg to generating a GDP contribution more than the annual GDP of Doha, the chemical industry’s impact on the economy is significant and worth celebrating The chemical industry is widely associated with the manufacturing of chemicals,…
GPCA Unveils GCC Fertilizer Market Outlook at IFA Global Markets Conference GPCA’s Secretary General, Dr. Abdulwahab Al Sadoun, delivered the keynote address on the GCC fertilizer market and the challenges and opportunities associated with it at the conference in Dubai on 3 – 5 March The Gulf Petrochemicals and Chemicals Association (GPCA) unveiled its latest…
The Impact of COVID-19 on GCC Petrochemicals Exports By John Richardson, Senior Consultant, Asia, ICIS The coronavirus crisis means that global growth across most if not all petrochemicals will be negative in 2020 over 2019. No meaningful recovery in markets seems likely until the end of 2020 at the earliest. This is of course very…
THE FUTURE OF PLASTICS: TRENDS AND DISRUPTIONS By Theo Jan Simons, Global Petrochemicals Practice Group Leader, McKinsey & Company To understand the key trends that are driving the sector, I looked at the petrochemicals industry in three timeframes: past, present and future, how the sector has evolved in the past decades and how it’s expected…
Chemical Surpluses Create Opportunities – and Costs By Chuck Carr, Global Business Leader of Inorganics, Chemical Market Services, IHS Markit Chemical demand continues to be robust across most sectors, with growth rates at gross domestic product (GDP) or multiples of GDP around the globe. Manufacturers continue to develop new products using plastics and other chemically…
A collaborative model for generating sustainable growth Saori Dubourg, Member of the Board of Executive Directors, BASF, provides a new perspective for making investment decisions and optimizing system value Your presentation at the Annual GPCA Forum focused on ‘a collaborative model for generating sustainable growth.’ What does this model entail, how is BASF implementing it,…
Burning the Midnight Oil: Evolving Business Models in the Chemicals Industry to Champion the True Wealth of Digital By Mirko Rubeis, Managing Director and Partner BCG Digital Transformation is emerging as a decisive factor to win in the 20s across many industries. The chemical industry, like many other B2B-focused, mature, asset-heavy industries, is adopting digital…
The future of work: rethinking the workforce model Technological innovation, the impact of advances in digitalization on companies’ workforces, and the sheer pace of change are bringing about a transformation of business models to cater to the workforce of the future. Digital and technological advances are evolving faster than ever before and changing how work…
Crude oil-to-chemicals: a gamechanger for the chemical industry Because of its sheer scale and the volume of products that can potentially be produced, crude oil-to-chemicals (COTC) technology could be one of the most important trends ever to impact the global chemical industry. COTC technology could more than double the profitability derived from a single barrel…
Strategic integration, consolidation and partnerships key to unlocking industry growth Yousef Al-Benyan, Vice Chairman and CEO, SABIC, and Chairman, GPCA, discusses industry headwinds, consolidation, partnerships, and the opportunities for growth that will be unlocked through SABIC’s acquisition by Saudi Aramco. How should the GPCA’s member companies view the macro-trends that have impacted the chemicals…
A merger of equals: Capturing the full potential of Sipchem and Sahara Saleh Bahamdan, CEO of Sahara International Petrochemical Company (Sipchem) and a speaker at the GPCA Annual Forum, talks about the merger of Sipchem and Sahara, the progress of integration so far, and what lies ahead for this new petrochemical powerhouse. Can you…
Positive long-term outlook for fertilizers fuels Ma’aden’s phosphate growth plans Darren Davis, President and CEO, Ma’aden and a speaker at the Annual GPCA Forum, discusses current challenges facing the worldwide fertilizer industry, the company’s rapid phosphate production growth, and its strategic expansion plans. The worldwide fertilizer industry plays an essential role in helping farmers…
GCC CHEMICAL SECTOR: THE ECONOMIC IMPACT Regional and global megatrends are shaping wider growth and diversification, while also creating new threats and opportunities for the GCC’s chemical industry The chemical sector in the GCC region creates huge value for all the Gulf economies, with regional and global megatrends shaping wider growth and encouraging diversification…
Understanding China’s New Silk Road and its Impact on the Saudi Chemical Industry Since its inception in 2013, the Chinese Economic Belt and Maritime Silk Road initiative has been expected to bring economic development for the countries along the way. With Saudi Arabia representing China’s largest trading partner in MENA, mainly in the area of…
