Circular Carbon Forum | Scaling Carbon Innovation in MENA

The Circular Carbon Economy (CCE) Forum highlights the technologies, strategies, and investments enabling a low-emission future for MENA’s energy and industrial sectors. With a focus on reducing, reusing, recycling, and removing carbon emissions across their lifecycle, this forum showcases initiatives- from carbon capture and green hydrogen, to circular plastics and chemical innovation.

Key Themes

Carbon Capture, Utilization & Storage (CCUS)
Real-world deployments and next-generation innovations driving emissions reduction across industries.

Clean Hydrogen & Ammonia
Scaling renewable-powered hydrogen production and export infrastructure to reduce and reuse carbon emisisons.

Energy Efficiency & Sectoral Decarbonisation
Lowering carbon intensity across buildings, transport, and heavy industry.

Circular Plastics & Industrial Waste
Advancing recycling technologies and closed-loop manufacturing models.

Direct Air Carbon Capture & Storage (DACCS)
Exploring the potential of carbon removal at scale in arid, high-emission regions.

Chemical Sector Transformation
Enabling low-carbon growth through green chemistry and process innovation.

Carbon Capture in Transport
Tackling emissions from shipping and internal combustion engines through onboard solutions.

Innovation Zero MENA | 14th & 15th October 2025 | Misk City

What You’ll Gain

Technology Insights from Global Leaders
Explore proven and emerging carbon management technologies—from Jubail’s CCUS facility to pilot projects in mobile capture and DACCS.

Investment & Scaling Strategies
Learn how the region is financing large-scale CCE infrastructure, with input from industrial operators, government leaders, and innovation hubs.

Sector-Specific Applications
See how CCE principles are applied across MENA’s most carbon-intensive industries, including chemicals, plastics, and transportation.

Regional & Global Alignment
Discover how MENA can lead global carbon markets through innovation, policy leadership, and export of CCE expertise.

Who Should Attend

Energy & Industrial Leaders
Operating in high-emission sectors and exploring pathways to net zero through CCE technologies.

Carbon Tech Innovators & Startups
Developing solutions in capture, removal, reuse, and circular materials.

Investors & Infrastructure Developers
Financing CCUS hubs, green hydrogen plants, and waste-to-value facilities.

Government & Policy Stakeholders
Designing regulatory frameworks and incentives that unlock carbon economy potential.

Transport & Mobility Experts
Seeking scalable decarbonisation strategies for vehicles, fleets, and maritime operations.

Plastics, Petrochemical & Chemical Producers
Exploring low-carbon processes and circular product innovation to future-proof business models.

At the Circular Carbon Economy Forum, bold ambition meets real-world action, uniting technology, finance, and policy to decarbonize the MENA economy and enable a circular future.

Opening Remarks

Circular Carbon Economy Forum

09:15 – 09:25
CCUS in Action: Powering the Circular Carbon Economy

Circular Carbon Economy Forum

09:30 – 10:15

Local CCUS (Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage) initiatives capture CO₂ emissions from natural gas processing and refining operations. A key part of the region’s strategy to reduce industrial ca ...

Dr. Mohammad Abu Zahra, Head of Middle East and Africa (MEA) Region - Global CCS Institute
Clean Hydrogen Production

Circular Carbon Economy Forum

10:20 – 11:05

There are a number of ambitious new green hydrogen projects in the MENA region. With planes to produce green hydrogen using renewable energy, this panel will explore the technical challenges of large- ...

Lourdes Vega, Director, Research and Innovation Center on CO2 and Hydrogen (RICH) - Khalifa University
Smarter Energy: Advancing Efficiency Across MENA

Circular Carbon Economy Forum

11:15 – 12:00

Local energy efficiency initiatives aim to reduce energy intensity across key sectors, including industry, transport, and buildings. This panel will explore how these initiatives are driving efficienc ...

Maged Mahmoud, Technical Director - Regional Center for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (RCREEE)
Lunch Break

Circular Carbon Economy Forum

12:00 – 12:45
Next-Gen CCUS Solutions for a Net Zero Future

Circular Carbon Economy Forum

12:50 – 13:35

This session will explore cutting-edge technologies that are advancing the effectiveness and viability of CCUS. Each technology will be discussed by an expert in the field, providing insights into the ...

Mohd Yusuf Khan, Research Scientist - King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals
The Future of Direct Air Capture in MENA

Circular Carbon Economy Forum

13:40 – 14:25

As the MENA region accelerates its transition to new technologies, Direct Air Capture (DAC) is emerging as a potential tool for large-scale carbon removal. This panel will explore the feasibility of D ...
Powering Progress, Cutting Carbon: The Future of Chemicals in MENA

Circular Carbon Economy Forum

14:30 – 15:00

The chemical sector is a key sector in MENA’s economic growth, one of the most energy-intensive industries globally and a significant contributor to carbon emissions. In MENA, and particularly in Saud ...
Carbon on the Move: Capturing Emissions in Transport

Circular Carbon Economy Forum

15:05 – 15:35

While electrification is growing, internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles and conventional shipping are currently set to persist for decades. This panel explores how carbon capture for vehicles can ...

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	Connecting leaders of the future economy

Wishlist

The Circular Carbon Economy Forum at Innovation Zero MENA 2025

What You’ll Gain

Who Should Attend

At the Circular Carbon Economy Forum, bold ambition meets real-world action, uniting technology, finance, and policy to decarbonize the MENA economy and enable a circular future.