KING OPENS NEW PROJECTS - SABIC

SABICMay/June 2009 Issue 92

king opens new projects

she awards: honor for safe operations

Urea: helping feed millions aroUnd the world

saBiC at npe 2009, Chinaplas, Brasilplas, apiC and Vdi

2 saBiC May/June 2009 saBiC May/June 2009 3

Sharing our futures

foreword

22 saBiC strengthens position in Us with loCal prodUCtion of stamaX* lgfpp*

Contributions to SABIC magazine are welcome and may be sent to: [email protected]. Articles and letters received may be edited for length and clarity. Every effort has been made to report accurate information in this publication. However, neither SABIC nor the publishers vouch for its accuracy, neither do they indemnify any loss arising through the use of the information. The views or opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect those of SABIC or the publisher.

saudi Basic industries Corporation, po Box 5101 riyadh 11422, saudi arabia.

15 open-soUrCe ConCept Car gets the plastiC toUCh from saBiC

The visit of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud to Jubail Industrial City on April 28 and the inauguration of two key SABIC expansion projects and a host of other industrial projects once again reiterates the Saudi government’s top-level commitment to industrial development. The King’s visit highlights Saudi Arabia’s willingness to invest in large-scale projects when the world is facing an economic slowdown. The news section also brings you details of SABIC leaders’ visit to Japan, along with other developments over the past two months.

We report two notable SABIC Innovation stories, both in the automobile sector. One provides details of how SABIC supported Hyundai’s i10 to meet stringent EU pedestrian safety standards. The other describes the role of SABIC Innovative Plastics’ products in shaping the world’s first ‘green’ open-source concept car.

SABIC has made a strategic move in the US to support the automotive industry further by facilitating local production of STAMAX* LGFPP* LGFPP (long glass fiber-filled polypropylene) resins. The composites have acquired increasing popularity among automakers and SABIC’s move is expected to offer significant benefits to US automotive OEMs.

We have devoted a separate section on Exhibitions and Conferences, covering NPE 2009, Chinaplas in Guanghzhou, Asia Petrochemical Industry Conference (APIC) in Seoul, South Korea, VDI Plastic Technologies International Conference and Exhibition in Mannheim, Germany, and Brasilplast 2009 in São Paulo. Wide-ranging interactions with customers and display of innovative products marked SABIC’s presence at these events. The spotlight on SHE Awards in this issue, comes after a comprehensive review of SABIC’s SHE program in the last issue. The feature not only informs us who the 2008 winners are, but seeks to explain how the awards have emerged as a rallying point for all of SABIC’s manufacturing operations.

The Netherlands has a unique Government-industry partnership program to encourage young students to pursue careers in science and technology. Called Jet-Net, the program is designed to provide students insights and first-hand experiences of industry and technology. The CSR section in this issue provides details of SABIC’s involvement in the program.

The Product Profile section features Urea, the fertilizer that is so vital to the global efforts to boost food production. Behind the Scenes throws light on a new sales tool launched in Europe called Prospect-To-Order (PTO).

The Crossword Competition in the magazine will be discontinued from the next issue. “Thank you” to our readers from around the world who have enthusiastically participated in the competition all these months.

managing editor

14 raCing to sUCCess32 linking yoUth and teChnology: saBiC is an aCtiVe sUpporter of Jet-net program

6 prinCe saUd, al-mady lead saBiC Visit to toyota, mitsUBishi groUp

4-5 CoVer story: King inaugurates new SABIC projects

6-13 news: A round-up of news stories from SABIC operations worldwide

14-15 innoVation news: Xenoy resin helps Hyundai i10 meet pedestrian safety standards; first ‘green’ open-source car gets the plastic touch from SABIC

16-21 eXhiBitions & ConferenCes: SABIC at NPE 2009, Chinaplas, APIC, Brasilplas and VDI Plastic Technologies International Conference and Exhibition in Mannheim, Germany, 22-23 saBiC strategy: SABIC strengthens position in US with local production of STAMAX* LGFPP

24-29 she awards: Honor for safe operations

30-31 sUCCess story: Lexan* Resin Constant Clear Film helps US supermarket chain to save cost and energy

32-35 Corporate soCial responsiBility: SABIC plays an active role in Jet-Net, the Dutch Government-industry program to encourage young students to pursue science and technology careers

36-37 Behind the sCenes: PTO opens new windows of opportunity for polymer sales in Europe

38-41 prodUCt profile: Urea – helping to feed millions around the world

42-45 lifestyle: A look at how colors in the interiors of your home can brighten your day

46 Competition

general supervisor: Mohamed H. Al-Mady

Vice-Chairman and CEO

editor-in-Chief: Othman M. Al-Humaidi

General Manager

Corporate Communications

managing editor: Abdulaziz H. Al-Ageel

Manager Media & External

Communications

SABIC magazine is published on behalf of saudi Basic industries Corporation by:

project manager: Khaled Al-Masri

group editor: K. Krishnakumar

head of design: Grigor Scott

senior designer: Hussain Mohammed Al-Bakri

PO Box 301292, Riyadh 11372 Tel: +966 (1) 462 3632 email: [email protected]

gray Business Communications 2009 ©Reprinting in whole or in part is prohibited by law except with the prior

written approval of the publisher.


CoVer STORY ss

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz recently launched a number of development and industrial projects in the Jubail Industrial City, which hosts most of SABIC’s world-scale manufacturing affiliates in Saudi Arabia. The King launched projects worth SR 54 billion (US$ 14.4 billion) during his visit on April 28.

King Abdullah, accompanied by senior cabinet ministers, Eastern Province Governor Prince Mohammed bin Fahd and senior princes, patronized a ceremony organized jointly by the Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu, SABIC, Marafiq, and private sector companies. The Royal Commission is the regulatory body that oversees the development of the industrial cities of

Jubail on the East Coast and Yanbu on the West Coast of Saudi Arabia.

The King viewed a presentation on the projects. The new projects included the SABIC expansion projects at SHARQ (Eastern Petrochemical Company) and IBN ZAHR (Saudi European Petrochemical Company). The total investments in these two expansion projects amounted to SR 22.8 billion ($6.08 billion). SHARQ’s expansion will add 2.8 million metric tons per year of ethylene, polyethylene and ethylene glycol to SABIC’s product portfolio. IBN ZAHR’s third polypropylene expansion project will add about 750,000 tons annually to its production capacity.

Speaking on the occasion, Prince Saud bin Abdullah bin Thenayan Al-Saud, Chairman of the Royal Commission

for Jubail and Yanbu and Chairman of SABIC, said that it is with the support and personal follow-up of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques that Jubail and Yanbu, like other cities of the Kingdom, are implementing large-scale projects that benefit the national economy. The total value of projects currently being implemented in Jubail Industrial City exceeds SR 174 billion ($46.4 billion).