Sustaining competitive advantage through strategic investment A gradual but significant shift in the global chemical industry is under way. Evolving macro-economic factors such as end-user markets, fluctuations in oil and gas prices and changing feedstock dynamics are influencing investment in new chemical capacity globally, the choice of raw materials being utilized, the geographies in which…
Evonik sees big opportunities for specialty chemicals in the Gulf region The chemical industry in the GCC region is best known as a fast-growing producer of basic chemicals and plastics. Rapid expansion of the GCC petrochemical industry represents a major opportunity for the specialty chemicals business in the region, says Christian Kullmann, Chairman of the…
Giant Amiral project raising the bar in the Gulf region The giant Amiral petrochemical complex at Jubail will be truly unique, according to Jean-Jacques Mosconi, Total’s SVP/refining and petrochemicals for the project and a speaker at this year’s GPCA Forum. Amiral, formally launched last year by project partners Saudi Aramco and Total—with the award in…
All you need to know about protecting your firm’s IP By Michael Krawzsenek, Partner, Intellectual Property, Norton Rose Fulbright US When people ask what I do for a living, I respond by saying that I am a patent attorney, and I help people protect their inventions. Oftentimes, a follow-up question that I receive is, “What’s…
Safety Matters Alexa Burr, Director, System Programs, Global Industry Services, American Petroleum Institute, and speaker at the 3rd GPCA Responsible Care Conference, discusses safety, sustainability and promoting environmental responsibility at global chemical and petroleum firms Who is the American Petroleum Institute and what is your vision? At the American Petroleum Institute, we are the problem…
Learning Lessons from Singapore Er. Lucas Ng, General Manager, Petrochemical Corporation of Singapore (PCS), and a speaker at the 3rd GPCA Responsible Care Conference, shares best practices and lessons learnt at PCS, and the positive impact that Responsible Care has had on the company and its employees. Jurong Island is considered as one of the…
Energy, Fertilizers, Agriculture – Market Prospects and Interaction John Baffes, Senior Economist, World Bank (Development Prospects Group) and a speaker at the 10th GPCA Fertilizer Convention, talks to GPCA Insight about rising global food demand, food security, and the economic prospects for the fertilizer and agricultural markets. Meeting rising global demand for food and achieving…
Urea prices recover despite oversupply of ammonia By Georgy Eliseev, Principal Analyst – Ammonia, IHS Markit The ammonia market is in oversupply after several new projects started up in different parts of the world in 2018 and the first half of 2019. Ammonia prices have been on a downward slide for 50 consecutive weeks since…
Challenges and opportunities for reducing food and nutrition insecurity in Africa through integrated soil fertility management By Dr. Ismahane Elouafi, Director General, International Center for Biosaline Agriculture (ICBA) Agriculture is the backbone of Africa’s economy. It accounts for around 20% of the continent’s GDP, some 60% of its labor force, and roughly 20% of its…
Q&A: Protecting Your Innovation Through Technological Growth The importance of technology development and innovation is becoming ever more pronounced as chemical companies in the GCC region seek to improve their competitiveness on a global scale. The Arabian Gulf chemical industry’s patent applications have increased significantly over the years in line with the sector’s continuous production…
Specialty chemicals: Enablers of sustainable development By Marifaith Hackett, Research and Analysis, Executive Director, Renewables & Nutrition, IHS Markit We live in chemophobic times: The media and general public view chemicals as enemies of the environment. But this perspective is flawed because it overlooks the essential role of chemicals – particularly specialty chemicals – as…
Ammonia, urea market overview: Implications for the region By Stephen Mitchell, Consultant, Argus FMB, and Alistair Wallace, Head of Fertilizer Research Weak ammonia prices raised the upgrading margins on urea production to their highest since 2012. Upgrading margins have averaged about USD 100/ton since the second half of 2017, around 50% above the long-term average,…
Turning Waste into Resource By David Lines, Principal | Energy & Chemicals Advisory, Nexant The current world population of about 7.5 billion is projected to increase to almost 8.5 billion in 2025. Currently, cities around the world generate a total of about 1.4 billion tons of solid waste per year. Using a ‘business-as-usual’ projection, that…
10 Years of Responsible Care® in the Arabian Gulf By Dr. Abdulwahab Al-Sadoun, Secretary General, GPCA This year we celebrate 10 years since the adoption of Responsible Care®, the industry’s voluntary commitment to improving its Environment, Health, Safety and Security (EHS&S) performance, by chemical producers in the Arabian Gulf region. At a time when environmental…
