DUBAI, UAE — Sept. , 2026 — The Circular Packaging Association CPA and the Gulf Petrochemicals and Chemicals Association (GPCA) have signed a memorandum of understanding to strengthen collaboration on advancing packaging circularity, supporting evidence-based policy development and greater alignment across the packaging value chain in the UAE and the wider GCC region. The partnership reflects a shared commitment to practical, scalable and economically sustainable approaches to circularity, built on industry engagement, knowledge sharing and constructive public-private dialogue.
The MoU was signed by Mater Aldhafeeri, GPCA’s secretary general, and Mohamed Ali Eldabaa, CPA’s chairman, bringing together the expertise, networks and industry perspectives of both associations to support the region’s transition to a more circular economy for packaging.
Under the agreement, CPA and GPCA will cooperate across key areas including policy engagement, knowledge exchange, industry advocacy, thought leadership, awareness and capacity building, with the aim of strengthening cross-sector collaboration and developing practical solutions that enable circularity across the packaging value chain.
The collaboration may include joint participation in policy dialogues, the exchange of industry knowledge and best practices, the development of research and thought-leadership initiatives, and the convening of workshops and platforms that bring together industry, government and other stakeholders.
Commenting on the partnership, Mater Aldhafeeri, GPCA’s secretary general, said: “Collaboration is essential in promoting a circular economy. By working together, GPCA and CPA can help strengthen industry dialogue, share expertise and support the development of practical and effective frameworks that advance sustainability, resource efficiency and long-term competitiveness across the region.”
Through this collaboration, both associations aim to support stronger public-private dialogue and contribute practical industry perspectives that help create the enabling conditions for more circular approaches to packaging. The partnership also reflects a shared ambition to support policies, standards and market-based solutions that enable greater resource efficiency and sustainable growth across the region.
Mohamed Ali Eldabaa, CPA’s chairman, added: “Advancing packaging circularity requires collaboration across the entire value chain and a shared collaboration to practical solutions. Through this partnership with GPCA, we aim to bring together industry expertise, support evidence-based policy dialogue, and help create the enabling conditions needed to scale circular solutions across the UAE and the wider GCC region. By aligning perspectives and sharing knowledge, we can accelerate progress towards a more resource-efficient and competitive future.”
CPA and GPCA look forward to working closely with their respective members and stakeholders to advance a more circular and sustainable future for packaging across the UAE and the wider GCC region.
About CPA:
The Circular Packaging Association (CPA) launched in 2023 as an industry working group licensed under Dubai Chambers. It is the first cross-sector circular economy platform working to transform the packaging value chain, and it grew out of work started in 2019 by founding members of the CIRCLE Coalition for innovation in recycling toward a closed-loop economy.
CIRCLE was formalized under the sponsorship of the UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment through a memorandum of understanding to build a circular economy for packaging across the GCC. CPA works to embed circular and green economy principles across the packaging value chain in the UAE, shifting from a take-make-dispose model to one that treats packaging waste as a resource.
CPA also works to raise consumer awareness and provide recommendations on sustainable packaging legislation and policy, using a data-driven, multi-stakeholder approach.