Prince Saud highlighted the attention being paid by the Royal Commission to develop Saudi human resources. He noted that Saudi human resource development is an an issue that is of great concern to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques. The Royal Commission has assumed the responsibility of training the manpower

king abdullah inaugurates sharQ, iBn Zahr expansion projects

King Abdullah at the presentation ceremony with Prince Naif on his right. In the second row are Eastern Province Governor Prince Mohammed bin Fahd (seated behind the King) and Al-Mady (to the King’s right)

required to manage the operations and management of large-scale projects.

Mohamed Al-Mady, SABIC Vice Chairman and CEO, welcomed the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques to Jubail Industrial City, and expressed his gratitude to the King for his unlimited support that enabled SABIC to become one of the world’s five largest petrochemical companies in a record time of less than 30 years.

Al-Mady said SABIC reflects the strength of the national economy despite the difficult economic conditions in the world. It is one of the pillars of the economy. Al-Mady stressed SABIC’s ability to overcome this crisis and emerge even stronger.

Al-Mady emphasized that SABIC is paying great attention to human resource development. He also highlighted the company’s large-scale spending on scientific research that promotes its competitiveness. He cited the examples of SABIC’s research cooperation with Saudi universities and the King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST).

He said SABIC’ research centers around the world were backed by thousands of patents and hundreds of innovative products, like new plastic alternatives for the automobile industry, and plastics that make cars

lighter. He said SABIC is committed to social responsibility and contributes regularly to develop community service programs.

Abdullah Saad Al-Rabeea, President of the Saudi Kayan Petrochemical Company, said the new affiliate complex was 75 percent complete. He said he was looking forward to the King inaugurating the project next year.

The King’s visit generated considerable excitement in the Eastern Province. The senior cabinet ministers accompanying the King included Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal, Education Minister Prince Faisal bin Abdullah, Labor Minister Ghazi Al-Gosaibi and Culture and Information Minister Abdul Aziz Khoja. Second Deputy Premier and Minister of Interior Prince Naif and Eastern Province Governor Prince Mohammed bin Fahd received the King earlier in Dhahran.

The major non-SABIC projects launched by King Abdullah included a water and electricity plant by Marafiq at a cost of SR 12 billion ($3.2 billion). Several other projects are located

in Jubail Industrial City 2, which is designed to accommodate 20 large-scale industrial complexes with a total investment of SR 232 billion (about $62 billion), according to media reports.

The King and Prince Naif with Prince Saud, Al-Mady and senior SABIC executives

Prince Saud speaks at the ceremony Al-Mady addresses the gathering


saBiC NEWS ssaBiC NEWS

Prince Saud Ibn Thenayan Al-Saud, Chairman of the Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu and Chairman of the SABIC Board of Directors, and Mohamed Al-Mady, Vice Chairman and CEO, recently led a senior executive team to Japan. The visit focused on their meetings with Toyota, which is a major customer of SABIC Innovative Plastics, and Mitsubishi Group, which is SABIC’s partner in two major petrochemical joint ventures in Saudi Arabia.

The SABIC team visiting the Toyota headquarters in Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture, Japan, included Charlie Crew, Global CEO of SABIC Innovative Plastics, Greg Adams, Vice President Automotive of SABIC Innovative Plastics and Takeshi Maruyama, General Manager for SABIC Innovative Plastics Pacific Automotive.

At Toyota, the SABIC team was welcomed by Fujio Cho, Chairman of Toyota, Akira Okabe, Senior Managing

Officer, Yasuhiko Yokoi, Managing Officer and several Toyota executives. Noting that Saudi Arabia is a major market for Toyota vehicles, Cho expressed his appreciation to Prince Saud and Al-Mady for the business in the Kingdom and SABIC Innovative Plastics’ collaboration and supply of innovative materials. Toyota sells some 210,000 vehicles in Saudi Arabia, making the country Toyota’s 7th largest overseas market.

Toyota also hosted a luncheon for the SABIC delegation and discussed future collaboration. The SABIC team was conducted on a tour of Toyota’s Motomachi plant.

Prince Saud thanked Toyota for their business with SABIC, as well as their cooperation with the Saudi Government on initiatives such as corporate social responsibility. Al-Mady proposed to set up a Toyota-SABIC working committee to explore global supply opportunity for plastics,

chemicals and steel. Takeshi Maruyama will follow up with Toyota on this opportunity.

After the meeting, Al-Mady said: “ Toyota is one of the most important customers for SABIC and we need to continue to work closely with them. I strongly believe that this successful visit will pave way for stronger ties with Toyota.”

SABIC Innovative Plastics recently shifted its office from Nagoya to Kariya, a move that will enable SABIC to respond to Toyota’s needs faster. The move was very strategic as compared to the previous location, the new office is situated in close proximity to Toyota (30-minute drive) and its tiers like Denso (3-minute walk) and Aisin (15-minute walk).

mitsUBishi reCeptionThe Mitsubishi Group of Companies and the Saudi Petrochemical Development Company (SPDC), SABIC’s

prince saud, al-mady lead saBiC visit to toyota, mitsubishi group

The SABIC executive team led by Prince Saud and Al-Mady with Toyota Chairman Fujio Cho and other executives

joint venture partners in AR-RAZI (Saudi Methanol Company) and SHARQ (Eastern Petrochemical Company), hosted a reception for Prince Saud, Al-Mady and the SABIC delegation.

Addressing the reception, Prince Saud said: “In the past two years, we have all seen incredible changes, especially in the last 6 months. However, there are some things that never change – such as the strong foundation and relationship that SABIC shares with the Mitsubishi Group of Companies and Saudi Petrochemical Development Company (SPDC)”.

Prince Saud noted that AR-RAZI was established in 1979, and this year marks the 30th anniversary of the greatly successful partnership. “From an empty plot of land in Al-Jubail,

AR-RAZI is now the world’s single largest methanol producing complex in the world, manufacturing about five million tons a year,” he said.

SHARQ is also going from strength to strength with on-going expansions, he noted. “We could not have imagined this 30 years ago but this has been made possible with the sharing of tremendous expertise and investment from our valued Japanese partners.”

“I must say that SABIC’s relationship with our Japanese partners can only get stronger – it has been a relationship that has produced outstanding results and achieved all our aspirations. Moving forward, we will further enhance the strategic cooperation and interests of our companies,” he added.

“We could not have imagined this 30 years ago but this has been made possible with the sharing of tremendous expertise and investment from our valued Japanese partners.”

T. Miyauchi, Executive VP- Chemical Group CEO- Mitsubishi Chemicals (left), and Y. Ueharam, Managing Director, SPDC (right), with Prince Saud

Fujio Cho (left) presents Prince Saud a commemorative gift, a model of Toyota’s first car AA

SABIC affiliate PETROKEMYA (Arabian Petrochemical Company) has won the prestigious GCC Best Environmental Works Award for 2007-2008.

Sami A. Al-Suwaigh, President of PETROKEMYA, received the award at a ceremony held in Muscat on April 21 under the patronage of Asaad Tariq bin Taymor Al-Said, representative of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos, in the presence of high-level dignitaries and GCC environment officials.

