RIYADH: A high-level Saudi trade delegation attended the Achema trade fair in Frankfurt which started on June 15 and will run through June 31. The Saudi Arabia Downstream Forum was also held on the occasion.

The trip was organized by the Delegation of German Industry and Commerce headed by Andreas Hergenroether, delegate of German Industry and Commerce for Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Yemen; and Al-Ameen Al-Dalali, head of trade department

The Achema trade fair is the world forum for chemical engineering and the process industry and innovations platform and technology summit.

Talking on the occasion, Hergenroether said, “Saudi Arabia is the region’s latest petrochemical producer with an annual 86.4 million tons of capacity. The Saudi petrochemical industry is one of the fastest growing sectors of the economy.”

He added that Saudi Arabia produces 9 percent of the world’s output of petrochemical products, shipping 17 percent of world exports in petrochemicals. Around 60 petrochemical projects are being currently realized or planned.

“German companies have been strong partners for sustainable long-term business relations in the petrochemical sector in Saudi Arabia for decades,” he added.

He said that companies from global enterprises like Linde and Evonik to SMEs like Coperion have ventured into the Saudi market and established themselves as strong partners for Saudi petrochemical businesses.

Four Saudi companies participated in the fair. These include Al-Abdularim Holding Company, MODON, Saudi Basic Industries Corp. and Saudi Aramco.

Speakers during the Saudi Arabia Downstream Forum included Hergenroether; Juergen Nowicki, speaker of the board of Linde AG-Engineering Division; Osama Al-Zamil, chairman of Zamil ChemPlast; Saud Al-Sabhan, marketing manager of Saudi Industrial Property Authority (MODON); Werner Strauch, GM of Coperion Middle East Co.Ltd.; Daniel Gottschald, CEO of Chemie Cluster Bayern AG; and Thomas Dreiling, CEO of ThyssenKrupp.