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ABU DHABI / WAM
Petrochemical producers, extrusion technology providers, packaging equipment manufacturers, plastic converters and compounders, food producers, traders, consultants and investors will gather in Abu Dhabi on Sunday, April 9, to chart the course for growth and sustainability of the GCC plastics conversion industry.
The 8th edition of GPCA PlastiCon, organised by Gulf Petrochemicals and Chemicals Association (GPCA), will explore key international industry trends with focus on where sustainable growth can be created and harnessed within the GCC polymer value chain. CEO’s from some of the region’s largest companies will set the tone for discussion followed by industry experts who will present their ideas about opportunities for future leverage. Over two days, participants will discuss key topics including thermoplastic 3D printing, global supply trends and effects on GCC plastics.
The GCC is set to commission three global scale elastomer plants which brings the focus of discussion of the conference to two major topics. The conference will discuss the impact that this market supply push will have for the regions thermoplastic processors and the opportunities that lay ahead for investment within the industry landscape. In addition, it will provide in-depth insight into the future sustainability plans and targets of the GCC plastics conversion industry and the steps that need to be taken to achieve these goals.
The GCC polymer industry is expected to reach 34.5 million tons by 2022, supporting further downstream development, while growing at a CAGR of 3 percent. This is according to the ‘GCC Plastic Industry Indicators 2016’ report due to be released at the 8th edition of GPCA PlastiCon, an annual GPCA event that caters to the plastics segment of the petrochemical industry.
According to the report, future plastic capacity growth will be driven by Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Oman. In 2016, GCC plastics producers’ sales represented 4 percent of the global industry sales revenue, reaching USD 33-34 billion.