The award reflects SABIC and its affiliates’ diligence in applying the latest state-of-the-art technologies in the field of industrial and environmental safety.

saBiC affiliate petrokemya wins gCC environment award

Al-Suwaigh (right) receives the award from Al-Said at the GCC ceremony in Muscat


ssaBiC NEWS

SABIC and the Saudi International Petrochemical Company (Sipchem) announced recently that they have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for mutual cooperation in the setting up of new projects. SABIC and Sipchem will use the existing surplus production capacities of the two companies to utilize the raw materials allocated by the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources to produce a number of specialty petrochemical products.

saBiC, sipchem sign moU for new projects in JubailUnder the MOU announced on May

9, SABIC will implement several new petrochemical projects in Saudi Arabia at a preliminary estimated value of SR 12 billion (US$ 3.2 billion) including seven plants for the production of 250,000 tons of methyl metha acrylate (MMA), 30,000 tons of poly methyl metha acrylate (PMMA), 200,000 tons of acrylonitrile, 50,000 tons of polyacrylonitrile, 50,000 tons of polyacetyl resins, 3,000 tons of carbon fiber and 40,000 tons of sodium

cyanide annually. Sipchem will build two plants at a preliminary estimated cost of SR 3 billion ($ 810 million)

for the production of 125,000 tons of poly vinyl

acetate and 200,000 tons of ethylene vinyl acetate annually. These plants are expected to go on stream by mid-2013.

According to the MOU, a SABIC manufacturing affiliate will crack the

Al-Morished (left) and Al-Ohali (far left) shake hands after signing the agreement

feedstock allocated to Sipchem and also provide it with ethylene. One of Sipchem’s manufacturing companies will supply carbon monoxide to SABIC for the production of MMA.

The two companies will move forward on these projects after the completion of economic studies and legal procedures. Studies on the appropriate technology required for these projects are currently under way. As these industries are largely research-dependant, SABIC and Sipchem will establish specialized R&D centers to develop product applications. Their aim will be to promote and encourage local industries, especially in the areas of automotive parts, electrical appliances, household commodities, computers and electronic equipment and health care and provide support to national downstream industries, especially the plastic industries sector.

The MoU was signed by Mutlaq H. Al-Morished, SABIC Vice President, Corporate Finance, and Ahmad Al-Ohali, Sipchem CEO.

Minister-President of the German State of Hessen, Roland Koch, visited SABIC headquarters in Riyadh on May 3. The delegation met with Prince Saud bin Abdullah bin Thenayan

german state minister-president visits saBiC

Al-Saud, Chairman of the Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu and Chairman of SABIC, Mohamed Al-Mady, SABIC Vice Chairman and CEO, and senior officials of the company.

The visit came as part of the official visit of Koch to the Kingdom from April 30 to May 4. His delegation included officials, economists and media persons. The visit is aimed at developing trade and economic relations between the two countries.

The visitors listened to a presentation that focused on SABIC’s growth and evolution, as well as the advanced level of the Saudi petrochemical industries and achievements in the large industrial cities of Jubail and Yanbu. They also viewed a film documenting the success of SABIC.

The guests toured the SABIC permanent exhibition, which tells the story of its inception, various stages of growth, and growing contribution to the national development plans.

Visiting German Minister Koch (fifth from left, front row) and his delegation with SABIC leaders in Riyadh

SABIC Innovative Plastics recently was honored by the Association of the Dutch Chemical Industry (VNCI) with the Responsible Care Award 2009. The company won the award for its efforts in developing a polybutylene terephtalate (PBT) based product portfolio using discarded polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic, usually found in disposable materials like drinking bottles. The material, using a proprietary process, consumes less energy and yields less carbon dioxide (CO2) through its entire manufacturing process compared to traditional resins.

Submissions for The Responsible Care award are reviewed by an independent jury, consisting of representatives from government organizations, environmental bodies, and chemical companies. SABIC Innovative Plastics’ program was deemed a model for the “cradle-to-cradle’ concept, whereby materials that have been used for one product can be used for another product without loss of quality. The jury also praised the way in which waste from outside the company was used. The award was presented at the VNCI annual meeting in The Hague on June 4.

saBiC innovative plastics receives dutch responsible Care award

“We are very proud to be recognized by the VNCI for this technology platform. SABIC Innovative Plastics developed the iQ resin platform as part of its sustainability program focused on environmentally responsible solutions,” said Elly Burghout, Managing Director, SABIC Innovative Plastics, Europe, “Every day tons of PET materials find their way to the garbage bin, now we have a way to give these materials a second life.”

iQ PBT resin is created using up to 65 percent post-consumer plastic waste, giving it a carbon footprint 50 to 75 percent lower than other engineered thermoplastics, extending the useful life of a polyethylene terephtalate bottle to 20 years. Applications for Valox and Xenoy iQ resins include furniture, computers and consumer electronics, transportation and automotive components such as connectors, fans, mud guards, door-handles, lighting bezels and more.

Thanks to the high performance of the iQ portfolio, the possibilities are endless - solutions are impact modified, glass-filled, FDA-approved, or flame retardant – offering customers

stiffness, impact resistance, chemical resistance and excellent processing. Valox iQ and Xenoy iQ resins also offer excellent aesthetics through custom color matching which allows customer to choose for a green yet visually attractive material.

The Responsible Care program is a worldwide initiative of the chemical industry. As a winner of the Dutch award, SABIC Innovative Plastics will be nominated for the 2009 European Responsible Care Award organized by the European Chemical Manufacturers Association (CEFIC).

Jos van Gisbergen, Global Technology Manager at SABIC Innovative Plastics (left) receives the award from Prof. Ir. H. Leegwater of the Eind-hoven University of Technology

s

SABIC Polymers SBU held its annual global meeting at the SABIC headquarters in Riyadh on April 21 and 22.

Khaled Abdulaziz Al-Mana, Vice President, Polymers, opened the meeting, which was attended by representatives from SABIC Asia, SABIC Europe, SABIC Egypt and SABIC Morocco, besides executives from the Polymers SBU.

The participants discussed the challenges facing the polymers market and the implications of the

polymers sBU holds annual global meeting in riyadh

financial crisis on sales. The meeting also reviewed various working papers on production achievements, speedy product deliveries, expansions, marketing, customer services and supply chain.

Two workshops were held on the sidelines of the meeting. One discussed the ongoing efforts to improve the standards of operations, and the restructuring of the company under the 1SABIC program. The second workshop discussed the process of pricing polymer products in various

The Polymers SBU meeting in Riyadh

regions through proper liaising between product managers, sales offices and salesmen. Al-Mana stressed the importance of the upcoming changes within SABIC, which aim to strengthen its role in the global market as a leader in polymers. He urged participants to support that goal by ensuring transparency and efficient exchange of information among staff. He also emphasized the importance of teamwork in facing future challenges and achieving the company’s strategic objectives under the SABIC 2020 program.

Top SABIC executives held a meeting with a visiting delegation from the Tunisian Chemical Complex at the SABIC headquarters in Riyadh on April 19.