Unlocking the Potential of the Chemical Industry through a Global Sector Agreement By Arnoud Willems and Dr. Jenya Grigorova To prosper, the chemical industry needs an enabling legal framework, and free access to global markets, which means the removal of tariff and non-tariff barriers. Currently however, the chemical industry still faces costly tariffs, unclear rules…
Era of low oil prices – Critical Supply Chain and Procurement Strategies in GCC Chemical Industry By Vinodkumar Raghothamarao, Director Consulting, Energy Wide Perspectives & Strategy, IHS Markit EMEA Chemical companies operate in dynamic and complex environments, where they face constant challenges especially in terms of supply and demand. With no signs of oil prices’…
Implications of US-China trade war on GCC chemical markets (Part 2) By John Richardson, Senior Consultant, Asia, ICIS China is levying 25% additional tariffs on US high-density PE (HDPE) and linear-low density (LLDPE) imports as part of its response to US tariffs on its imports. The PE tariffs came into effect in August last year.…
Implications of US-China trade war on GCC chemical markets (Part 1) By John Richardson, Senior Consultant, Asia, ICIS The good news is the startling, amazing, performance of polyethylene (PE) in the key China market. Despite increasing trade war tensions, evidence is mounting that the growth of PE is to a considerable extent divorced from fluctuations…
Basel Convention Opens New Chapter in Plastic Waste Management, But More Structured Approach is Needed Addressing the global plastic waste challenge has been particularly high on governments’ and industries’ agenda in recent years, as the world’s marine litter crisis reaches catastrophic levels, jeopardizing marine life and vegetation and putting the very future of our oceans…
The Case for Wide-Spread AEO Adoption in the GCC and beyond By Dr. Abdulwahab Al Sadoun, Secretary General, GPCA Dr. Abdulwahab Al-Sadoun, Secretary General, GPCA, explains how the Authorized Economic Operators (AEO) program is helping to improve chemical supply chains in the GCC and why it is good for business, the economy and trade Trade…
The GCC Chemical Industry Through the Ages By Dr. Abdulwahab Al Sadoun, Secretary General, GPCA In March this year, I had the honor of participating and speaking at an important industry gathering organized by the Energy Club of King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center (KAPSRC), an independent, non-profit institution that focuses on research in…
Supply Chain 4.0 – A game changer for the chemical industry Arun Bruce, Partner and MD, Middle East Leader – Operations Practice, BCG, and speaker at the 11th GPCA Supply Chain Conference, says the supply chain as we know it may be obsolete 5-10 years from now. What are the trends to watch to stay…
Driving procurement leadership in the digital world Bernd Schreiber, Partner, Arthur D. Little, and speaker at the 11th GPCA Supply Chain Conference, says that chemical companies need to create procurement systems that not only “Do” but “Think” and even “Learn” to generate greater value for their business Procurement is an essential part of chemical companies’…
The role of leadership and culture in merger and acquisition environments The chemical industry has witnessed a considerable amount of Merger and Acquisition (M&A) activity in recent years. Chemical companies need, more than ever, to ensure these deals are creating value. In this article, Heidrick & Struggles discuss the importance of understanding the organizational landscape…
Vision for the Future: Making the Circular Economy a Reality Lorraine Francourt, EHS Director, Chemicals Management and Circular Economy, Dow Chemicals, and one of the speakers at the 10th GPCA PlastiCon held in March in Bahrain, tells GPCA Insight Express why collaboration is so central to addressing global plastic waste and how it can accelerate…
Technologies of the Future: How will Crude Oil-To-Chemicals Transform Aramco’s Competitive Advantage Abdulaziz Al-Judaimi, SVP Downstream, Saudi Aramco, and keynote speaker at the 6th GPCA R&I Summit in Bahrain, speaks exclusively to GPCA Insight Express about the Crude Oil-To Chemicals project and the company’s plans for the future How will the COTC project help Saudi…
Three Steps to Establishing a Circular Economy: Innovate, Collaborate, Take Action Maurits van Tol, Senior Vice President, Innovation and Technology, Borealis, and keynote speaker at the 10th GPCA PlasitCon, speaks to GPCA Insight Express about the need to establish a circular economy strategy and how Borealis is making a difference through its voluntary programs and…
Despite challenges, opportunities abound for GCC chemical companies By Paul Harnick, Global Head of Chemicals and Performance Technologies, KPMG International Among countries that are part of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) the chemical industry is the second largest manufacturing industry, after refining, when measured by value added. According to the GPCA 2017 Facts and Figures…
