Yousef Abdullah Al- Benyan, Chief Executive Officer and Vice-Chairman of SABIC, has been elected as the Chairman of the Gulf Petrochemicals and Chemicals Association (GPCA), it was announced Wednesday. He was previously the Vice- Chairman of the GPCA and will assume his role effective immediately, taking over from Rashed Saud Al Shamsi, former Petrochemicals Director at ADNOC. "With unique experience spanning the Middle East, the Americas and the Far East, Yousef Al- Benyan possesses inimitable skills that have served him well in his position as CEO of one of the world's largest petrochemical companies," said Dr. Abdulwahab Al-Sadoun, Secretary General, GPCA. "His knowledge, cross- functional expertise and deep understanding of the industry will help the GPCA steer the industry into the next stage of its evolution." With nearly 30 years' experience, Al-Benyan has been in his current role at SABIC since February of last year. He took over this post from Mohamed Al-Mady, who was appointed as the Chairman of the General Organization for Military Industries in Saudi Arabia. Al-Mady also served as the Chairman of the GPCA from 2006-2015. "With regional governments—like Saudi Arabia with its 2030 National Development Plan – identifying petrochemicals as a key component of their diversification, steady hands like Al-Benyan's will be crucial in realizing the sector's potential," Dr. Al-Sadoun added. Abdulaziz Al Hajri, ADNOC's newly appointed Director of Refining & Petrochemicals, assumes the role of Vice-Chairman of the GPCA, with Qatar Vinyl Company's (QVC) CEO Hamad Al Nuaimi assuming the role of Treasurer. The GPCA, now in its 11th year of existence, represents the downstream industry in the Arabian Gulf region. Since its inception, membership has grown to include 250 companies from the chemical sector and its supporting industries. The association's full members accounts for over 95% of the petrochemical output in the GCC by volume. The association runs six world-class events each year, and advocates for the common interests of GCC's petrochemicals industry.
