Leading environmentalists from Saudi Arabia, Gulf countries, Asia, the Americas and Europe will meet in a conference on April 18-21 in Manama, Bahrain to discuss the impact of industries on the environment, particularly in the Middle East. The conference, called ENVIROARABIA 2010, is organized by the Environmental Technology and Management Association (ETMA) and the Saudi Arabian Section of the Air and Waste Management Association, both Dhahran-based environmental groups, in association with the Bahrain Society of Engineers (BSE). “The conference will identify the problems of our environment in relation to industries, particularly the oil and gas industries, and cite the various solutions that directly make an impact on environment with the aim of achieving sustainability in the rapidly urbanizing countries of this region,” said Dr. Khaled Al-Abdulkader, chairman of ETMA, one of the key organizers of the conference. He said the conference is a biennial event on environmental progress in the petroleum and petrochemical industries attended by environmentalists, producers and experts dealing with environmental issues and research. The conference will offer an excellent platform for professionals and producers to reinforce the world's environmental concerns and to share new ideas, products and knowledge in order to have a fruitful discussion of the issues, according to Abdulkader. An exhibition showcasing the latest technology for the protection of the environment will also be held parallel to the event. Around 100 technical papers will be delivered during the four-day conference by keynote speakers and experts from 30 countries. The topics of the technical papers include air quality and control, hazardous waste, pollution prevention, ground water, marine environment, radioactive materials, site characterization and remediation, risk assessment, operations in sensitive arid environments, environmental monitoring, environmental impact assessments, awareness and education, environmental health and industrial hygiene, environmental laws and regulations, environment health and (EHS) safety management systems, environmental conservation, emergency response, clean fuels, global issues and climate change, carbon emissions, and sustainable development and biodiversity. The conference is sponsored by many of the region's petroleum and petrochemical industries, including Saudi Aramco, BAPCO, ALBA, Kuwait Gulf Oil Company, Al Khafji Joint Operations, Schlumberger, and Boskalis Westminster Gulf Petrochemical Industries Company. The conference, which will be held at the Gulf International Convention Center of the Gulf Hotel in Manama, Bahrain, is under the patronage of Dr. Abdul Hussain Bin Ali Mirza, the Minister of Oil and Gas Affairs and Chairman of the National Oil and Gas Authority (NOGA), Kingdom of Bahrain.
