DUBAI — Leading players from the entire plastic value chain will converge for the 11th GPCA PlastiCon on March 18-19 at Park Hyatt Dubai, UAE, to reaffirm their commitment to the circular economy and address the plastic waste challenge enabled through cross-industry collaboration, value chain integration and investment in innovative technologies. The conference will spotlight the circular economy as an engine for value creation and highlight the role of plastics in building a sustainable closed loop economic model, creating additional added value for the regional economy, driving job creation and diversification and contributing to global and regional sustainability goals. According to a recent report, almost $138 billion of savings can be generated in GCC countries by 2030 if a circular economic model is adopted, corresponding to nearly 1% of the region’s cumulative GDP between 2020 and 2030. The report further estimates that boosting circularity within households could generate cumulative benefits of $46 billion for the same period. As the largest gathering in the region dedicated to the circular economy, PlastiCon will provide a platform for leading polymer producers, brand owners, regional regulators, plastic processors, manufacturers and technology providers to share their insights into global and regional innovations currently under way as well as the collective actions needed to transition towards a circular economy in the region. As part of this year’s engaging conference program, speakers will share their inspiring case studies and expertise in creating an after-use economy for plastics and enabling plastic recycling aimed at minimizing plastic waste and promoting a circular economy both within the plastics industry and in the wider region. The convention will begin on March 18 with the opening remarks of Dr. Abdulwahab Al-Sadoun, secretary general, GPCA, and continue with a presentation on ‘Transforming the plastics downstream industry through digitalization’ by Eng. Abdallah Obeikan, CEO, Obeikan Investment Group on day one, and a keynote address on day two, 19 March, entitled ‘A new dawn for waste management in KSA’ by Jeroen Vincent, CEO, Saudi Investment Recycling Company. Other distinguished speakers from Coca-Cola, Nestle, and Unilever, the recycling, technology and manufacturing sectors, such as Veolia, Suez Middle East Recycling, Henkel Adhesives Technology, INEOS, KIZAD and many more, will converge for two days of knowledge sharing, networking and discussions revolving around innovations in plastic design, chemical recycling, circular economy in plastics, regional regulatory updates and other top of the mind industry topics. Al Sadoun commented: “Building on its decade-long legacy in the region, PlastiCon has evolved as the go-to platform for the regional plastics community to debate the future of this valuable material and establish a space for collaboration and value creation through the establishment of a circular economy. “There is no doubt that moving to a closed-loop economic model will deliver on the sustainability agenda of governments and industries across the region and ensure that the value of this versatile material is retained within the economy.” He added, “I invite the entire regional value chain to converge for two days of networking and the exchange of best practice, as we move to a more sustainable future enabled by greater collaboration, innovation and investment in research and development.” — SG