The SABIC team included Mutlaq Al-Morished, Vice President, Corporate Finance, Dr. Abdulrahman Al-Ubaid, Vice President, Research and Technology, and Fahd bin Salamah, General Manager, Ammonia and Phosphate Marketing. The Tunisian delegation was led by Mohammed Rida Misbah, General Manager of the Tunisian Chemical Complex, and included Tawfiq Al-Hamroni, Manager, and Hussam Al-Imam, Economic Affairs Executive.

The guests were briefed on the company and the scope of its business. The Tunisian delegation presented their company’s profile to the SABIC team.

The meeting discussed various issues pertaining to trade and investments and assessed opportunities for establishing primary industries based on SABIC products. Opportunities were also seen in the area of phosphate fertilizers where SABIC could be provided with phosphoric acid. SABIC thanked the Tunisian executives for their visit, further strengthening a relationship that began in 1992.

saBiC explores business opportunities with tunisian firm

Al-Morished briefs the Tunisian visitors about SABIC and its operations

saBiC May/June 2009 11

SABIC’s polymer s team recently conducted technical seminars for customers in Thailand and Indonesia. More than 70 customer representatives from over 40 plastic converting companies attended the seminars, which were held in Bangkok and Jakarta.

The seminars were aimed at promoting SABIC’s new products and their applications, and to reach out and build closer rapport with plastic converters.

Paul Hong, Regional Manager Polymers, kicked off the seminar in Bangkok with a welcome speech, followed by an introduction on SABIC. A presentation on SABIC Technical Support activities was

given by Pak Gim Kee, followed by an introduction on SABIC Polyethylene and Polypropylene Grade Slate & Applications. He also introduced the participants to new grades of SABIC PE, PP and Bimodal HDPE Pipe resins.

Says Paul Hong: “The attendance was overwhelming. At a time when businesses are exploring options to reduce costs by adding value to our products, our technical support services are helping them to achieve that. We are motivated by their enthusiasm to strengthen product knowledge and development opportunities. As a committed long-term supplier, SABIC will continue to provide such support to its customers.”

Customers in thailand, indonesia attend polymer technical seminars

SABIC recently conducted Core Values training in Singapore and Shanghai offices. The 4-session training from March 9 to 13 was conducted by a corporate Human Resources team led

by Mohammad Al-Twaijri and Carol Obelholzer. SABIC adopted a set of Global Core Values a few months earlier: Inspire, Engage, Create and Deliver. The training was designed

to explain the meaning of each value for the business and to describe the sample behaviors that reflect each value and to encourage staff to live by them and promote them.

Said Noor Jahan from Operations: “These values are a set of guiding principles. They have deep meaning that we need to apply not just at work in SABIC, but in our daily lives.”

SABIC identified and adopted the values to support a common organizational culture across the world and to ensure that the same measurement criteria is used all over SABIC.

“I will apply the Core Values in making decisions, dealing with customers, partners and even communicating with my colleagues”, said Zar Ye Lwin. Vhon, another staff member, added: “With a common understanding, we are able to achieve a harmonious and positive working environment in SABIC”.

Core Values training in saBiC asia pacific

Pak Gim Kee (above) addressing customers (below) at the Bangkok seminar

SABIC offices now prominently display the company’s core values

saBiC NEWS

10 saBiC May/June 2009


s

Andrea Croslyn Bala Ambravaneswaran

Jillian Horn, PhD, Research Scientist, and Kevin Wright, Finance Director at SABIC Americas, Inc. recently joined efforts to support multiple sclerosis (MS) research through a 180-mile cycling ride from Houston to Austin. They joined about 13,000 cyclists in the MS 150 April 18-19.

More than 400,000 people in the United States live with MS, a progressive neurological disorder that can lead to paralysis. With advancements in research, however, new treatments have given hope to MS patients and the community events such as MS 150 not only help in raising funds, but also in creating awareness about the illness.

Each cyclist was required to raise $400 in an effort to reach an event donation goal of $17 million. Horn and Wright sought to raise a combined $1,600 for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society through their participation. Much of the money raised supports the Lone Star chapter of the MS Society.

on the bike trail for a good cause

Jillian Horn Kevin Wright

A SABIC Runners Team was formed to participate in the JPMorgan Chase Corporate Challenge held in Singapore on April 16. The team was led by Juliana Yassin and comprised running mates Vhon Montefrio, Terence Wong, Charles China, Shariene Goh, Tan Keli and Ng Kar Huey.

The Corporate Challenge is a worldwide event established in 1977, and began in Singapore in 2004. This year, the race attracted a record crowd of 9,927 participants from 330 companies. The event brings individuals and corporate teams together in a fun setting promoting teamwork and friendship.

Ahmed Al-Umar, GM SABIC Asia Pacific, said he is very pleased that all members of the SABIC Running Team managed to run past the finish line. This is a good achievement to complete the 5.6 km run.

Team captain, Juliana said, “As the team captain, all I can say is I am very proud of the team. We trained really hard together and we all finished the run with great pride and dignity. If there’s a chance, I will definitely do this again. And hopefully more colleagues will join us for future events. Our greatest achievement was the energy, the drive and the bond that

we shared”. Team members Vhon and Keli

also said that it was a great run for everyone. “We were having fun even before the event started. It was such a good feeling to finish the race with our teammates! The weather was fantastic and it was pure adrenaline. We could not have asked for more and we are looking forward to the next event already!”

The sold-out crowd made a difference for the Asian Civilisations Museum,

which received a donation from J.P. Morgan for each entry. The funds will go specifically to the ExplorAsian Zones at ACM — interactive displays dedicated to providing children and adults with a “hands on” learning experience.

The runners were flagged off at the start and greeted at the finish line by the evening’s Guest of Honor, Dr. Vivian Balakrishnan, Minister for Community Development, Youth & Sports, Singapore.

saBiC runners participate in Jp morgan Chase Corporate Challenge

The SABIC runners included team captain Juliana Yassin, Vhon Montefrio, Terence Wong, Charles China, Shariene Goh, Tan Keli and Ng Kar Huey

saBiC NEWS


A long line of runners spreads out on the course.

Andrea Croslyn and Bala Ambravaneswaran, both employees of SABIC Innovative Plastics, were recently honored with the prestigious National Jefferson Award in the US. The two were named in March as the Evansville recipients of the award, which recognizes individuals who make a difference to the community through public service.

Croslyn and Ambravaneswaran, were honored for conducting a regional needs assessment and leading a volunteer effort to help underprivileged students at Evans Middle School with science and math.

“I would like others to know that our program is about taking the Evans kids beyond what has been dealt to them in their lives, whether

two saBiC staff receive Jefferson award for outstanding public service

it be field trips or diversity fair or large-scale events that we organize,” Ambravaneswaran said. “To quote Einstein, ‘We believe that education is what remains when all that is learned in school is forgotten.’

“Our grass-roots level effort is much

more than just funding or financial contribution but trying to touch kids in a direct fashion to make a difference in their lives,” he was quoted as saying in Evansville Courier & Press.

