Oil Minister inaugurates 2nd Middle East Ethylene technology Conference and Exhibition

Minister of Oil His Excellency Shaikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Khalifa opened on October 17 the ‘2nd Middle East Ethylene technology Conference and Exhibition’ held at the Gulf Convention Centre - Gulf Hotel under the theme ‘Sustaining Ethylene Competitiveness through Solution Sharing’. The event was organized by Middle East Energy Events and supported by the Saudi branch of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers in cooperation with the National Oil and Gas Authority (NOGA). A number of international and Gulf oil companies participated in the event attended by a large number of experts, engineers and oil industry enthusiasts.

H.E. Shaikh Mohammed said in his opening speech that the decision to choose Bahrain as the preferred venue for holding conferences and exhibitions in the Middle East, including the ethylene series for the second time, was a clear demonstration of the great reputation enjoyed by the Kingdom globally. He expressed his appreciation for the efforts and support provided by the esteemed government for such events which boosted the economic and knowledge development in the country and helped establish sharing of information, experience and expertise. Such events provided opportunities to participate in capacity and skills building and contributed to raising the efficiency of the human element, which was an essential element to promote sustainable development in the Kingdom of Bahrain.

Pointing out that the Gulf region is of great importance in the world of petrochemical industry as it is the leading global supplier of ethylene, the Minister said the global ethylene market would grow impressively by 2018, according to industry experts. The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries were already a leading global ethylene supplier. The Middle East would witness a global growth, making it an important centre in the ethylene industry, due to its ability to provide raw materials. Specialist conferences would make it easy to share techniques to operational efficiency and excellence, providing professionals an opportunity to advance their technical knowledge and move up to senior positions in their respective company hierarchy, he said. The best way to determine gainful ways forward in the ethylene market was to understand trends and imminent shifts in market dynamics.

In conclusion, the Minister expressed his appreciation to Mr. Ziad Al Labban, the Conference Chairman, the conference organizer Middle East Energy Events, key sponsors Sabic, Sadara, Bapco and all other participating companies for their great support, which helped make it a great event.

Mr. Al Labban, and CEO of Sadara Chemical Company emphasised the importance of the conference theme for the Gulf Cooperation Council countries in particular and the Middle East in general, expressing his gratitude to H.E. Shaikh Mohammed for his support for the conference held in the Kingdom for the second time with more than 500 participants.

The Oil Minister also inaugurated an accompanying exhibition and met a large number of international companies including SABIC in the forefront of the chemical industry, including Borouge, Aspen Tech, Qatar Petrochemical Company, Bahrain Petroleum Company (Bapco) and other exhibiting companies, which, he said, showcased the best technology in the industry.