OREANDA-NEWS. August 6, 2012. HH Prince Saud bin Abdullah bin Thenayan Al-Saud, Chairman of the Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu and Chairman of SABIC patronized the celebration held jointly by Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC) and ExxonMobil to announce the new synthetic rubber project in Al-Jubail. The celebration was held at SABIC HQ on Monday evening July 30 and it was attended by Mohamed Al-Mady, SABIC Vice Chairman and CEO, Stephen D. Pryor Vice President and President of Exxonmobil Chemical Company, Exxon Mobil Corporation and SABIC board members, along with a number of executives from both companies.

During the celebration Prince Saud thanked the Ministry of Petroleum & Mineral Resources, represented by HRH Prince Faisal bin Turki Al-Saud, Advisor, for the unwavering support of this project, and providing all the requirements to facilitate success of the project.

Prince Saud stated that the project will be established in Al-Jubail Petrochemical Company (KEMYA), a joint venture of SABIC and Exxon Chemical Arabia, Inc., indicating that the project reflects SABIC’s commitment to promote growth, innovation and job creation in Saudi Arabia’s downstream industries. The project will provide new industry opportunities and markets in the automotive and construction sectors.

Prince Saud further stated that the new elastomers project will support development of the workforce and develop the elastomers industry sector in Saudi Arabia through a vocational training institute. He also indicated that a High Institute for Elastomer Industries (HIEI) will be established in Yanbu to train Saudis in new skills required for the Kingdom’s developing elastomers conversion industry. The HIEI will employ Saudi instructors to deliver an innovative elastomers education curriculum developed with the University of Akron Research Foundation in Ohio, USA, he said.

Furthermore, Prince Saud highlighted SABIC keenness on close alignment with the national programs aiming at growth and diversification of the Kingdom’s manufacturing sector, through offering innovative and competitive solutions to develop export-oriented industrial sectors. He also indicated that SABIC is committed to be part of the national programs long-term strategy to reduce dependency on hydrocarbon resources.

Prince Saud also noted that the synthetic rubber plants and technology to be used are in line with SABIC’s sustainability goals and will help customers produce and sell products that are sustainable through a lower carbon footprint and higher energy efficiency.

Planned to startup in 2015, the new elastomers project will have the capacity of 400,000 tonnes per year of rubber (including halobutyl, styrene butadiene, polybutadiene, and ethylene propylene diene monomer [EPDM] rubbers), thermoplastic specialty polymers, and carbon black. These products will serve the objectives of Saudi Arabia’s National Industrial Cluster Development Program, which is responsible for accelerating growth and diversification of the Kingdom’s manufacturing sector, including the automotive manufacturing industry. SABIC’s valued customers will be supported by SABIC’s Application Development Centre in Riyadh to develop rubber products used in construction applications such as roof sheeting and building profiles, as well as other applications like hoses and conveyor belts. Along with its established portfolio of polymers and metal products, SABIC’s forthcoming range of elastomer products will further add value to the Kingdom’s manufacturing industry.