ALKHOBAR, 25 June 2003 — The 6th International Conference and Exhibition on Chemistry in Industry is scheduled for Sept. 27-29, 2004 in Manama, Bahrain. The theme is “Alternative Fuels Trends: Opportunities and Challenges to Oil-Based Fuels.”
Mansour N. Al-Lahiani is chairman of the organizing committee for the conference, supported by the vice-chairman of the organizing committee, Abbas S. Al-Ghamdi.
“Organizing for the conference started two months back,” Al-Lahiani said. “The Saudi Arabian International Chemical Sciences local section of the American Chemical Society (SAICS-ACS) is mounting the conference in partnership with the Bahrain Society of Chemists.
“Members of the organizing committee are drawn from many local industries. We are working to once again provide an opportunity for scientists and engineers from the Middle East to exchange ideas with international experts in science and engineering.”
Al-Lahiani explained that while the conference theme might sound unusual, it was very important that the oil producing countries of the Middle East keep abreast of the directions being taken by the developers of alternative fuels.
“We must know and understand the new research under way and learn where the market is moving,” he said. “It is necessary to identify the challenges to oil-based fuels, make recommendations on how serious these challenges are and perhaps how they can be countered with changes and improvements to our products. Let’s not forget that for the foreseeable future petroleum is the primary earner for Gulf economies.”
While the focus of the conference is on alternative fuels, it will provide opportunities for technical sessions on a wide range of topics including water, chemistry and the environment.
“Chemists and engineers are interested in many different subjects,” said Al-Lahiani. “Almost every industry needs the services of individuals trained in these specialties. Research and emerging technologies are also very dependent on chemists and engineers.
“The conference is an opportunity to show the end results of some of the work done by scientists and engineers and discuss the importance of this work to our nations, peoples and economies.”
Al-Ghamdi pointed out that the conference is just one of the activities of SAICS-ACS. The society holds monthly meetings in order to promote the advancement of chemistry and chemists in the Kingdom. SAICS-ACS has 70 international members and nearly 200 local members. Anyone with an interest in chemistry or chemical engineering is welcome to join.
“At our monthly dinner meetings, experts deliver presentations of interest to the group and then there is a chance for networking among the members,” Al-Ghamdi said.
“Representatives of most of the major industries in the Eastern Province are part of the organization. We also actively encourage university students to have an interest in chemistry as a career by inviting them to attend our dinner meetings free so they meet professionals already active in the field,” he added.
