More engineering solutions will be needed to tackle the challenges in the field of process engineering triggered by the population boom and increasing demand for energy, which requires further work to enhance the relation between process engineering and technology, remarked Shaikh Mohamed bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, Bahrain's Minister of Oil.

Shaikh Mohamed was speaking at the fourth edition of Middle East Process Engineering Conference and Exhibition (Mepec) which opened on October 9 at the Bahrain International Exhibition Centre.

It was formally inaugurated by Bahrain's Deputy Premier Shaikh Ali bin Khalifa Al Khalifa in the presence of senior government officials and top executives of leading companies including Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (Sabic), Saudi Aramco, Shell, Bapco and Tasnee.

A premier industry event, Mepec brought together more than 150 exhibiting companies, 103 speakers, 2,500 participants and thousands of visitors from all over the GCC region.

Held under the patronage of HRH Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, Prime Minister of Bahrain, Mepec 2017 is being organised by the Saudi Arabian Chapter of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers and co-organised by Middle East Energy Events.

Addressing the gathering, Shaikh Mohamed said: "We need to achieve balance against the imbalance we face increasingly in the current volatile oil prices that affected the oil producing countries in addition to the need to take advantage of the solutions available to rationalise operating expenses in this vital and important sector."

Keeping in line with global issues, this edition of Mepec, the region’s premier process engineering event, focuses on “Sustainable Growth through Process Innovation & Downstream Integration”.

Putting the spotlight on innovation, youth and women in process engineering, the top regional conference witnessed several high-level industry discussions and thought-provoking content and industry leaders and also saw process engineers engaged in technical conversations and find solutions to current challenges.

In his keynote address, Shaikh Mohamed lauded Princess Sabeeka bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa, President of the Supreme Council for Women, for her unlimited support to Bahraini women and her appreciation for the role of women and their valuable contributions in all areas of the development process of the kingdom.

He also thanked her for celebrating the Bahraini Women's Day 2017 fully dedicated to Bahraini women engineers.

Shaikh Mohamed praised the efforts made by the Lewas (Leadership Excellence for Women Award and Symposium) team leader Reem Al Ghanim and the rest of the team to promote a culture of leadership excellence for women and encourage innovation, leadership, achievement and women's talents in the oil and gas industry.

In addition to Shaikh Mohamed, the official opening ceremony featured keynote speeches from  Ahmad Al Sa’adi, senior vice president for technical services at Saudi Aramco; Yousif Abdullah Al Banayyan, the chief executive officer of Sabic and Bakheet Al Rashidi, the chairman of GDA and president, Kuwait Petroleum International.

Mepec’s technical sessions covered four main topics - Process Design and Development, Process Excellence, Sustainability and Downstream Integration for Value Creation. These are key priorities for the region, which should also foster synergy and collaboration between industries.

A total of 48 technical presentations will be delivered by leading regional and international key players including Sabic, Saudi Aramco, Shell, Bapco, Tasnee, Honeywell, Sadara Chemical Company, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM), Rexa, AspenTech and ExxonMobil Chemical.

The event is being supported by the National Oil and Gas Authority, World Petroleum Council, Indian Chemical Council, Gulf Downstream Association and Chemtech Foundation.-TradeArabia News Service