The FINANCIAL — Executives of Saudi Aramco and Dow Chemical toured the nearly completed Sadara complex in Jubail on April 30 to inaugurate the first six plants and control rooms, using the opportunity to be updated by major contracting partners on the work that remains to be completed.
Collaboration has been the hallmark of the Sadara project from the beginning, with Saudi Aramco and its joint venture partner, Dow Chemical Co., pairing up their respective expertise in hydrocarbon production and refining, and high-value chemical production. Collaboration has also been crucial to the construction phase, a point made during individual meetings between Saudi Aramco’s Downstream senior vice president Abdulrahman F. Al Wuhaib, Dow Chemical’s CEO Andrew Liveris and the major construction and engineering contractor CEOs held during their tour, according to Saudi Aramco.
Al Wuhaib said that the meeting came at a time when the Sadara project is more than 90% complete, with a notable 1 million man-hours of planning, 9 million man-hours of engineering, and nearly 350 million man-hours of construction.
“Let me thank you again for the tangible advances that have been made since we were here last time,” said Al Wuhaib. “But let me be clear that the hardest work still lies ahead, and the world is watching. Let’s use the power of partnership to push for the finish line without compromising safety or quality.
Accompanying Al-Wuhaib on the tour were Chemicals vice president Warren Wilder and other executives from Downstream.
Sadara is not just another project; it is the cornerstone of the company’s downstream strategy, of becoming a leading global chemicals player and adding value through the Kingdom’s hydrocarbon resources.
At more than 90% complete, the Sadara complex is well on its way to becoming the world’s largest integrated chemical complex ever built in a single phase, with more than 3 million tons of capacity per year. Sadara will be the first chemical complex to crack naphtha in the Gulf region, which will enable the manufacturing of a diverse number of products never previously produced in the Kingdom.
Sadara’s full value will be seen in an economic ripple effect of industrial clusters, value parks, and the development of the knowledge-based research, engineering, and service firms to support them. While Sadara itself is set to employ more than 3,000 people, it is expected to also create economic opportunities for manufacturing and service businesses that would generate an additional 15,000 jobs in the Jubail area.
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