The Gulf Petrochemicals & Chemicals Association (GPCA), the Arabian Gulf region's chemical industry's voice, declared the appointment of a new Board of Directors and a Vice-Chairman during the 2021 Annual General Assembly Meeting conducted at the Habtoor Palace Dubai, LXR Hotels & Resorts, UAE, on Thursday.

Yousef Al-Benyan, vice chairman and CEO of SABIC, had been re-elected to the GPCA Board of Directors for a new three-year term. Al-Benyan has maintained this post since May 2016, after previously serving on the GPCA's Executive Committee.

Dr. Mohamed Al-Mulla has been appointed as GPCA Vice Chairman, succeeding Dr. Abdulrahman Jawahery, president of the Bahrain-based Gulf Petrochemical Industries Company (GPIC). Dr. Abdulrahman Jawahery has been appointed as the Treasurer. The GPCA's chairman, vice-chairman, and treasurer have all been members of the Association's Executive Committee.

The following are the new members appointed to the GPCA Board of Directors:

Ali Mohammed Al-Asiri, CEO, Chemanol; Ahmed Al Jahdhami, CEO Downstream, OQ; Abdel Hadi AlSuhaimi, executive president, S-Chem; Othman A. Al-Ghamdi, President and CEO, PetroRabigh; Abdulrahman M. Al-Suwaidi, managing director and CEO, QAFCO; Mohammed Y. Al Qahtani, SVP Downstream, Saudi Aramco and Abdullah Saif Al-Saadoon, CEO, Sipchem.

The following GPCA founding members continue to serve on the GPCA Board:

Yousef Al-Benyan, vice chairman and CEO, SABIC, Saudi Arabia; Dr. Abdulrahman Jawahery, President, GPIC, Bahrain; Dr. Mohamed Al Mulla, managing director, and CEO, QAPCO, Qatar; Hazeem Al Suwaidi, CEO, Borouge, UAE; Naser Aldousari, CEO, EQUATE, Kuwait; Mutlaq Al-Azmi, CEO, PIC, Kuwait; Mutlaq Al-Morished, CEO, Tasnee, Saudi Arabia and Abdullah A. Al-Hussaini, executive VP – marketing, Qatar Petroleum.

“I am delighted to greet the newly elected members of the Board who offer years of leadership experience earned at the head of some of the GCC's significant chemical and petrochemical firms,” said Dr. Abdulwahab Al-Sadoun, secretary-general of the GPCA.

“Their breadth of experience, skill, and commitment to promoting the industry's contribution to the region’s socio-economic growth makes them an outstanding contribution to the GPCA Board, as I look forward to working effectively with them in the upcoming years to take the Association to greater heights.”

“I would also like to thank all of the outstanding leaders who served on the GPCA Board for their significant contributions to achieving GPCA's strategic goal. The Association's accomplishments and achievements over the previous few years wouldn't even be achievable without their insightful leadership and devotion, for which I am grateful.”

The 2021 GPCA Annual General Assembly Meeting happened after the inaugural edition of the GPCA Leaders Forum, which took place on June 16 in Dubai with the topic ‘In pursuit of resurgent development in challenging times.'