From Waste to Value: The GCC Chemical Industry’s Contribution to Circular Economy By Dr. Abdulwahab Al-Sadoun, Secretary General, GPCA In recent years, environmental pressure has been mounting on government, business and society to preserve our finite resources, protect the environment and adopt a more sustainable approach to their production and consumption habits. This has given…
The energy transition and growing circular economy challenges Middle East petrochemical developments By Alan Gelder, Vice President, EMEARC Refining and Chemicals, and Gordon Haire, Head of Aromatics, Wood Mackenzie Chemicals The global energy transition is the switch away from fossil fuels to renewables as the source of primary energy, primarily electricity. Electrification of the vehicle…
China’s Economic Slowdown Could Dampen Petrochemical Growth in 2019 By John Richardson, Senior Consultant, Asia, ICIS The most important factor in shaping the direction of global chemicals and polymers markets in 2019 will be China’s willingness or ability to re-stimulate its economy back to the levels of credit availability that we saw in 2009-2017. It…
Plastics in the Automotive Industry – Which Materials Will Be the Winners and Losers? The automotive industry is the second most important consuming sector of polymers after construction. Therefore, changes in the material usage can have major implications on polymer demand and the financial performance of polymer producers. In this article, we explain how material…
Assessing the IMO Sulfur Cap Regulation: Implications to 2020 and beyond As the deadline looms ahead for enforcement of the IMO 2020 sulfur cap regulation, we take a look at its implications on the shipping and supply chain industry, and evaluate its impact on chemical and petrochemical producers in the GCC region and globally With…
Tapping into the Potential of Chemical Recycling Sustainability is no longer an idealistic trend – it is now essential for business survival and a mainstream issue driving attention and investment growth on a global scale and particularly in plastics. The term “sustainable development” was first defined in a 1987 report entitled “Our Common Future” by…
The Middle Eastern Petrochemical Industry’s Road to New Value Growth By Mirko Rubeis, Partner and Managing Director at The Boston Consulting Group Middle East The petrochemical industry’s patterns of value creation have traditionally hinged on dated models in a bid to maximize Total Shareholder Return (TSR). As a result, TSR of the industry has slumped…
The State of the Industry 2018: A year of transformation 2018 is characterized as a year of transformation for the industry. As we look back on the year in our latest article, we see the GCC petrochemical and chemical industry’s continued evolution and explore what lies ahead for the industry As 2018 comes to an…
Driving diversification and transformation Yousef Al-Benyan, Chair of GPCA and CEO of SABIC, discusses the need for a strong industry association at a time of rapid and far-reaching transformation in the GCC and global chemical industry As Chairman of GPCA, what is the role of the association in advancing the regional industry agenda? Can…
Taking action on plastics waste How is the polymer industry as a whole reacting to the (plastics waste) situation and what initiatives are being prepared and put in place to respond to the challenges? Our industry is galvanized to solve the issue of plastics waste in our environment. Dow, along with our industry partners, is…
China – US Trade Wars’ Impact on Petrochemicals The series of economic tit-for-tat actions that has come to be known as the trade war between the US and China has largely originated with US measures to which China has responded in kind. The US has imposed three rounds of tariffs on Chinese products this year,…
Now is the time to embrace the Fourth Industrial Revolution Murat Sonmez of the World Economic Forum and speaker at the Annual GPCA Forum gives his views on the impact of the new digitalized industrial revolution Can you give a brief definition of the Fourth Industrial Revolution? Is it here and now, or still…
Innovation is key to meeting circular economy goals The industry is already engaging positively with the issues arising from the move to a circular economy Political and societal pressures are mounting for the creation of a circular economy whereby materials used in manufactured goods are recovered and reused rather than being simply disposed of…
Playing the Procurement Game: Back to Basics Due to growing market disruptions and greater level of digitization, businesses are operating in a very different environment today. Without a major overhaul, procurement will soon become obsolete. In today’s high-speed digital world, where online platforms such as Amazon and Alibaba have made purchasing fast and easy, corporate…
