EQUATE Sponsors GPCA Supply Chain Conference 2016

Kuwait 4 May 2016 -- EQUATE Petrochemical Company, Kuwait's first international joint-venture in this industry, said that during 2015, Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries exported over 70 million tons of petrochemicals.

EQUATE President & CEO Mohammad Husain said, "With 80% of the GCC petrochemical output exported overseas, we want to push and challenge the thinking processes in the industry and show how there can be value generation in the supply chain."

Encouraging partnerships for the development of industrial logistics and transport, EQUATE sponsored the 8th Supply Chain (SC) Conference 2016 organized by the Gulf Petrochemicals & Chemicals Association (GPCA).

Husain, who also heads GPCA Supply Chain Committee, added, "Between 2010 and 2015, the GCC's petrochemical exports increased by 30%. Currently, the main challenges facing the supply chain are relevant to customs processes, environmental impact, developing new solutions, overall cost and others. All of which require an innovation-based approach by the producers, government bodies and supply chain providers through being 'Partners in Success'."

During the conference, EQUATE Innovation Program Leader Abdulrahman Al-Munayes delivered a presentation regarding 3D printing and its influence on the supply chain in the petrochemical industry. While highlighting EQUATE Innovation program, Al-Munayes discussed 3D printing in terms of history, development, benefits, applications, sales, market value, impact on supply chain providers and other topics.

In addition to Husain and Al-Munayes, EQUATE was represented at the conference by Integrated Supply Chain Business Operations & Planning Leader Abdullah Al-Husainan and Senior Supply Chain Planner Fawaz Al-Shuwaib.

As part of its sustainability efforts in all relevant fields, EQUATE sponsored a professor and students from the College of Engineering & Petroleum at Kuwait University to attend the event and interact with other delegates. EQUATE's sponsorship of the professor and the students for this event and other previous GPCA activities is part of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed with the college during 2008 for overall partnership and cooperation in industrial and academic fields.

The 8th GPCA SC Conference 2016, is held in Dubai, UAE. Under the theme "Supporting Downstream Development: Creating Integrated Supply Chain Linkages," the event gathers top executives from petrochemical and chemical companies, as well as government bodies, supply chain providers and other entities to discuss various topics regarding logistics and transport.

Established in 1995 as Kuwait's first international joint-venture in this industry, EQUATE Petrochemical Company (EQUATE) embodies its "Partners in Success" slogan through the partnership between Petrochemical Industries Company (PIC), The Dow Chemical Company (Dow), Boubyan Petrochemical Company (BPC) and Qurain Petrochemical Industries Company (QPIC). Commencing production in 1997, EQUATE is currently the owner and single-operator of several fully integrated world-class petrochemical units, within the Greater EQUATE joint-venture, that annually produce over 5 million tons of the highest quality grades of Ethylene, Polyethylene (PE), Ethylene Glycol (EG), Polypropylene (PP), Styrene Monomer (SM), Paraxylene (PX), Heavy Aromatics (HA) and Benzene (BZ). The products are marketed throughout the Middle East, Asia, Africa and Europe. As part of its global presence and growth opportunities, EQUATE in 2015 fully acquired MEGlobal as a wholly owned subsidiary. MEGlobal is a world leader in the manufacture and marketing of petrochemicals with operations in North America and Europe. Alongside with being a leading industrial organization, EQUATE dedicates its utmost commitment and care to overall sustainability wherever it operates in cooperation with public and private bodies, including employees, the society and customers, in all relevant fields, such as human development, environment, education, health and public awareness. www.equate.com

With EQUATE as one of its founding members, the Gulf Petrochemicals and Chemicals Association (GPCA) represents the downstream hydrocarbon industry in the Arabian Gulf. Established in 2006, the association voices the common interests of more than 240 member companies from the chemical and allied industries, accounting for over 95% of chemical output in the Gulf region. The industry makes up the second largest manufacturing sector in the region, producing up to US$108billion worth of products a year. The association supports the region's petrochemical and chemical industry through advocacy, networking and thought leadership initiatives that help member companies to connect, to share and advance knowledge, to contribute to international dialogue, and to become prime influencers in shaping the future of the global petrochemicals industry. www.gpca.org.ae

© Press Release 2016