19 April 2005
The fertiliser industry is facing a major challenge and grit and determination are needed to overcome them, the Minister of Oil and GPIC Chairman, Shaikh Isa bin Ali Al Khalifa, said yesterday.
In a message at the opening of the three-day Environmental Systems Management Workshop, Shaikh Isa said the key challenge is the enactment of commercial and environmental laws by some governments and international organisations that compels them to take them into account in their production and marketing strategies. The message was read out by the GPIC general manager, Abdulrahman Jawahery.
The event, organised by the Arab Fertiliser Association (AFA) technical committee, aims to forge closer relationships in the fertiliser industry and focus on the protection of the environment. Jawahery said the fertiliser industry and raw material in the Arab states enjoy a prominent status and play a vital role in supporting the economies of their countries. "Such industry represents the key link with the extraction industries of raw material such as phosphates, potash, natural gas and sulphur. It is also a vital element for the development of the agricultural sector which is the main source of food and food security in the world." "The Arab world has gained great significance in the manufacture and trading in fertilisers and their raw material.
This part of the world has around seven-tenths of the world's reserves of raw phosphates, a third of the world's reserves of natural gas and six per cent of potash reserves." Jawahery said the total production capacity of the area amounts to some 22 million tonnes of nitrogen and phosphate fertilisers and 66 million tonnes of fertiliser raw material. He said the workshop provides an opportunity for the exchange of ideas and expertise concerning the protection and development of the environment at the industrial facilities. He said Bahrain has made big strides towards the development of environmental laws and legislation and is reviewing the existing legislation. "New laws and regulations will be introduced to take into account environmental conditions and requirements of sustained development we all seek to realise." He said Bahrain has played a pioneering role in the application of management systems especially through the GPIC which adopted occupational health and safety management system OHSAS-18001.
AFA secretary-general, Dr Shafiq Al Ashqar, said that the association seeks to meet the requirements of Arab fertiliser manufacturers, enhance efficiency and performance, optimising overall efforts as part of its annual plans. He said the event aims to develop interaction between Arab and international expertise to achieve the objectives and seek the expertise of UHDE of Germany. More than 100 experts from member Arab companies and organisations in the Kingdom are taking part. AFA board chairman Al Hathili Al Kafi said the association has been seeking to develop mechanisms and programmes in keeping with latest developments and in response to requirements of the industry. "A number of projects will be launched in co-operation with the Arab Organisation for Agricultural Development to organise pilot fields in Arab countries for promoting ideas about fertiliser uses and increase awareness for mineral and chemical fertilisers."
In his keynote address, Bapco President, Dr Mustafa Al Sayed, said that caring for the environment is of utmost importance to the industry, and companies should focus on it. "Caring for the environment should start at the design and preliminary engineering stages. Environmental concern should be part of every industrial organisation's culture."
The fertiliser industry is facing a major challenge and grit and determination are needed to overcome them, the Minister of Oil and GPIC Chairman, Shaikh Isa bin Ali Al Khalifa, said yesterday.
In a message at the opening of the three-day Environmental Systems Management Workshop, Shaikh Isa said the key challenge is the enactment of commercial and environmental laws by some governments and international organisations that compels them to take them into account in their production and marketing strategies. The message was read out by the GPIC general manager, Abdulrahman Jawahery.
The event, organised by the Arab Fertiliser Association (AFA) technical committee, aims to forge closer relationships in the fertiliser industry and focus on the protection of the environment. Jawahery said the fertiliser industry and raw material in the Arab states enjoy a prominent status and play a vital role in supporting the economies of their countries. "Such industry represents the key link with the extraction industries of raw material such as phosphates, potash, natural gas and sulphur. It is also a vital element for the development of the agricultural sector which is the main source of food and food security in the world." "The Arab world has gained great significance in the manufacture and trading in fertilisers and their raw material.
This part of the world has around seven-tenths of the world's reserves of raw phosphates, a third of the world's reserves of natural gas and six per cent of potash reserves." Jawahery said the total production capacity of the area amounts to some 22 million tonnes of nitrogen and phosphate fertilisers and 66 million tonnes of fertiliser raw material. He said the workshop provides an opportunity for the exchange of ideas and expertise concerning the protection and development of the environment at the industrial facilities. He said Bahrain has made big strides towards the development of environmental laws and legislation and is reviewing the existing legislation. "New laws and regulations will be introduced to take into account environmental conditions and requirements of sustained development we all seek to realise." He said Bahrain has played a pioneering role in the application of management systems especially through the GPIC which adopted occupational health and safety management system OHSAS-18001.
AFA secretary-general, Dr Shafiq Al Ashqar, said that the association seeks to meet the requirements of Arab fertiliser manufacturers, enhance efficiency and performance, optimising overall efforts as part of its annual plans. He said the event aims to develop interaction between Arab and international expertise to achieve the objectives and seek the expertise of UHDE of Germany. More than 100 experts from member Arab companies and organisations in the Kingdom are taking part. AFA board chairman Al Hathili Al Kafi said the association has been seeking to develop mechanisms and programmes in keeping with latest developments and in response to requirements of the industry. "A number of projects will be launched in co-operation with the Arab Organisation for Agricultural Development to organise pilot fields in Arab countries for promoting ideas about fertiliser uses and increase awareness for mineral and chemical fertilisers."
In his keynote address, Bapco President, Dr Mustafa Al Sayed, said that caring for the environment is of utmost importance to the industry, and companies should focus on it. "Caring for the environment should start at the design and preliminary engineering stages. Environmental concern should be part of every industrial organisation's culture."
© Bahrain Tribune 2005