The Importance of Local Content in GCC Effective local content policies can create significant benefits for the GCC, as governments seek to encourage higher in country value, the creation of more domestic jobs and economic diversification across the region GCC countries are investing heavily in infrastructure projects, with a priority to develop local suppliers. In…
3D Printing: Transforming the Chemical Landscape in GCC Additive manufacturing has the potential to transform manufacturing processes, reconfigure global supply chains, and give rise to business models that are difficult to imagine today. Additive manufacturing, or 3D printing, as it is more commonly known, is a simple procedure of code-driven material deposition, which happens layer…
GCC fertilizer producers move towards specialties M&A activity in fertilizers and crop protection has been high in recent years, but the trend is towards smaller deals in more specialty areas, says José Alberich, Partner, A.T. Kearney Middle East and a speaker at the GPCA Fertilizer Convention The global crop nutrition and crop protection sectors have…
Fertilizer industry rises to the global challenge GPCA Insight asked Rakesh Kapur, President of the International Fertilizer Association (IFA) and joint MD of India’s IFFCO, his views on the fertilizer industry landscape. He is a keynote speaker at GPCA’s Fertilizer Conference in Oman What would you say are the main issues facing the crop nutrition…
How are megatrends shaping the plastics industry today? By Roberto Ribeiro, President, Townsend Solutions The average person in a developed economy has well over 50 interactions with the plastics industry every single day. From medical equipment to airplanes, plastics are an essential part of our lives – in the pipes delivering our clean drinking water,…
Gender diversity in the workspace: why it matters and how to get there? The underrepresentation of women in leadership positions has surfaced in recent years as “top of mind” across all industries, so what are some of the things to consider when it comes to attracting, retaining and developing female talent within the upper echelons…
Feedstock availability drives growth decisions Access to competitive feedstocks is the prime consideration for CP Chem when looking to place investment for growth, which gives the US the advantage today, despite the company’s considerable presence in Saudi Arabia and Qatar There is no doubt that the US Gulf Coast is a primary focus for growth…
Building a competitive advantage through circular chemistry GCC chemical companies are operating in a challenging environment. There are wild swings in commodity prices, scarcer resources, and stricter environmental requirements. Growth is, however, available if they abandon the traditional linear economic model and embrace that of the circular economy (CE). At present economies work on the…
New US ammonia and urea capacity puts pressure on GCC exporters By Stephen Mitchell, Editor – Nitrogen, Argus Media Over the last two years, the US has added significant new capacity to world fertilizer markets, thus reducing export opportunities for GCC producers, and while some exporters have increased their shipments to the US, the overall…
Africa Fertilizer Market Outlook: Challenges and Opportunities for GCC Producers Africa is one of the most important fertilizer markets globally, with the fastest growing population on earth. Thanks to its favorable location and abundant access to feedstock, GCC producers can benefit tremendously from this rapidly growing market Africa has the world’s fastest growing population with…
How will crude oil–to–chemicals reshape the global petrochemical industry By R.J. Chang, Vice President, IHS Markit, Process Economics Program Several crude oil–to–chemical (COTC) projects being constructed or planned in Saudi Arabia and Asia have the potential to reshape the global petrochemical industry in years to come. COTC configures a refinery to produce maximum chemicals instead…
OBOR: A catalyst for GCC transformation China’s USD 900 billion New Silk Road presents significant opportunities for new business and investment in the Arabian Gulf region In recent years, the global business and trade landscape has been abuzz with dialogue about China’s One Belt One Road (OBOR) Initiative which aims to connect major Asian and…
Building skills for the future Insufficient talent with digital supply chain skills is posing a major threat to companies’ transformation. As digitization remains at the forefront of business strategies, McKinsey explains how to effectively address this challenge Over the coming years, the digitization of supply chains will likely have a significant effect on companies’ prospects.…
The new packaging paradigm: implications for polyolefin resins As plastic manufacturers move towards more sustainable packaging solutions, how is this poised to impact the use of polyolefin resins? By Roberto Ribeiro, President, Townsend Solutions A fast-growing number of major retailers and brand owners are dedicated to meeting goals around reusable, recyclable, or compostable packaging and…
