Jubail Petrochemical Company (KEMYA) is a 50-50 joint venture between Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC) and Exxon Chemical Arabia Inc., an affiliate of ExxonMobil Chemical Company. The two companies have collaborated closely since the joint venture was established in 1980, producing polyethylene, ethylene and propylene. The new synthetic rubber project represents a significant broadening of KEMYA's product portfolio. Associated with the new KEMYA Elastomers facility is the establishment of the High Institute for Elastomers Industries (HIEI), a vocational training center in Yanbu, a Product Application Center in Riyadh, and thermoplastic polyolefin (TPO) compounding and inventory management facilities in Al-Jubail. These facilities are aligned with the Kingdom's National Industrial Clusters Development Program to expand and diversify Saudi Arabia's manufacturing sector. The HIEI will employ innovative polymer science education programs developed at the University of Akron Research Foundation (UARF), in Ohio, USA to train Saudis for the Kingdom's developing Elastomers conversion industry. The HIEI is scheduled to begin classes in September 2012. --MORE
