13.12.2011

Saudi Arabia: Rise of a Global Chemical Hub

Changing World - With its bounty of oil reserves, Saudi Arabia has established itself as a major player in the worldwide petrochemicals market. The country's largest public company, SABIC, has joined the ranks of the world's top 10 chemical companies, thanks largely in part to its secure access to affordable feedstock.

However, the country knows that its feedstock advantage is a finite one; with the Saudi Downstream Initiative, it hopes to compete higher in the value chain through specialty and performance chemicals.
more06.09.2011

Sir William Wakeham on the Importance of Chemical Engineering

A Wide Range - From Reliance Industries' Mukesh Ambani and SABIC's Mohammed al-Mady to stand-up comedian and perpetual watermelon smasher Gallagher, chemical engineers can be found in almost every walk of life. more20.06.2011

SABIC, Maaden JV Starts Initial Production

Saudi Arabian Mining (Maaden) has said its phosphate joint venture with Saudi Basic Industries Corp (SABIC) started initial production on Friday.        more01.06.2011

Saudi Sabic Signs 50/50 JV With Mitsubishi Rayon

Saudi Basic Industries Corp (SABIC) on Tuesday said it signed a 50/50 joint venture agreement with Mitsubishi Rayon to build and operate two plants in Jubail. "One of the plants will produce methyl methacrylate monomer and will be the biggest plant in the world at a capacity of 250,000 metric tons a year," SABIC said in a statement. more01.06.2011

Saudi Industrial, Petrochem Postpone Merger Plans

Saudi Industrial Investment Group (SIIG) and its unit National Petrochemical (Petrochem) have delayed a planned merger until at least the end of 2011 when a joint venture starts production. The merger, which SIIG said in April was expected to be completed within nine months, would create the third largest petrochemical firm in Saudi Arabia after Saudi Basic Industries (SABIC) and Saudi Kayan Petrochemical. more18.05.2011

SABIC Says Plans $1 Billion China Plant With Sinopec

Saudi Basic Industries Corp (SABIC), the world's largest chemicals producer by market value, said on Tuesday that it is planning a $1 billion-plus facility in China with China Petroleum & Chemical Corp (Sinopec) to tap the country's robust demand for plastics. more18.05.2011

Clariant Offer For Remaining Süd Chemie Shares

Swiss speciality chemicals maker Clariant said on Tuesday it had made a mandatory public offer for the 3.85% of Süd-Chemie shares it does not own. Clariant, which beat rivals to buy German group Süd-Chemie for €1.4 billion ($2 billion) in February, will offer €126.38 per share. more28.04.2011

SABIC In Chemicals JV With Japan's Asahi, Mitsubishi

Saudi Basic Industries, the world's largest chemicals producer by market value, said it will launch a joint venture firm with Japan's Asahi Kasei Chemicals and Mitsubishi. more12.04.2011

Saudi Basic Industries JV Selects Samsung

Saudi Basic Industries Corp (SABIC) said on Monday its joint venture with Albemarle had selected Samsung Engineering to provide engineering, procurement and construction services for a new aluminium alkyls manufacturing facility in Jubail, Saudi Arabia. SABIC said Samsung would immediately begin work on the engineering of the new plant. Construction is expected to be completed in the third quarter of 2012. more14.03.2011

BASF Bags €900 Million In K+S Stake Sale

BASF booked a €900 million ($1.2 billion) pre-tax gain from the sale of its stake in German potash miner K+S, putting weight behind its plan to exit the nitrogen fertilizer business. Shares of K+S were headed for their biggest one-day slump in almost two years after former parent BASF, the world's top chemicals group by sales, hived off its stake of about 10% in the company. more