It’s been an honor for Croslyn and Ambravaneswaran to represent SABIC as Jefferson Award winners, they said, and it was because of the company they have been a success. “In the last five years, we’ve had more than 5,000 community service hours. That’s not me and Bala. We have the honor of being able to organize that for the business, but those are the big hearts of the people who work out there,” Croslyn said. “To us, that’s who the award is really going to, the whole organization and the volunteers.”



saBiC INNOVATION s

Revised Energy Absorber (EA) design featuring SABIC’s Xenoy resin enabled Hyundai i10 to meet stringent European safety regulations for lower leg impact and make an export success story of the new small-size ‘city car’ in the European Union market. The Hyundai i10 won the 2008 Indian Car of the Year award and a host of other honors last year.

A-segment cars, also known as city cars, are growing in popularity due to their fuel-sipping benefits. However, the very small size of these vehicles poses several challenges to designers. When designers of the Hyundai i10 – produced by Hyundai Motor India Limited (HMIL) and targeted for export – were tasked with creating an energy absorber (EA) that would meet stringent European safety regulations for pedestrian lower leg impact, they faced space constraints for the EA, which required an alternative to bulky expanded polypropylene (EPP) foam.

Based on Hyundai’s collaboration with SABIC Innovative Plastics on the QarmaQ Advanced Technology

Demonstration Vehicle and the development of its Elastic Front safety system concept, HMIL selected Xenoy polycarbonate/polybutylene terephthalate (PC/PBT) alloy for the new energy absorber. Because of the superior energy absorption efficiency of Xenoy resin compared to EPP, the HMIL team was able to comply with the EU requirements within the allotted space.

“Small city cars like the Hyundai i10 call for innovative materials that

give designers greater flexibility and strength when space is at a premium,” said Umamaheswaran Venkatakrishnan, India Automotive Director for SABIC Innovative Plastics. “Our technology team in Bangalore worked closely with HMIL and Hanilehwa, the EA supplier, to provide the best material for compliance with safety requirements, and to optimize the part design for top performance. Our side-by-side, long-term collaboration with automotive customers helps them deliver business success.”

Xenoy resin provided several performance advantages over EPP that allowed Hyundai to comply with the more stringent Phase II of the EU’s pedestrian safety standard. First, the resin provides 60-70 percent energy absorption efficiency compared to about 45 percent for EPP, resulting in considerable saving of space to deliver the same performance. It easily provided sufficient energy absorption within the very tight 45 mm space allotted by the EA design.

Second, the SABIC Innovative Plastics material delivers better performance than EPP at temperature extremes from -30C to 60C. Xenoy resin’s performance deviation is less than 10 percent, compared to close to 40 percent for the foam.

Xenoy* resin helps hyundai i10 to meet stricter pedestrian safety standards

The Hyundai i10

Energy absorber made of Xenoy* resin

One of the first ‘green’ open-source concept cars, developed as a joint effort by the Netherlands Foundation for Nature and Environment and three Dutch technical universities, features materials from SABIC Innovative Plastics that reduce weight for better fuel economy and reduced greenhouse gas emissions. Used in exterior glazing for the c,mm,n (pronounced ‘common’) first “open source” concept car, Lexan* Resin* GLX polycarbonate (PC) resin makes a significant contribution to the sustainability of the vehicle.

UniQUe proJeCtThe c,mm,n ‘green’ car is a joint project of the Netherlands Foundation for Nature and Environment, and the three Dutch universities of technology of Delft, Eindhoven and Twente. The c,mm,n concept car was unveiled in March by the Prime Minister of the Netherlands at the Amsterdam AutoRAI 2007 show, attracting national and international media attention.

C,mm,n identifies itself as an open-source community for durable individual mobility.

The c,mm,n’s technical information is available online for fine-tuning and adaptation by anyone. With a vision of eco-responsible transport, the concept emphasizes sustainable energy, high performance materials and usage patterns, such as cooperation among motorists, all while safeguarding individual mobility for the future.

A key objective of the c,mm,n project was to incorporate eco-responsible materials instead of traditional glass, steel and aluminium while delivering high-aerodynamic performance through optimized designs. Through its longstanding partnership with Delft Technical University, SABIC Innovative Plastics took a leading role in the design and development of the exterior glazing and body panels.

“We aimed to show the world what can be achieved in automotive

design that is sustainable in many different aspects - reducing emissions, reducing fossil fuel usage, improving communications and collaboration and encouraging green technologies,” said Remco Timmer, a graduate student at Delft Technical University who developed the exterior design under the mentorship of SABIC Innovative Plastics’ Automotive Designer, Geert-Jan Schellekens. “We offered the materials, technical expertise and environmental commitment we needed to make this project a success,” says Schellekens.

solUtion SABIC Innovative Plastics’ resins were chosen for major exterior glazing components of the c,mm,n concept car. All glazing was made with the lightweight, impact-resistant Lexan* Resin GLX resin and Exatec* coating technology.

“SABIC Innovative Plastics’ leadership in technology innovation and active collaboration with top universities led to this great opportunity to contribute to the first open-source concept car,” said Derek Buckmaster, SABIC Innovative Plastics’ Market Director for Exterior Body & Glazing. “We were able

to help the team develop a sustainable vehicle concept by leveraging our newest eco-materials for significant weight-out, emissions reduction and design freedom.”

BenefitsUsed instead of conventional glass and metal, SABIC Innovative Plastics’ materials reduce weight to promote fuel efficiency. Glazing weight can be reduced by up to 50 percent through the use of Lexan* Resin GLX resin. At the same time, the materials lend themselves to futuristic design concepts that can improve aerodynamics and lead to greater fuel economy. Plastics and composites can be molded and formed into a variety of shapes, sizes and configurations that are difficult, if not impossible, to achieve with metal and glass.

“Our effort to develop a portfolio of environmentally responsible technologies is focused on exactly the same objectives as this unique project By joining forces with creative thinkers at universities and other organizations, SABIC Innovative Plastics can help realize a greener future for automotive OEMs, suppliers and consumers around the world,” said Buckmaster.

first ‘green’ open-source concept car gets the plastic touch from saBiC

The c,mm,n ‘green car’ on display at the Amsterdam AutoRAI show


SABIC demonstrated its commitment to the international plastics industry at Chicago’s NPE 2009, with top company executives reiterating their determination to build and acquire productive capacity while continuing to invest in technology and innovation to develop new products and materials for customers around the world. At the ‘International Plastics Showcase’, SABIC also launched its latest material solutions to help customers meet today’s most pressing demands and challenges.

The SABIC delegation to one of the largest industry gatherings from June 22 to 26 was led by Mohamed H. Al-Mady, Vice Chairman and CEO. Other senior executives included Charlie Crew, President and CEO of SABIC Innovative Plastics, and Khaled Al-Mana, Vice President of Polymer SBU. Members of the SABIC Board of Directors were also present at the show. As curtains drew on the event, it was clear that SABIC had a made significant impact, both in terms of creating hundreds of business leads and conveying the message of long-term commitment to the industry.

In multiple sectors worldwide, SABIC’s expansive product portfolio is helping to drive environmental responsibility, penetrate new markets and application areas, and enable customers to differentiate their products, all while increasing productivity and reducing manufacturing costs. SABIC’s impressive display at NPE showcased an array of new breakthrough end-products from its co-development efforts with leading OEMs – such as Ford, Samsung, Motorola, and Toyota – underscoring how the company continues to be the supplier of choice among many of the world’s top global brands.

