Dubai is to host the second Human Capital Convention on the 16th of October under the theme “Leading Change Through Operational Excellence” The two-day conference, organized by the Gulf Petrochemicals and Chemicals Association (GPCA), will bring together more than 300 senior HR professionals in the petrochemicals sector to explore the fundamental issues affecting Operational Excellence from personal and professional perspectives, including culture transformation, change leadership, innovation culture, and talent management. The event follows last year’s inaugural gathering, also in Dubai, which brought together top regional and global industry executives to study best practice on recruitment, human resources development, employee retention, and workforce engagement. Seven million jobs have been created in the Gulf over the last decade but only two million of these have gone to Gulf citizens, reinforcing the need for petrochemicals and chemicals producers to create more opportunities for the local workforce, the head of the downstream industry’s leading association in the region said. “With significant investment earmarked for petrochemical projects in the Gulf, there is a critical need for skilled talent,” said Dr. Abdulwahab Al-Sadoun, Secretary General of the GPCA. “The oil and gas industry’s movement downstream is a source of job creation for Gulf citizens, but school-leavers and graduates entering the workforce need the right competencies and guidance in order to take full advantage of the opportunities presented by a growing sector,” he said.