DAMMAM, 24 March — Saudi International Petrochemical Company (SIPCO) signed an agreement with a group of Japanese companies yesterday. As per the agreement, the Japanese group will take part in the methanol project, which is under construction at Jubail Industrial City. Designed to have an annual capacity of 970,000 tons, the new factory will start production by the third quarter of 2004, according to Abdul Aziz Al-Zamil, chairman of the Saudi company. (SPA)