While asserting its commitment to the industry, investments and technology, SABIC executives noted at a press conference on the opening day

npe 2009: saBiC focuses on plastic innovations

that its past investments had helped the company expand its customer base, geographical reach and product mix. SABIC will continue expanding its business in regions across the world and believes that the current market conditions will create new opportunities for expansion. The company is well-positioned to explore opportunities that helps profitable growth.

“Our commitment to the plastics industry and our customers is unshakeable; clearly evidenced by the aggressive steps we are taking to continue accelerating the development of newer and better sustainable, high-performance, top-quality materials,” said Charlie Crew. “Our goal is to catapult our materials to greater technological excellence, creating the most innovative products on the market today to help our customers succeed and grow in both existing and new sectors.”

“Our presence here at NPE not only showcases our newest technologies, but also demonstrates how SABIC is moving forward with a focused business strategy designed to help take our customers to new levels of success,” said Khaled Al-Mana.

“Across the company, we are broadening the capabilities of our materials, up-engineering our polymers to deliver new-generation global solutions, and anticipating and addressing the next industry trends and customer needs. Our

approach is solid, our vision is clear and our position will continue to grow.”

Al-Mady, Charlie Crew and Al-Mana opened the SABIC booth with a ceremonial ribbon cutting on June 22. The SABIC stand drew thousands of visitors over five days as current and potential customers showed a great interest in SABIC’s products, applications and displays. Customers also showed great interest in the live 30-minute seminars that were held in the SABIC Theater during the event.

The customer seminars focused on topics that are key to today’s industry. They included: Carbon is Good _ Sustainability and Recycled Engineering Plastics; Turning Metal into Plastic; Healthy Resin Choices for the Healthcare Market; Beyond the Pellet - SABIC’s advances in fibers, foam and films; SABIC PE & PP - Properties and Applications; Leading Edge Performance – solutions to avoid the need for secondary operations; Energy Cost Reduction Through Thin-wall Molding & Inductive Heating; PE Bimodal Pipes Advantages and Applications.

In addition, there were a large number of productive customer meetings held throughout the week in the various conference rooms located around the booth. SABIC and the visitors took full advantage of the opportunity provided by NPE for meetings and to provide first-hand knowledge of innovative value-added solutions that are relevant and practical.

SABIC’s participation received excellent coverage in international trade press. In addition to the press conference on the opening day, key SABIC people were available for media interviews and to talk about the company’s latest innovation and application stories. Charlie Crew, Tim O’Brien, Tom Stanley (technology), Greg Adams, Dominic McMahon, and Stephen Shuler (automotive), Nitin Apte (LNP Compounds, co-polymers), Kim Choate (Ultem* resin), Bob McKay (sustainability), and Bill Olson from Motorola spoke to the media during the exhibition.

Over 400 customers attended the SABIC customer dinner on the second day of the event. The “international dine around” offered an informal venue where customers could mingle with SABIC executives and Board members, and each other. Many of SABIC’s key customers were in attendance including Motorola, Ford, GM, Tupperware, Rubbermaid, Apple and Intel.

Tim O’Brien introduced Mr. Al-Mady at the beginning of dinner. Al-Mady spoke to the audience about SABIC’s commitment to the industry and its desire to be the best service provider globally. He stressed that SABIC is strong in commodity resins, and more recently in engineering thermoplastics.

Display highlights at the booth were two new bimodal, high-density polyethylene (HDPE) grades – SABIC® PE 100 and SABIC PE 80 HD resins – for plastic pipe applications. Long a proven, preferred and widely used technology in Europe, these resins made their North American debut as part of SABIC’s strategy to be the leading global supplier of these materials for high-pressure pipe products used in potable water, gas, oil, mining, and large-scale sewage systems.

Also featured at the booth were new cutting-edge Ultem* composites,

foam and fiber for new choices in ultra-high flame-smoke-toxicity (FST) performance, extreme toughness, and lighter weight. New LNP* specialty compounds reinforced with natural fibers, as well as a new virtually unbreakable bus driver safety shield using Lexan polycarbonate glazing with Exatec* E900 plasma coating, were also being featured. The world renowned, award-winning Hyundai QarmaQ Advanced Technology Demonstration Vehicle – sporting sustainable horizontal body panels made with Xenoy iQ* resin and Valox iQ* resin – was also on display.

Yet another showpiece was the Lincoln MKT concept car. This revolutionary concept design features SABIC’s environmentally progressive thermoplastic materials for several key components. Another item that drew visitors’ attention was the Gocycle electric bicycle – SABIC Innovative Plastics’ tough, lightweight LNP Verton* specialty compound replaces metal in many gear and wheel components of this innovative, fold-up bicycle, making it ideal for urban commuting.

An array of new sustainable, environmentally progressive products and applications that offer customers new material solutions that meet eco-conscious consumer demand were also displayed.

s

Al-Mady (center), Crew (right) and Al-Mana at the SABIC stand

Bi-modal HDPE on display The SABIC stand was a major draw at the exhibition

saBiC EXHIBITIONS & CONFERENCES


SABIC demonstrated its wide-ranging technological innovations for the global automobile industry at the 33rd VDI Plastic Technologies International Conference and Exhibition held on March 25 and 26 in Mannheim, Germany. SABIC Innovative Plastics and SABIC Automotive Europe exhibited together at this event which is recognized as a major automotive industry event.

The German automobile market is extremely important for SABIC because of the company’s strong collaboration with many Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs). SABIC’s vast portfolio of engineered plastics plays a dominant role in auto industry customers’ applications by helping manufacturers comply with environmental and safety legislation and demand for increased fuel efficiency.

The SABIC exhibit highlighted the latest technologies from SABIC Innovative Plastics and SABIC Europe. These included lightweight conductive Noryl GTX resin fenders from Ford Kuga, interior components such as the Xenoy and Valox resin instrument panel trims from Daimler, and Lexan* Resin XHT resin lighting bezels from Saab 93. Structural components made from Xenoy iQ resin include rear door handles from Toyota Tundra and a pedestrian protection energy absorber from Ford Kuga. All of these parts demonstrated the benefits of replacing traditional metal and other materials with lightweight, design-enhancing thermoplastic resins and composites.

SABIC Europe exhibited a unique front bumper of Mercedes GLK made from SABIC polypropylene compound. Other displays included a new tailgate interior structure of Ford Kuga, a Volkswagen door module, and a front-end carrier of Ford Fiesta, all made from SABIC STAMAX* LGFPP compound.

Examples of Exatec solutions included a two-component, molded polycarbonate roof panel prototype, developed in conjunction with Summerer Technologies, highlighting the unique design capabilities of Lexan* Resin polycarbonate automotive glazing as well as the ability to integrate attachment points on the inside surface of the component. The 2K tool in which this part is molded is part of the unique capabilities of the Glazing Centre of Excellence recently launched by SABIC Innovative Plastics.

