The Gulf Petrochemicals and Chemicals Association (GPCA), the voice of the chemical industry in the Arabian Gulf region, on Wednesday announced the winners of the 8th GPCA Plastics Excellence Awards sponsored by SABIC.
The award ceremony took place at the Oberoi Hotel, Dubai, on the sidelines of the 9th GPCA PlastiCon and opened with a speech by Abdulrahman Al Faqeeh, EVP Petrochemicals, SABIC.
SABIC and United Accredited Company won in the ‘Joint development or improvements of a new product or application — resin producer and plastic converter’ category for their PET FIBC production start-up in Saudi Arabia.
UAC will be the first producer of PET FIBCs in the world. This initiative illustrates how technology partnerships between resin producers, machine companies and converters create new business opportunities for the region.
Borouge was awarded in the ‘Innovative and new plastic products and processes’ category for its Anteo-Borstar Bimodal Terpolymer LLDPE. The technology is unique in combining smart catalyst design and a superior process (two-reactor system) with two comonomers giving superior flexibility in polymer design.
SABIC also received a notable mention for ‘Best sustainability initiative in the plastics conversion industry.’
Meddad Abderrahmane from SABIC Plastic Applications Development Center (SPADC) was named ‘Best researcher in plastics and plastic conversion’ for his work in polyolefin products development.
The special student category ‘Fikra: Rising stars of the plastics industry’ went to Mousa Alqarni and Khaled Abdullah from King Saud University.
Commenting on the awards, Dr. Abdulwahab Al-Sadoun, secretary general, GPCA, said: “Now in their 8th edition, the GPCA Plastics Excellence Awards provide much needed recognition for individuals and organizations who have demonstrated outstanding performance and achievements in the areas of sustainability, product development, research and innovation across the entire polymer value chain.
“For the fourth consecutive year, the awards featured a special student category: ‘Fikra: Rising Stars of the Plastics Industry Competition.’ I congratulate all winners, particularly our young students, for demonstrating ingenuity in this highly competitive industry.”
The awards series received as many as 259 entries from both commercial and private sectors including organizations, students, suppliers and OEM manufacturers since inception in 2011.
The GPCA was established in 2006 to represent the downstream hydrocarbon industry in the Arabian Gulf. Today, the association voices the common interests of more than 240 member companies from the chemical and allied industries, accounting for over 95 percent of chemical output in the GCC. The industry makes up the second largest manufacturing sector in the region, producing over US$108 billion worth of products every year.
GPCA supports the petrochemical and chemical industry in the Arabian Gulf through advocacy, networking and thought leadership initiatives aimed at helping member companies to connect, share and advance knowledge, contribute to international dialogue, and become prime influencers in shaping the future of the global petrochemicals industry.
Committed to providing a regional platform for stakeholders from around the world, GPCA manages six working committees — Plastics, Supply Chain, Fertilizers, International Trade, Research and Innovation, and Responsible Care — and organizes six world-class events each year. The association also publishes an annual report, regular newsletters and various other industry reports. — SG