Impact from China-US tariffs on chemical markets China’s imposition of tariffs on imports from the US may have lasting implications on petrochemical markets, creating new opportunities for GCC producers By Roger Lee, Managing Director, Tecnon OrbiChem A new 25% tariff on imports of selected commodities from the US, imposed by the Chinese government in retaliation…
The role of culture transformation in driving business performance An organization’s culture can be the single, most important factor in determining its success. In this four-step journey, Heidrick & Struggles highlights how to nurture a culture of winning throughout your organization and among employees Every organization has its own culture, crafted by behaviors and values…
Achieving more with Responsible Care Responsible Care is widely recognized for the way it helps companies communicate their health, safety and environmental performance to stakeholders. But used internally it can achieve so much more, as CP Chem’s Kate Holzhauser relates The Responsible Care program, now running for over 30 years, is widely recognised and accepted…
GPCA celebrates decade of Responsible Care progress It is almost 10 years since GPCA adopted the Responsible Care program. GPCA Insight looks at the highlights from along its exciting journey and what experts have to say about its performance in adoption and implementation GPCA adopted Responsible Care in December 2009 in line with its commitment…
GCC players must build their M&A muscle to compete The future of chemical M&A looks promising at first sight, but being successful will be more complex moving forward, says Thomas Rings, Lead Partner of A.T. Kearney Middle East Energy Practice and Member of the A.T. Kearney Board. After a record year of mergers and acquisitions…
GCC solid waste management: A problem of plenty By Abhay Bhargava, Business Head – MEA, Industrial Practice, Frost & Sullivan and Sasidhar Chidanamarri, Industry Principal – MEA, Industrial Practice, Frost & Sullivan Significant opportunities exist to grow the region’s waste management market, but stakeholders would need to collaborate towards a more structured approach and conducive…
India’s DAP market in no-win situation By Mounir Halim Ph.D., VP, Business Development Fertilizers, Argus The Indian DAP market is in a quandary over whether to produce the essential fertilizer itself or turn to imports, in what is likely a no-win situation. The latest imported DAP prices, and the cost of production based on the…
Embracing the digital world GPCA talked to Mehtab Gilani of IBM GBS, who took part in a workshop on the Industrial Revolution 4.0 at the 5th GPCA’s R&I Summit in Dubai Can you begin by briefly outlining the elements in Industry 4.0 and the scope of digitalization that are particularly relevant to the chemical industry,…
Simply Bottles supports circular economy in PET Kris Barber, CEO of DGrade and a speaker at PlastiCon, answers questions about a new PET bottle collection initiative in the UAE. The UK/UAE company is one of the new success stories in the GCC region Q. What is the aim of the initiative? A. The goal of…
Taking part in GPCA’s Plastics Excellence Awards makes good business sense This year’s awards showcased yet again the best in our industry as both individuals and organizations, writes Dr. Raed Al Zubi, International President, SPE, and judge on the panel This year’s GPCA Plastics Excellence Awards (PEA), in its eight addition, showcased yet again the…
Industry 4.0 – Disruptive opportunity for GCC chemical producers The real value of the digital industry will come not from technology itself but from what this technology enables, writes Saji Sam, Partner, Energy Practice, Oliver Wyman As the next generation of production technology is starting to unfold, Big Data analytics, virtual environments, simulation software, broad…
Bunker fuels in 2020 and their impact on the petrochemical industry By Kurt Barrow – VP Oil Markets, Midstream and Downstream, IHS Markit, and Dave Witte – SVP IHS Markit, Division Head – Energy & Chemicals Quality changes to global ship fuels will cause a scramble in the refining and waterborne shipping industries as producers…
Blockchain: Reinventing the chemicals and petroleum industry Blockchain has the capability to turnaround the complete value chain of the industry. It can help enhance profitability and secure future growth by improving productivity, reducing cost, securing intellectual property and increasing pan company visibility. Digitization has emerged as a key buzzword in recent years and has created…
Addressing today’s plastic challenge Plastics use, especially in packaging, continues to grow, but plastics are coming under scrutiny because of issues around waste and recycling. Following the 2018 GPCA PlastiCon in Dubai, we spoke with Javier Constante – EMEA Commercial Vice President for Dow’s Packaging & Specialty Plastics Business, about the industry’s challenges of today…