Rudolf Nuss from SABIC Innovative Plastics, together with a Daimler official, gave a presentation on “The potential of nanoscale fillers in on-line-paintable exterior parts made from PPE/PA blends” at the conference on March 25. The conference this year was titled “Plastics in Automotive Engineering”.

There was considerable media interest in SABIC’s participation at the event, with interviews in the industry’s leading magazines as well as on television.

saBiC innovations showcased at key german automobile event

The SABIC stand at the exhibition displayed a wide range of automobile industry applications for its diverse plastic products

TV interview with Bas Blom, SABIC Innovative Plastics General Manager Automotive EMEA

saBiC EXHIBITIONS & CONFERENCES s

SABIC was the largest exhibitor in the Chemicals and Raw Materials Zone at Chinaplas 2009, the most important plastics trade show in Asia, held in the Chinese city of Guanghzhou from May 18 to 21. The 350 square meter SABIC booth, themed on customer hospitality, drew considerable attention and praise.

As the show opened, Mohamed Al-Mady, SABIC Vice Chairman and CEO, reaffirmed the company’s commitment to China. “China is the most important market for SABIC and we plan to continue growing our business in this market. Our expansions in China are a sign of the confidence that SABIC places in the economic opportunities in China,” he said.

Khaled Al-Mana, Vice President, Polymers said: “We are further strengthening our leadership position in China with ambitious plans for this market. Furthermore, we are now in the final stages of negotiations with Sinopec toward forming a joint venture company.” Last year, SABIC and Sinopec signed a strategic cooperation agreement to expand the scope of partnership at the Tianjin Industrial Complex, currently under construction in China, which has an overall production capacity about 4 million tons of petrochemical products.

SABIC officially launched its marketing of Saudi Aramco’s 25 percent share of polyolefin products, produced by the Fujian Refining and Petrochemicals Company (FREP) in China that is scheduled to come on stream by July this year. FREP’s products will include 400,000 metric tons of linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE), 400,000 metric tons of high density polyethylene (HDPE) and 520,000 metric tons of polypropylene (PP) annually.

The product launch was supported by a technical seminar on “FREP: the

Chinaplas: saBiC reaffirms commitment to China market

PE/PP grades, properties” for invited customers. SABIC’s technical support engineers briefed the customers about the new products.

About 200 customers attended the Chinaplas SABIC dinner. Al-Mana thanked the customers for their support and pledged continued SABIC commitment to the Chinese market. He noted that over the next three years, SABIC will bring on stream 5 million tons of new production, the bulk of which will be supplied to the Asian market.

The large turnout of visitors at SABIC’s stand was seen as a sign of recovery in the Chinese market. “The overwhelming turn-out of visitors to our stand at Chinaplas has given us a positive gauge of market sentiment, and that China’s economy, along with its polymer industry, could possibly be seeing initial signs of recovery,” said Paul Hong, Regional Manager Polymers, SABIC Asia Pacific.

“Demand has held up very well in the first few months of this year as our polymers business in Asia has increased more than 50 percent of the anticipated demand,” he added. He said that the China market would continue to drive global plastics demand.

Meanwhile, the China Plastics Processing Industry Association (CPPIA) has said that China’s polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS) and acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) consumption was forecast to rise 0.7% year-on-year to 11.6 million tons, 2.1% to 10.3 million tons, 0.2% to 3.7 million tons, 1.6% to 3.4 million tons and 2.2% to 9.5 million tons this year, respectively, mainly driven by domestic consumption.

“Domestic consumption and investments will be the main drivers of GDP [gross domestic product] growth in China this year,” said Liao Zhengpin, Chairman of CPPIA.

The SABIC stand at Chinaplas was a major attraction for visitors

Ahmed Al-Umar inaugurates the stand


Khaled Al-Mana speaks at the customer reception


saBiC EXHIBITIONS & CONFERENCES s

SABIC Asia Pacific hosted a reception for more than 100 customers and guests who were attending the Asia Petrochemical Industry Conference (APIC) in Seoul, Korea, on May 14 and 15.

The SABIC delegation to the conference included Yousef Al-Zamel, Vice President Chemicals, Mansour Al-Kharboush, Vice President Performance Chemicals, Ahmed Al-Umar, SABIC Asia Pacific General Manager, and others from SABIC Riyadh and the regional office. Altogether the event attracted more than 800 delegates.

“APIC provided us an opportunity to interact with our customers in Korea and the region one more time. I am very pleased with all the meetings that we had at the event. We had very constructive discussions on current and future business, as well as how the current economic situation has affected some of them. At SABIC, we are doing our best to meet the needs of our customers,” Al-Zamel said.

“The customer reception was excellent and meeting 100 customers face to face at such a reception is priceless,” he added.

SABIC’s long-standing customers echoed the sentiment. Pan Ruishen, Vice Director, Sinopec Yizheng Chemical Fibre Co. Ltd., said: “Sinopec Yizheng has enjoyed a long standing

business relationship with SABIC. After almost 20 years of close collaboration, I would say that our relationship with SABIC is stronger than ever. And

saBiC hosts customer dinner at apiC

SABIC Innovative Plastics offered a unique touch-and-feel experience to thousands of visitors to Brasilplast 2009 in São Paulo, Brazil through its interactive booth. The 12th International Plastics Industry Trade Fair brought together 1,300 exhibitors from over 30 countries and attracted 65,000 visitors.

The idea behind SABIC’s booth this year was to give visitors an opportunity to touch, observe and experience the possibilities and properties of its engineering thermoplastics. At the interactive booth, several innovations in electronics, healthcare, infrastructure, security and automotive segments were on display.

“The idea was to create ‘experience’ stations. We showed visitors how our engineering thermoplastics can help customers develop innovative products and become more competitive,” said Ricardo Knecht, SABIC Innovative Plastics South America General Manager.

thematiC stationsThe thematic station, “Plastics as you’ve never seen”, highlighted how innovative the LNP compounds are. Visitors could test the EMI (electro-magnetic imaging) shielding of a LNP Faradex* compounds box by putting their cell phone inside or feel the high specific gravity that Thermocomp* HSG compounds can reach.

The “Technology against counterfeit” station showcased secure resins that turn a bright color under a simple UV light, Lexan* Resin* SD films for secure documents, and FR Lexan* Resin 945AU and FR Cycoloy* C2800 resins in a Bellis Technology banknote validator.

At the “How much weight you produce” station, visitors could compare the weight difference between SABIC plastic materials and metal and glass. They could touch and see real metal or glass replacement applications such as a LNP Verton* composite paddle, a Noryl* GFN2 resin

pump housing and a Lexan* Resin* sheet quarter window.

The station “Innovating for a better future” displayed products and applications that would help customers help save energy and reduce environmental impact.

