A regional workshop in Qatar (6 – 8 Sept) is bringing together participants from Member States of the Regional Organization for the Protection of the Marine Environment (ROPME) to review preparedness for responding to oil spills and incidents involving hazardous and noxious substances (HNS). The workshop, attended by more than 60 participants from six countries, has been organized by ROPME’s Marine Emergency Mutual Aid Centre (MEMAC) in cooperation with IMO. Participants will review the status of the ROPME regional HNS spill contingency plan and consider the different response techniques for HNS and oil. IMO’s Murat Korcak is in attendance. The Member States of ROPME are Bahrain, the Islamic Republic of Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.