Dubai: Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence, inaugurated the 16th Middle East Refining and Petrochemicals Tech Forum (ME-TECH 2026), taking place in Dubai from 14th to 16th September.

The forum brings together officials, experts, engineers, scientists, executives, specialists and innovators from the refining and petrochemicals sectors across the GCC, wider Middle East, Asia, Europe, North America and other regions.

Held under the theme “Empowering the Future of the Downstream Sector,” ME-TECH 2026 continues its nearly two-decade role as a specialised platform for addressing opportunities and challenges facing the refining and petrochemicals industries.

The forum focuses on improving the efficiency and value of existing assets while supporting their longer-term transformation into integrated, low-carbon energy and chemicals hubs enabled by digital solutions and advanced technologies.

In his opening address, Sheikh Nahyan said he looked forward to discussions on improving asset performance, achieving closer integration between refining and petrochemicals, using artificial intelligence to deliver measurable improvements, and enabling companies to enhance efficiency, resilience and profitability.

He thanked Euro Petroleum Consultants, Colin Chapman and his team for organising the forum in Dubai, saying the broad international participation reflects both the UAE’s importance in the refining and petrochemicals sector and its vision based on progress, prosperity and shared opportunity.

Sheikh Nahyan said the UAE has long recognised that progress accelerates when people, knowledge, capital and ideas come together, enabling industries from around the world to meet, cooperate and establish successful partnerships.

He added that under the leadership of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and with the support of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, the UAE continues to advance with confidence and unity.

He noted that resilient nations and industries share key qualities, including leadership, adaptability, innovation, investment in people and confidence in the future.

Sheikh Nahyan said the UAE regards refining and petrochemicals as strategic national assets and has invested in capacity, technology and human capital to support increasingly sophisticated industries.

He highlighted the sector’s fundamental role in modern life, producing fuels, fertilisers, packaging, medicines, construction materials and numerous everyday products.

Sheikh Nahyan said the industry simultaneously faces the challenges of improving margins, adopting new technologies, reducing energy use and emissions, strengthening reliability and transforming operations without disrupting critical systems.

He stressed that technology alone cannot address these challenges, adding that workforce skills, judgement and creativity will remain as important as equipment, software and processes. He noted that ME-TECH 2026 reflects this through its focus on workforce readiness and future skills.

Sheikh Nahyan also highlighted the value of bringing together specialists from different countries and backgrounds to exchange knowledge, compare experiences and develop shared solutions.

He said this represents tolerance and coexistence in practice, enabling people from different nationalities, cultures, professions and institutions to trust one another, learn together and build meaningful partnerships.

He added that alongside physical infrastructure such as pipelines, plants, ports, power systems and digital platforms, sustainable economic progress also depends on trust.

Sheikh Nahyan said the UAE views tolerance and coexistence as essential infrastructure for prosperity, stability and sustainable development, with international gatherings such as ME-TECH providing a practical example of this approach.

He concluded by encouraging participants to use the forum not only to exchange technical knowledge, but also to build relationships, create partnerships and strengthen the trust upon which lasting progress depends.

ME-TECH 2026 focuses on leveraging the region’s advantages in industry scale, feedstock availability and industrial integration while identifying technologies capable of extracting greater value from existing assets.

Its three-day programme includes expert sessions, interactive panel discussions and seminars, alongside networking and knowledge-exchange opportunities.

Key areas include asset optimisation, operational flexibility, feedstock variability and market dynamics, as well as artificial intelligence and digitalisation solutions such as advanced analytics and digital-twin technologies to improve real-time decision-making and predictive maintenance.

The forum also examines closer integration between refining and petrochemicals, innovations in process technologies and catalysts, improving yields and reducing emissions, enhancing energy and operational efficiency, and supporting decarbonisation strategies.

ME-TECH 2026 additionally features a new “Collective Intelligence Networking Roundtables” session, enabling participants to join focused discussions, exchange practical experience and explore shared industry challenges.

Other topics include digital transformation, enterprise integration, carbon management and carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS), hydrogen, ammonia, future fuels, the circular economy and sustainable materials.