Favorable outlook for GCC synthetic rubber producers Growing demand for synthetic rubber is pushing the market worth up to almost USD 40 billion, making this a lucrative business for Arabian Gulf producers to invest in Demand for synthetic rubber from industrial and consumer applications is expected to remain high as global population continues to rise…
Driving value chain sustainability in the chemical industry In order to achieve the objectives and targets of UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and GCC national visions, sustainability thinking along value chains is imperative for GCC chemical producers Supply chains are perhaps the most important aspect in the movement of goods and people. They help connect…
Accelerating performance in the GCC petrochemical industry Forces of change and increased uncertainty in the ever-competitive petrochemical industry in the gulf make mobilizing, executing and transforming with agility an imperative prerogative for sustenance and growth The chemical industry in the Arabian Gulf today finds itself at an ambiguous juncture, with substantial market disruptions such as…
EUROPE ACCELERATES THE DRIVE TOWARDS A CIRCULAR ECONOMY The European Commission is putting great store in a strategy to address plastics packaging waste as part of its circular economy package With growing pressure from governments, environment groups and the public around the world to reduce plastics waste, the concept of the circular economy is finding…
THE ROAD TO INNOVATION IS DIFFICULT AND LONG GCC chemical producers are keen to invest in R&D and digitalization to improve their competitiveness, but it will take time and may not deliver all that advocates promise, says leading academic David Hounshell Digitalization could completely change the way the petrochemical industry operates. But, until now, the…
GCC can be in driving seat for recycling Arabian Gulf countries, as the largest producers of plastics resins in the world, could play a crucial role in the development of…
Leadership excellence for the digital age Leadership at the helm of progressive organizations is becoming increasingly difficult. In this special “Leadership Series” Logistics Executive Group provides seven tips for converting…
Polyolefins market set for improvement The polyolefins industry is in the process of re-establishing stability on a global scale, although the development of individual regions continues to evolve By David…
GPCA publishes independent reports that provide an in-depth look at the state of innovation and sustainability in the industry or specific industry segments. These reports are aimed at bridging the gap between perception and reality and provide a summary of the discussions on these topics during GPCA conferences.
GPCA’s annual statistical reports provide up to date information about the industry and various industry segments. The GCC Chemical Industry Facts and Figures report, which is released in
November every year on the occasion of the Annual Forum, contains a collection of data and statistics from member companies and regional and international organizations, providing a comprehensive analysis of the industry’s performance. GPCA also releases indicator reports that cover the fertilizers and plastic industries in the GCC and globally.
To provide its members with relevant and timely industry information, GPCA partners with some of the world’s leading consultancies.
Together with these valuable partners, GPCA has published more than 30 co-branded reports, which are distributed at GPCA’s conferences and can also be found at our e-library online.
GPCA publishes its Annual Report each year on the occasion of the GPCA Annual General Meeting (AGM) in March. The report provides an overview of GPCA’s main activities during the past year and highlights some of its milestones and achievements. Connecting the Gulf is published during the Annual Forum in the form of directory booklet and has recently been transformed into an online platform that includes details of GPCA’s member companies, listing their main contacts and address, in addition to links to their website. The online digital platform also has a product finder feature with product description covering all the products produced in the region to date.
GPCA also publishes two newsletters, the quarterly print publication Insight and the monthly digital Insight Express.
GPCA is translating on a yearly bases selected reports to Arabic language as part of its role as the voice of the Arabian Gulf chemical industry and its mission to raise awareness about the industry, foster national pride and contribute to the preservation and distribution of Arabic language content.
GPCA’s post event reports provide a high-level summary of GPCA conferences which take place throughout the year, as well as highlight the key insights discussed during the event. The reports are produced in line with the association’s strategic objective to leverage thought leadership opportunities from its networking pillar.
