DAMMAM: Foreign dignitaries, Saudi government officials and industry leaders met Sunday evening at the opening of Petrochem Arabia 2009 at the Dhahran International Exhibition Center.
Sulaiman Al-Thunayan, governor of Alkhobar, inaugurated the petrochemical and refining conference and exhibition, which was attended by 300 guests from 23 countries, including the ambassadors of Brunei and Hungary as well as senior delegates and global leaders in this important industrial sector. Against a backdrop of global economic uncertainty, the Kingdom and the energy sector are going full steam ahead on industrial development plans.
“Within the past few months we have seen and heard many differing opinions and forecasts as the industry waits out the storm,” said Lyndon D. Baptiste, director of business development for conference organizer BME Global Ltd. “We believe, however, that we are now in the eye of the storm and well within the frontier of new skies — signs of stability are apparent.”
Baptiste said the conference would provide a forum to explore new opportunities that Saudi Arabia’s massive push to increase petrochemical feedstocks and advanced refining capabilities are creating. “The recent visit of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah to the Eastern Province, where he inaugurated the Jubail II Industrial City, lends credence to the Kingdom’s objective to strengthen an already globally competitive petrochemical industry and has highlighted the huge potential in the region’s hydrocarbon sectors,” Baptiste said. “With the current development of infrastructure and the level of investment, the Eastern Province will become increasingly attractive to industry professionals in the years to come.”
More than 70 companies are taking part in the exhibition. At the conference, more than 120 delegates will discuss the latest developments and future outlook of the Saudi petrochemical and refining industries, with the information provided both by global experts and those involved in the construction and commissioning of new refining facilities in the Kingdom.
Abdul Aziz A. Al-Zeyad, assistant secretary general of the Federation of GCC Chambers, also spoke at the inauguration. Later, visitors toured the exhibition where displays by Sipchem, Dow, Tasnee and Sinopec among others attracted a lot of attention.
Organized for the first time by BME Global Ltd. and the Federation of GCC Chambers, Petrochem Arabia is sponsored by Sipchem, ExxonMobil and Sumitomo Chemical as well as Riyadh Techno Valley. Speakers include experts from Dow Chemical, Royal Dutch Shell, ExxonMobil, Saudi Aramco and the Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu.