Page 29 - AWA Vol.41-No.9 issue

EVENTS

19th Annual GPCA Forum Concludes in Bahrain Under the

Patronage of His Highness Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad

formal ESG committees, reflecting reflected the GCC petrochemical
strong board-level accountability. sector’s accelerating transition to-
Adoption of the Global Reporting ward a low-carbon economy, driven
Initiative (GRI) framework by GCC by clean technologies, circular econ-
chemical companies has reached omy solutions, and renewable ener-
83%, surpassing the global heavy-in- gy integration. In this context, the
Sustainability, Innovation, and dustry average of 70%, while 88% GPCA Startup Nexus, now in its sec-
Youth Empowerment Define a Mile- of companies have implemented ond edition, provided a platform for
stone Edition Held During Bahrain responsible supply-chain systems, entrepreneurs to showcase break-
National Day Celebrations reinforcing ethical and transparent through solutions in Circular Econo-
Manama, Bahrain – 16 December operations. my and Climate Action, while the 3rd
2025: Coinciding with the Kingdom Building on last year’s momentum, GPCA Solutions Xchange served as
of Bahrain’s National Day celebra- the GPCA Sustainability Pavilion a hub for strategic partnerships and
tions, the Gulf Petrochemicals and returned for its second edition, fea- innovations spanning plastics circu-
Chemicals Association (GPCA) has turing three dedicated zones — En- larity, carbon management, and dig-
concluded the 19th edition of its An- vironment, Social, and Governance italization.
nual Forum, held from 8–11 Decem- — and introduced a Carbon Markets Commenting on the Forum, Dr.
ber 2025 at Exhibition World Bahrain. Workshop for the first time, reflect- Abdulwahab Al-Sadoun, Secretary
This landmark edition marked a de- ing the sector’s growing focus on cli- General, GPCA, said: “The 19th An-
fining moment in the Forum’s history, mate-related financial mechanisms. nual GPCA Forum reflects our in-
as it was convened for the first time dustry’s unwavering commitment to
under the patronage of His Highness Investment in human capital re- sustainability, innovation, and inclu-
Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad bin Isa Al mained a central theme throughout sive leadership. GCC chemical com-
Khalifa, His Majesty’s Representative the Forum. The 4th GPCA Youth Fo- panies are today surpassing global
for Humanitarian Works and Youth rum, led by the GPCA Youth Council, benchmarks across several ESG in-
Affairs and Chairman of the Board of attracted more than 320 young pro- dicators, including youth empower-
Directors of Bapco Energies. fessionals and students from across ment and ESG reporting. This mile-
the Arabian Gulf. Over four days,
Hosted by Gulf Petrochemical In- stone edition, held in Bahrain under
dustries Company (GPIC), the Fo- participants engaged in knowledge the patronage of His Highness Shaikh
exchange, mentorship, and for-
rum brought together regional and ward-looking discussions on the fu- Nasser bin Hamad, demonstrates
global industry leaders, policymak- ture of the chemical industry. With that our region is not only keeping
ers, and experts to shape the future 95% of GCC companies involved in pace with global developments, but
of the chemical industry through dia- actively shaping new standards for
logue on sustainability, digital trans- community initiatives and near-uni- competitiveness and responsible
formation, innovation, and inclusive versal support for STEM programs, growth.”
growth. The timing and setting of this the region continues to outperform Held under the theme “Catalyzing
year’s Forum underscored Bahrain’s global averages, where only 63% of Competitiveness through Strategic
role as a regional hub for industrial chemical companies offer structured Partnerships,” the 19th Annual GPCA
leadership and international collab- youth programs. Forum concluded with participation
oration. The Forum also hosted the second from 2,586 delegates representing
The Forum highlighted key findings edition of the Women in Chemicals 450 companœies from 42 countries,
from GPCA’s latest report, “Driving Workshop, delivered by McKinsey reaffirming its position as a leading
ESG Adoption: Progress and Chal- & Company in collaboration with global platform for dialogue, col-
lenges in the GCC Petrochemical GPCA on 10 December 2025. The laboration, and strategic alignment
Industry,” which revealed that 79% of session explored the role of AI in or- across the chemical industry value
GCC petrochemical companies now ganizational management. chain.
publish ESG reports and maintain Discussions throughout the Forum Circle 35 on enquiry card
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