The Exhibition of the SABIC Technical Conference in Jubail, held from 6-9 November, has been thronged with visitors, with the 450+ exhibitors expressing pleasure at the rate of attendance from representatives of SABIC and local facilities
The event, held in conjunction with the SABIC Technical Conference, brings together local, regional and international companies and professionals to showcase their innovative technologies and solutions, at a time when Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, with its focus on industrial development, technology enhancement and localisation, is at the top of the economic agenda.
Opened by HH Prince Saud bin Naif, governor of Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia, HH Prince Saud bin Abdullah bin Thenayan Al-Saud, chairman of SABIC and chairman of the Royal Commission of Jubail and Yanbu, and Khalid Al Falih, Minister of Energy, Industry and Mineral Resources and chairman of Saudi Aramco, the exhibition is significantly larger than the previous edition in 2014, and as such represents a “big step” for SABIC, according to Peter Boros, marketing director at Sherbiny. It can be seen as an indication of SABIC’s commitment to diversify its supply chain and bring in new cutting edge technologies in the drive for further industrialisation.
The event is clearly the show to be at for anyone doing business or looking to do business with SABIC. “We cannot afford not to be here,” commented one of the exhibitors. For those with long-standing involvement with SABIC it represents an opportunity to strengthen relations, while those newer to the market are looking to further progress their business. Participants range from the large Saudi trading companies such as Al Abdulkarim Holding, to international industrial companies such as Honeywell and 3M, and smaller more specialised providers. Partnership and localisation were strong themes, with areas such as technical training providing strong opportunities.
While the postponement of major projects, government cutbacks and the squeeze on suppliers are clearly causing difficulties, a number of exhibitors commented that servicing and replacement business was still good, and there was some optimism related to the focus on Vision 2030 commitments and the development of areas such as mining and solar energy.
