THE Gulf Petrochemicals and Chemicals Association (GPCA) announced Tuesday the keynote speakers for the 11th Annual GPCA Forum. Based on the theme "Competitiveness: Riding New Waves", the Annual Forum will be held on Nov. 27- 29, 2016 in Dubai. Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, UAE Minister of State and Chief Executive Officer of Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), and Amin H. Nasser, President and Chief Executive Officer of Saudi Aramco, will be the keynote speakers at the conference, which is expected to host over 2,000 leaders from the regional and global chemical industry. Dr. Abdulwahab Al-Sadoun, Secretary General, GPCA, said: "With uncertain market conditions, finding new avenues for growth, and opportunities for development. The United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia understand this reality, and are driving progress. Both Dr. Al Jaber and Nasser have recently taken up their respective roles. They are expected to inject fresh, new strategies into ADNOC and Aramco, which is vital for the evolution of the UAE and Saudi economies. Their perspectives will be extremely valuable for all GPCA members." The UAE and Saudi Arabia have 13.7 million tons and 98.5 million tons of petrochemical capacity respectively in 2016, according to GPCA research. Combined, the two GCC members hold 74% of the chemicals portfolio of the Arabian Gulf. "The emergence of ADNOC and Saudi Aramco are inextricably linked with the histories of the UAE and Saudi Arabia respectively," said Dr. Al-Sadoun. "The expansion of both companies into the downstream sector over the last decade has resulted in strategic partnerships with international oil and chemical companies, helping to internationalize both economies. That trend is set to continue, making now a very exciting time for the region's upstream and downstream sector." Previous inaugural speakers at the Annual GPCA Forums have included former Saudi Minster of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Ali Al-Naimi, UAE Minister of Energy Suhail Al Mazrouei, Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman Bin Abdulaziz, Saudi Arabia's Deputy Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, and Dr. Mohammed Saleh Al- Sada, Minister of Energy and Industry of Qatar. "Over the last decade, the Forum has developed a reputation of gathering the most influential people in the regional and global energy industry, to discuss and debate the most relevant topics that impact the sector today, and insights on how it will develop tomorrow. We are proud that this will continue into 2016," Dr. Al
