The COVID-19 pandemic brought about several disruptions, including threatening food security and nutrition globally. Border closures, forced quarantines and lockdowns exposed supply chain and logistics vulnerabilities and was an eye opener for the nutrition ecosystem, prompting governments to re-evaluate their food security strategies. This has triggered a sense of realization across countries, including in the Arabian Gulf, who are heavily reliant on food imports. Seeing new opportunities, the GCC countries are embracing a multi-faceted approach across value chains. They are leveraging innovation and modern technology to make our food systems more robust, resilient and sustainable. Regional governments are focused on enhancing domestic production, utilizing technology, rethinking investment strategies and boosting research and development activities to prepare for the future, as well as investing in diversified supply sources.
The agri-nutrients industry plays a leading role in supporting this transition. There is a growing need for this critical industry to collaborate with governments and the value chain to improve agricultural productivity and provide nutritious and sufficient food for all. To avoid disruptions in agricultural production and to ensure food security, the GCC agri-nutrients industry will have to embrace new avenues of growth, including boosting international cooperation, exploring new markets, strengthening domestic supply chains, reducing their environmental footprint and deploying advanced technology to maintain a competitive edge. Exploring new opportunities today will help build resiliency and sustainability, while preparing for potential future crises.
Now in its 11th edition, the GPCA Agri-Nutrients Conference will take place virtually from 15-16 September 2021. Held under the theme ‘Forging new avenues for a food secure future’ the dialogues at the conference will present a host of opportunities for the agri-nutrients industry to contribute positively to the food security agenda, share progressive technologies transforming the agricultural food chain, shed light on the breakthroughs and innovations in the agri-nutrients sector and discuss the trends shaping the overall industry.
2021 Confirmed Speakers
Abdulrahman Al-Suwaidi
CEO | Chairman
QAFCO | GPCA Agri-nutrients
Committee
HE. Nora Ourabah Haddad
FAO Representative
Sultanate of Oman
Dr. Abdulrahman Jawahery
President
GPIC
Samir Al-Abdrabbuh
EVP, Agri-Nutrients | Vice-Chairman
SABIC | GPCA Agri-nutrients
Committee
Esin Mete
Founder
MT Agri-Consulting
Richard Ewing
Global Ammonia Market Editor
ICIS
Munif Almunif
General Manager, Global AN Technology
SABIC
Rajiv Ram
Senior Analyst – Fertilizers
CRU
Meena Chauhan
Head of Sulphur and Sulphuric Acid Research
Argus Media
Patrick Heffer
Deputy Director General
International Fertilizer Association
Tom Scott
Global Director, Agribusiness Consulting
IHS Markit
Dr. Malcolm Cook
VP & Head of Chemicals & Process Technologies – ME & Turkey
Thyssenkrupp Industrial
Solutions AG
Robert Smulders
Vice President – Innovation
Stamicarbon
Bart de Groot
Sustainability Lead
Siemens Process Systems Engineering
Gaurav Sharma
Global Agrochemicals Research Lead
Accenture
David Seymour
Middle East Chemicals & Natural Resources Lead
Accenture
Fadi Sbaiti
General Manager
AeroFarms
Dr. Tareq Al-Ansari
Assistant Professor, CSE
Hamad Bin Khalifa University
Dr. Abdulwahab Al-Sadoun
Secretary General
GPCA
Eyad Rafiei
Ammonia Superintendent, Plants Operation Department
GPIC
Amal Al-Shamari
Manager of Strategic Planning
QAFCO
Ahmed Al-Jowder
Marketing Superintendent, Finance & Marketing Department
GPIC
Udit Arrora
Head of Committees affairs & Economic research (A)
GPCA
2021 Confirmed Partners
Principal sponsor
Diamond sponsor
Supporting partner
Supporting partner
Networking partner
Networking partner
Networking partner
Networking partner
Networking partner
Event overview
“I would like to extend my gratitude to GPCA for organizing the GPCA Fertilizer Convention. The fertilizer industry is a very important part of the GCC chemical industry, and this is a significant portion of what GPCA does.”
H.E. Shaikh Mohamed bin Khalifa bin Ahmed Al-Khalifa,
Minister of Oil,
Kingdom of Bahrain
“My sincere gratitude goes to GPCA for selecting Oman to host this significant event with the support of Oman India Fertiliser Company (OMIFCO). I would also like to extend my sincere appreciation for the excellent preparation and organization of this large-scale event, which, without a doubt, backs the Sultanate’s drive to host specialized events in all areas and elds.”
