(MENAFN- Editorial) The 3rdGulf Petrochemicals and Chemicals Association (GPCA)’s Responsible Care® Conferencecelebrated a decade of excellenceby the chemical and petrochemical industry in the Arabian Gulf and globally in the field of health, safety, security and the environment (EHS&S) since the Responsible Care® program was adopted in the region in 2009.
Held under the patronage of H.R.H. Prince Saud bin Nayef bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Governor of the Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia, the conference took place in Jubail from 14-16 October 2019, attracting 350 senior industry leaders from over 70 companies in 9 countries to showcase their achievements, share knowledge and network with representatives from all across the globe.
As the conference patron, H.R.H. Prince Saud Al Saudattended the eventwhere he met with senior officials, while Yousef Al-Benyan, Vice Chairman and CEO, SABIC and Chairman, GPCA, delivered the keynote address in the morning of day one.
In a special recognition ceremony, GPCA honored chemical industry pioneers who have championed Responsible Care®, the exchange of best practices, collaboration and the highest level of transparencyat leading chemical companies in the region, thus raising the EHS&S quality and standards across the Arabian Gulf and contributing to better overall sustainability performance, which over the years raised the region’s profile to an international level. These included H.E. Mohamed Al Mady, President, Military Industries Corporation Saudi Arabia and ex-Chairman of GPCA Board, Dr. Abdulrahman Jawahery, President, GPIC, and Vice Chairman, GPCA, American Chemistry Council (ACC), USA Representaed by Cal Dooley, President, ACC, Yasser Abdul Rahim Al Alabbasi, General Manager Manufacturing, GPIC, Bahrain, Tahir Jamal Qadir, and Alan Izzard, ex-Directors of GPCA RC Department, Maher Al- Dughaim, Director of EHS at Chemanol, Saud Arabia, and Albert Biggs, ex-Director of HSE at Sipchem, Saudi Arabia.
The engaging three-day program covered topics ranging from process safety, circular economy, regulatory collaboration, models of excellence and Responsible Care® beyond the fence in the form of masterclasses, presentations, conference sessions and audience-led Q&As. The conference played host to the 13th edition of GPCA’s Leaders of Tomorrow program, which attracted 54 students from across the GCC to network with industry leaders and learn about the benefits of pursuing a career in the chemical industry.
Dr. Abdulwahab Al-Sadoun, Secretary General, GPCA, commented: “Celebratinga decade of Responsible Care® here in Jubail is hugely momentous given the city’s remarkable industrial history and evolution into one of the world’s leading production hubs for chemicals and petrochemicals. This region is the driving engine behind tremendous economic value added, the creation of tens of thousands of jobs and the fostering of expertise and technological know-how that have carved out the Kingdom’s formidable position as a globally recognized industrial powerhouse.
“Today we don’t just celebrate 10 decades of health and safety excellence, we celebrate the people from the shop floor to the leaders in the highest levels of power who continue to work day and night to make our success possible. If there is anything that we learnt today, it’s that stakeholders across the value chain, government and industry partners must intensify their efforts to collaborate, innovate and persevere in one common goal to fulfill the industry’s role as an enabler and a responsible solutions provider to growing socio-economic and environmental challenges.
Responsible Care® is the chemical manufacturing industry’s environmental, health, safety and security performance initiative, which was launched in Canada in 1984, and is currently practiced in 68 economies around the world. GPCA adopted Responsible Care® in December 2009 in line with its commitment to continually advance the sustainability agenda in the Arabian Gulf chemical industry. Responsible Care® is obligatory for GPCA full member companies and an essential element of an organization’s license to operate.
To find out more about the GPCA Responsible Care Conference®, visit:www.gpcaresponsiblecare.com
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