The GDA International Downstream Conference and Exhibition, launched by the Gulf Downstream Association (GDA), is set to be held from 23-25 October at the Bahrain International Exhibition & Convention Centre in Manama
Under the patronage of Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, prime minister of Bahrain, the theme of this three-day event is “Towards a Competitive Downstream through Innovation, Collaboration and Technology.”
The conference expects to host 4500 attendees and 150 exhibitors, aiming to strengthen the downstream industry and capitalise on the available opportunities.
The GDA International Downstream Conference and Exhibition boasts of a high calibre of panellists from the global downstream industry to provide deep insights. Panels at the conference include intense discussions regarding the role of innovation, collaboration and technology in the future of the downstream industry.
Panel Discussion - Future of Fuels:
This session will discuss the future of the downstream business with a focus on the products demand, economics and the outlook. The session aims to share different opinions from refiners, consumers, technology providers and regulators on the future of downstream.
Prominent speakers at this panel include Jean-Jacques Mosconi, senior vice president refining and petrochemicals at TOTAL, Rebecca Liebert, president and CEO of Honeywell UOP, and Suleman A Al-Bargan, vice-president for domestic refining and NGL Fractionation, Saudi Aramco.
Panel Discussion - Future of Energy:
This session will focus on the future of the energy demand and new technologies that will impact the downstream business. The session will aim to highlight the latest development in the future of the energy mix in the world and in the GCC and its impact on downstream. Prominent speakers at this panel include Dr Sun Xiansheng, secretary general at International Energy Forum (IEF).
Panel Discussion - Future of Margins:
This session will discuss the future of the refining margins and how to maintain competitiveness in the future environment. The session will provide insights into the characteristics of profitable facilities, integration and upgrade options, digitalisation and benchmarking with other regions.
Prominent speakers at this panel include Charles J Reith Jr, CEO at Solomon Associates, Norm Gilsdorf, president for the Middle East, Turkey, Russia, Central Asia at Honeywell UOP, and Othman Al-Ghamdi, CEO at S-Oil Corporation.
Roundtable - Human Capital:
This session will focus on current challenges and best practices in acquiring and developing talent in downstream. The discussion will also highlight the collaboration between academia, research and development with downstream business.
Prominent speakers include Dr Riyad Yousuf Abdulaziz Hamzah, president at the University of Bahrain, Nooruddin Ahmed, co-founder at CERTERO Business Corporation, Suleyman M Ozmen, vice-president for downstream licensing (Retired) at Shell Global Solutions International.
GDA's mission is to provide a platform for sharing knowledge, experience and best practices. This is achieved by becoming a premier association in the region that connects the downstream companies, technology and service providers, consultants, professional entities, governmental organisations, academic institutions and experienced retirees.