Eng. Isam bin Saud Al Zadjali,
Former CEO, Oman Oil Company, and
Former Chairman, Oman India Fertiliser Company (OMIFCO)
The GPCA Fertilizer Convention is the best forum to reach out to the leaders of the industry, exchange innovative ideas and seize the opportunity to progress towards the next step in the development of the GCC fertilizer industry. For this reason, it was of great value for me as a speaker and as an attendee.”
Alexandre Benedetti,
Senior Manager,
Corporate Value Associates
“I very much enjoyed participating in the 8th GPCA Fertilizer Convention, and would like to congratulate GPCA for delivering another world class event.”
Khalid Al-Mudaifer,
Former President and CEO,
Ma’aden
“The GPCA Fertilizer Convention is the go to place to meet with producers in the Gulf region but increasingly there is more and more international presence at the conference which is fantastic. The quality of the program this year looks extremely diverse and the focus on innovation is both timely and very welcome.”
Charlotte Hebebrand,
Director of Communications and Public Affairs,
International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)
“I found the conference very interesting and exciting; I really learnt a lot and had an opportunity to meet with people that come from the industry. Muscat is a great place and I very much enjoyed attending.”
John Baffes,
Senior Economist,
World Bank (Development Prospects Group)
“I am extremely pleased that GPCA has selected Muscat to host this event focusing on the challenges facing the fertilizer industry and the need for us to collaborate and network, work harder on research and technologies, and exchange best practices and ideas for the good of this planet.”
H.E. Eng. Salim Al-Aufi,
Minister of Energy and Minerals,
Oman
“The conference was very useful to understand the development of the fertilizer industry and the economy of the Gulf region in general. The participants of the conference from other regions have got a unique opportunity to join the local industry leaders in their discussions on the future of the region’s economy.”
Georgy Eliseev,
Principal Analyst – Ammonia,
IHS Markit
“Ma’aden HR were delighted to participate in the 10th edition of the GPCA Fertilizer Convention. The event was very well organized and attended, with ample opportunities to network with HR professionals and business leaders in the region. The agenda was action packed with an impressive array of speakers and subjects, and it thus provided a fantastic learning experience.”
Rene Thumbran,
Director, Leadership Development and Organizational Effectiveness,
Ma’aden
Why attend?
Build connections with leading stakeholders from the agri-nutrients industry: Renew and develop new business relationships at the most influential regional event for the agri-nutrients industry
The knowledge powerhouse for the agri-nutrients industry: Stay abreast about the latest disruptive technologies transforming the agri-nutrients industry
Explore new markets and broaden your reach: Deep dive into the market scenarios of major export and producing regions to drive new ventures and market dominance
Address your concerns and challenges: Engage in high level discussions through dedicated Q&A sessions focusing on strategic subjects, which will shape the future of the agri-nutrients industry
2021 Media Partners
Contacts
For delegate registration please contact:
Jovelyn Sadoguio
Events Admin Specialist
E: jovelyn@gpca.org.ae
T: +971 4 451 0666 ext. 153
For sponsorship and e-meeting room inquiries please contact:
Salman Khan
Sales and Membership Specialist
E: salman@gpca.org.ae
T: +971 4 451 0666 ext. 103
Jerry Rodrigues
Sales and Membership Specialist
E: jerry@gpca.org.ae
T: +971 4 451 0666 ext. 155
For speaker and program inquiries please contact:
Anida Dcosta
Conference Producer
E: anida@gpca.org.ae
T: +971 4 451 0666 ext. 127
For marketing inquiries please contact:
Aastha Govil
Communications and Community Specialist
E: aastha@gpca.org.ae
T: +971 4 451 0666 ext. 104
For media inquiries please contact:
Jovelyn Sadoguio
Events Admin Specialist
E: jovelyn@gpca.org.ae
T: +971 4 451 0666 ext. 153
Jhoanna Kilat
Communications Coordinator
E: Jhoanna@gpca.org.ae
T: +971 4 451 0666 ext. 123
For membership inquiries please contact:
Dima Horani
Head of membership & communication
E: dima@gpca.org.ae
T: +971 4 451 0666 ext. 333