European nations voted to allow for chemical recycling to play a larger role in the production of plastic bottles, overcoming reservations about the technology. Under EU rules, single-use plastic bottles need to contain at least 25% of recycled plastic with the share set to increase to 30% by 2030. Currently only plastic recycled through mechanical…
Markus Kamieth, CEO, BASF, assumed the Presidency of the International Council of Chemical Associations (ICCA), effective 1 January 2026. Kamieth steps into the role at a time when international cooperation is essential to address shared global challenges related to chemicals management, sustainability, and trade, said ICCA. As ICCA President, he will represent chemical associations worldwide…
Qatar is set to become the world’s largest exporter of urea, as QatarEnergy accelerates major expansions across its fertilizer, LNG and helium sectors, announced H.E. Saad bin Sherida Al‑Kaabi, Minister of State for Energy Affairs, and CEO, QatarEnergy, at the opening of the LNG2026 conference in Doha. H.E. Al-Kaabi highlighted that QatarEnergy is developing a…
OQ Group and Kuwait Petroleum International (KPI) signed an agreement in Kuwait to develop a petrochemical project in the Special Economic Zone at Duqm (SEZAD), Oman. The agreement was signed by Ashraf al Mamari, CEO, OQ Group, and Shafi Taleb Al-Ajmi, CEO, KPI, on the sidelines of the Kuwait Oil & Gas Show and Conference.…
GPCA, represented by Noora Mukhtar, Senior Research Specialist, participated in a high-level webinar hosted by the American Chamber of Commerce in Egypt (AmCham Egypt) in collaboration with the American Chamber of Commerce in Dubai (AmCham Dubai) titled “Extended Producer Responsibility in Action: Lessons from the UAE.” The webinar was moderated by Shereen Shaheen, Head of…
GPCA is proud to announce the launch of ALMANARH, a new periodic process safety newsletter developed by the Gulf Process Safety Network (GPSN) to strengthen knowledge-sharing and elevate process safety standards across the regional chemical and petrochemical industry. As part of GPSN’s mission to promote effective networking, thought leadership, and advocacy in process safety, ALMANARH…
The Gulf Petrochemicals and Chemicals Association (GPCA), the voice of the chemical industry in the Arabian Gulf, helped shape the strategic priorities of the National Circular Packaging Committee (NCPC) at NCPC’s recent workshop on 29 January at the Federation of Saudi Chambers in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Eng. Mater Aldhafeeri, Secretary General, GPCA, delivered the keynote…
The Gulf Petrochemicals and Chemicals Association (GPCA), the voice of the chemical industry in the Arabian Gulf, convened its 2026 Annual General Meeting on 12 February in Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia at the Sipchem Research and Innovation Center (Manar), setting its strategic priorities for 2026 and beyond. The AGM took place under the leadership of…
The circular economy for plastics: Progress, pressure and what comes next? By Diya Menon, Associate Director, Chemicals Growth Advisory, Frost & Sullivan Over the last decade, the circular economy for plastics has been framed as an inevitable transition. Policy commitments multiplied, corporate targets accelerated, and recycling targets were announced across regions. Yet, as we enter…
Scaling systems: How GCC chemicals repositioned in six moves for the next growth cycle in 2025 By Noora Mukhtar, Senior Research Specialist, GPCA As the global chemical landscape enters a period of recalibration, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) chemical industry is making a strategic pivot, building systems, capabilities, and resilience that go beyond raw…
