SABIC STRESSES COMMITMENT TO SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE THROUGH INNOVATIVE PRODUCTS AT GPCA FERTILIZER CONVENTION

SABIC is committed to sustainable agriculture by creating new products that offer significant and measureable advantages to farmers based on the regions where they live and the crops that they grow there.

In an address on the opening day of the eighth Gulf Petrochemicals and Chemicals Association (GPCA) Fertilizer Convention in Bahrain on September 26, Anas Kentab, SABIC Executive Vice President, Agri-Nutrients, said that SABIC is developing innovative products and a specialty portfolio that help farmers increase production, improve profitability, enhance environmental protection levels, and improve sustainability performance.

The three-day convention is being held under the patronage of Shaikh Mohamed bin Khalifa bin Ahmed Al-Khalifa, Bahraini Minister of Oil, under the theme, “New beginnings: Return to Growth.” It offers an exclusive platform for industry experts to present their thoughts on the likely impact of new market changes on the fertilizer business and the key drivers behind future growth. SABIC is one of the sponsors of the convention.

Kentab, who was among the large number of global leaders from the fertilizer industry at the convention, highlighted SABIC’s date palm grade as an example of the company’s innovative products to meet the emerging needs of the agriculture sector. The grade, which was launched successfully last year, was developed specifically for date palms in the Middle East after extensive research. SABIC is also launching new specialty products this year, including water-soluble fertilizers, to provide farmers with sustainable, cost-efficient and water-efficient nutrient input resulting in higher crop yields.

He emphasized that SABIC was not merely a supplier of commodity fertilizers, but was using technologically advanced research to develop specialty nutrients for the global farming community. In this regard, he gave the example of the Estidamah Agriculture Research Center built in Riyadh by SABIC to support the vision of the Ministry of Agriculture to promote sustainable agriculture in Saudi Arabia. The center conducts applied research on developing innovative technologies for sustainable agriculture industries with the primary goal of ensuring food security, food safety, and efficient water use.

“Our key strategic intention is to bring SABIC closer to farmers, understanding their needs and positioning them as a reliable partner for sustainable solutions to the Agri-Industry,” Kentab said.

As part of GPCA’s “Leaders of Tomorrow” (LoT) initiative, Kentab inspired the participating students at the forum with an overview of his successful career. He further highlighted SABIC’s strategy of identifying and growing talent within the company. SABIC sponsored the LoT event as well as a lunch on the second day of the convention.

The yearlong LoT initiative involves GPCA member companies sponsoring students to attend its yearly conferences. The aim is to provide the students opportunities to learn more about industry trends and give them an overview of the skill set required to face new challenges. It also supports member companies with their local talent acquisition process.

Riyad Al-Faiz
Leader, Global Communications