Bahrain hosts industrial experts gathering

Manama, June 25 (BNA): The Gulf Downstream Association (GDA) has hosted a gathering of business leaders and industry experts on Monday to discuss the collaboration and knowledge-sharing for continued and sustainable development of the GCC and global downstream industry. The event included a presentation by GDA’s Secretary General, Audah Al Ahmadi, titled "A New Initiative for Knowledge-Sharing", followed by a Q&A session. He gave an overview of the association and the principles and objectives on which it is founded. In 2016, GDA was established by a Cabinet resolution in the Kingdom of Bahrain and is supported by its founders the national oil companies of the GCC region, which include Saudi ARAMCO, Kuwait Petroleum International (KPI), Bahrain Petroleum Company (BAPCO), Kuwait National Petroleum Company (KNPC) and Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) Refining. The primary aim of GDA is fostering engagement and aggregating the wealth of knowledge that lies scattered across the Gulf’s and global downstream industries in order to accelerate development via its unique platform for industry collaboration and knowledge sharing. He encouraged industry players to join the organisation to capitalise on the vast experience and knowledge GDA and its membership have to offer. This includes use of its state-of-the-art, interactive website and Knowledge Hub, industry events, workshops and networking. Moreover, GDA members benefit by preferential pricing on world-class training courses that have been developed and delivered together with leading technology providers and other international training facilitators. GDA also organises conferences and exhibitions, forums and symposiums in collaboration with leading event organizers. The lecturer highlighted GDA’s success to date in attracting a strong and growing membership across the downstream industry including regional and international companies and experts working within the Refining and Marketing sector, a range of Consultants, Technology Providers, Contractors and other Service Providers, Government Organisations and those within the world of Academia. He talked in depth about some of the key features of various platforms for knowledge sharing. At the core of what GDA does are nine Technical Committees covering key areas of the downstream industry. These Committees have been created to support and accelerate strategic growth, improve processes and performance and address issues and current challenges facing the downstream industry. They are made up of leading Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) nominated by the respective member companies or invited to join by GDA management. He noted that GDA is eager to further expand the composition of these Committees, which meet regularly every quarter while also maintaining active online engagement between meetings to keep momentum and a continual flow of knowledge sharing going within the membership. Many from the audience commented that the GDA Knowledge Hub is a unique concept for sharing knowledge and experience among all players of the Downstream Industry. He said, "We’re delighted with the strong turn- out of our colleagues from across the local, regional and international downstream industry. Since our establishment, we’ve worked closely with our members and the broader industry to ensure that we are providing value and becoming a common voice for our members. We look forward to welcoming an even greater number of our peers on board in the coming months and unveiling even more partnerships, resources and opportunities from which they and the industry will be able to benefit."