Zeynab Qaisari has been elected as the head of the Petrochemical Committee of the Islamic Consultative Assembly's Industries and Mines Commission by a majority vote. This committee serves as a supervisory and legislative body, addressing issues related to the petrochemical industry.
Challenges Facing the Petrochemical Industry
The election of Zeynab Qaisari comes at a time when Iran's petrochemical industry is facing multiple challenges in areas such as value chain development, production, exports, and raw material supply. On Monday, October 5, 2026, the market for petrochemical products and polymers was predominantly upward, with items such as sulfur, benzene, LPG, and methanol experiencing the highest daily growth. This trend indicates the importance and sensitivity of the current state of the petrochemical industry.
Zeynab Qaisari's Responsibilities in Parliament
Zeynab Qaisari does not only serve as the head of the Petrochemical Committee in Parliament; she is also a member of the Board of Directors of the Industries and Mines Commission and the head of the Oversight Faction on Oil, Gas, and Petrochemical Industry in Parliament. This overlap of responsibilities allows her to more effectively pursue key issues in the petrochemical industry. Notably, she had previously raised the Parliament's demands from the Persian Gulf Holding as the head of the Oversight Faction on Oil, Gas, and Petrochemical Industry in December 2024. These demands include topics such as completing the value chain and project screening.
New Tasks of the Petrochemical Committee
The mission of the Petrochemical Committee includes examining and following up on issues related to this industry and carrying out the supervisory duties of the Industries and Mines Commission. Topics such as feedstock supply, value chain development, and attracting investment should be prioritized in the committee's work. However, which cases will officially be on the committee's agenda will depend on future decisions and planning by the commission and the committee.
The change in the leadership of the Petrochemical Committee provides an opportunity for Qaisari to leverage her capacities in two different roles and simultaneously focus on the issues of the petrochemical industry. This overlap of responsibilities can help create more capacity for addressing the topics of this industry in Parliament.
The main question now is what the first priority of the Petrochemical Committee will be during Qaisari's presidency. The petrochemical industry is facing issues related to feedstock and energy, value chain development, and investment, and the selection of a new head could mark the beginning of a new phase in addressing these issues within the Industries and Mines Commission. However, there is still no specific official agenda outlined in the announcement report of the election, and we must wait for the committee's first actions and resolutions.
