A record number of more than 230 exhibitors from 45 countries are taking part in the 11th edition of Sabic Technical Meeting (STM-11), a major research and development exhibition.

The exhibition, which opened in Jubail on Sunday (November 2), will conclude today (November 5).

Prince Saud bin Abdullah bin Thenayan Al-Saud, chairman of Sabic and the Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu, inaugurated the event at the King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Cultural Center in the presence of Mohamed Al-Mady, Sabic vice chairman and CEO, and a diverse mix of global participants.

The event is held under the theme “Commitment to Reliability & Sustainability”.

STM- 11 marks the 20th year of the STM series. The event has brought together an impressive lineup of local and global CEOs, heads of manufacturing companies, scientists, researchers, chemists, engineers and technical experts to share their experiences and further build on their capabilities.

The exhibition covers an area of about 36,000 sq m – the size of nearly all the last six STM exhibitions put together, a statement said.

“Research and development, together with technology and innovation, have not only become an essential element in Sabic’s culture, but also a common culture among the Kingdom’s agencies that are concerned with planning,” said Prince Saud.

“This culture plays a major role in drawing the future path of industrial advancement in the Kingdom. The government’s industrialization strategy, so important to the Kingdom’s future, requires that we become more innovative, more creative and achieve highly technological solutions for our nation and the world.  And that is why Sabic is so important as a major partner in the Kingdom’s strategy.”

In his opening remarks, Mohamed Al-Mady stressed that Sabic’s strategy is to increase the positive impact it is already having on its stakeholders across the value chain by distributing higher levels of direct and indirect economic value.

“We will do this by continuing to make capital investments in manufacturing technologies that reduce our impact on the environment and enhance our short and long term economic viability; invest in innovation and sustainable solutions to differentiate our products; diversify our product offerings; and improve the relationships we have with our customers across various market segments,” he said.

The STMs provide an opportunity to the global participants and Sabic’s multiple manufacturing facilities and businesses to leverage theoretical and practical knowledge related to manufacturing as well as research and development.

Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (Sabic) ranks among the world’s top petrochemical companies. The company is among the world’s market leaders in the production of polyethylene, polypropylene and other advanced thermoplastics, glycols, methanol and fertilizers. – TradeArabia News Service