The Arab region is now one of the key urea exporting areas in the world with a share of almost 34 per cent of the total trade, said a leading regional expert at a fertilisers industry forum.

"This share is set to grow thanks to the capacity expansion efforts in the near future," stated Abdulrahman Jawahery, the president of Bahrain-based Gulf Petrochemical Industries Company (GPIC) in his opening address.

More than 120 delegates from various Arab and international fertiliser producers and service companies came together for the key workshop that started yesterday in Bahrain.

GPIC is hosting the three-day event titled 'Ammonia tanks integrity management and inspection challenges', organised by the Arab Fertilisers Association (AFA) in collaboration with PP Simtech Solutions of the UK.

Jawahery also highlighted the significant role played by fertilisers in helping the world achieve food security. The current output of various kinds of fertilisers and raw materials stands at around 103 million tonnes, he added.

AFA secretary general Dr Shafiaq Al Ashqar described the workshop as an opportunity to exchange views and to keep abreast of developments in the industry.

"The Arab world is one of the strategic regions in the world for production of various kinds of fertilisers and their byproducts due to the abundance of natural gas, phosphates and potash which are indispensable to the vital industry," he added.

AFA, which was established in 1975, is a non-profit organisation representing the fertiliser industry in the Arab world. It comprises 186 companies representing 35 companies from around the world.-TradeArabia News Service