People could feel the thermal comfort given by Lexan* Resin* IR sheet, see the weatherability of Geloy* XTW and Lexan* Resin* SLX resins for paint elimination purposes, and test the stiffness of Curauá fiber reinforced LNP* Fibercomp

compounds as an alternative to glass reinforced nylon. A major display

explained the Valox iQ* resin upcycle process and its environment benefits.

new attraCtionsThe SABIC booth also displayed several applications that won admiration for the final use of end-products. One example was lightweight, thermoformed Noryl PPX* resin

featured in the front and rear bumpers, fenders and skidplates of the 4-wheel drive Jipe Stark from Tecnologia Automotiva Catarinense (TAC). The SABIC resin allowed the tier, MVC Componentes Plásticos, to increase productivity while helping consumers reduce their dependency on fuel. TAC intends to eventually have all external body panels in engineering thermoplastics and the SABIC Innovative Plastics auto team is working closely with MVC to make this possible.

Other draws at the booth were the ‘Gocycle’ which featured LNP* Verton composite, an anesthesia delivery system that featured Noryl* and Valox* resins, and a Vivo2 violin sparkled with Lexan* Resin* Diamond Visualfx.

“The show was important to reinforce our brand and local presence in the South American market,” said Knecht. “The inviting and interactive stations attracted visitors and helped generate business leads”.

‘experience stations’ at Brasilplast thrill visitors

through all these years of partnership, I am assured of the quality of SABIC’s products”.

APIC has grown to be like what the EPCA is to Europe and the NPRA to the United States. “APIC is an excellent business networking platform for companies in this region, and also for SABIC to meet with our major customers who make it a point to attend this conference every year,” said Al-Umar.

The theme of this year’s conference was ‘Embracing Change: Opportunity at a time of Market Uncertainty’. The conference discussed key challenges facing the industry amid the economic crisis.

APIC is organized on a rotational basis by the seven member countries – Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, India, Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore. Next year’s conference will be held in India.

The Gocycle and Stark 4-wheel drive vehicle were prominently featured at the SABIC stand at Brasilplast. The cycle features Verton composite and iQ resin; the 4WD’s bumpers, fenders and skidplate are made from SABIC’s Noryl PPX resins


Yousef Al Zamel, VP Chemicals, welcomes customers to the SABIC reception at APIC

Guests and SABIC staff at the reception


ssaBiC STRATEGY

As part of an ongoing effort to reaffirm and strengthen its long-term commitment to the North American auto industry, SABIC Innovative Plastics recently announced its agreement to purchase the RheMax product line from RheTech, Inc., of Whitmore Lake, Mich. Under the terms of agreement, RheTech will be the toll manufacturer of SABIC Innovative Plastics’ STAMAX* LGFPP (long glass fiber-filled polypropylene) resins, which were launched in North America in September 2008.

This purchase enables SABIC Innovative Plastics to immediately fulfill North American automotive OEM and tier product needs from local production.

“We believe the American automotive industry plays a pivotal role in the design and development of automobiles on a global basis. The expansion of STAMAX* LGFPP

composite production in North America and the RheMax product line purchase are key aspects of SABIC Innovative Plastics’ growth strategy to further strengthen our position as a leading supplier and to meet the global specification needs of customers with local production,” said Greg Adams, Vice President, Automotive for SABIC Innovative Plastics.

“Even during the current downcycle, SABIC Innovative Plastics continues to invest in products and services to ensure that our business is helping to increase the future global competitiveness of our customers. With the addition of STAMAX* LGFPP composites to our already comprehensive product portfolio, our customers can benefit from an even greater array of materials to reduce costs, provide innovation and differentiate their vehicles from the

competition,” Adams said. “This is a win-win situation for

both sides and customers,” said John Levinson, president and COO of RheTech. “SABIC Innovative Plastics gains immediate North American product and production capability, the customers gain a global product and supply base and RheTech will reinvest and redirect its resources to develop new products and technology for the customers of its core polyolefins compounding business.”

As a part of this agreement, existing RheMax products will be integrated under the STAMAX* LGFPP resin product line and brand name. Product formulations will be kept the same to ensure that STAMAX* LGFPP resin material properties and performance are maintained. The transaction includes only the RheMax product line. RheTech will continue to provide its other outstanding compounded

polyolefin products and services to its customers.

eXCeptional BenefitsSTAMAX* LGFPP resins offer a great balance of properties such as 10-25 percent lower density than traditional materials and hence lighter weight parts, better surface finish than short glass fiber products enabling molded-in-color, and processability.

STAMAX* LGFPP composites are made by combining a polypropylene (PP) base resin with long glass fibers. They offer excellent strength and dimensional stability, as well as high flow for thin-wall parts. These materials enable the design of applications that combine light weight with functional integration, including front-end modules (FEM), door modules, instrument panels, center consoles, underbody shields, seating systems, liftgates and tailgates.

The composites have been used

saBiC strengthens position in Us with local production of stamaX* lgfpp

extensively by European automakers to replace steel in key structural components. The majority of European cars incorporate on average five pounds of STAMAX* LGFPP composite. With SABIC’s latest move, the materials are available to North American automakers, offering lighter weight for fuel efficiency and emissions reduction, as well as system cost savings through design optimization and more-efficient production cycles.

STAMAX* LGFPP composites offer the following advantages for specific automotive applications:• Front-end modules: By replacing steel, STAMAX* LGFPP LGFPP composites have the potential to reduce part weight significantly (from 13-15 lb/6-7 kg for steel to just 5-6 lb/2-3kg). They also open the possibility to develop a full composite FEM without metal reinforcement.

• Instrument panels (IPs): STAMAX* LGFPP composites reduce overall thickness of IP carriers to 1.8 mm vs. 2.2mm with traditional materials, resulting in weight reductionsof 2-5 lbs (1-2 kg) per car. Another critical advantage is part integration. For example the integration of the airbag deployment chute in the IP carrier or the center console with the IP structure or partially integrate the cross car beam in the IP structure; are possibilities.• Tailgates and liftgates: Using STAMAX* LGFPP composite may reduce weight by nine to thirteen pounds (4-6 kg) versus steel and enable integration with Lexan* Resin polycarbonate glazing to produce a lightweight and durable assembly.• Door structures: Compared to steel, STAMAX* LGFPP has the potential to reduce weight by up to nine pounds (4 kg).

The Ford Kuga tailgate inner structure uses STAMAX* LGFPP LGF-reinforced polypropylene.

Mercedes is renowned for leading the way when it comes to technology. SABIC has worked with Mercedes and their Tier1 supplier, Delphi, to develop the instrument panel (IP) for the current range of M-class vehicles. Using the latest in simulation technology, the instrument panel was created in STAMAX* LGFPP long glass fiber (LGF) polypropylene resin, a material that meets strict safety requirements for this important automotive com-ponent, while also offering improved efficiencies and better performance in production.


she AWARDS s

As SABIC announced its Seventh Annual SHE Award, KEMYA (Al Jubail Petrochemical Company) once again walked away with Gold. GAS (National Industrial Gases Company) won the Silver and UNITED (Jubail United Petrochemical Company) secured the Bronze in what has become a rigorous annual contest between SABIC’s manufacturing complexes to prove their credentials in Safety, Health and Environment. SABIC’s 18 affiliates in Saudi Arabia, along with three regional operations and sites in Europe, participated in the competition.

The 2008 awards included a new category to honor the safety achievements of contractors who work on SABIC projects. The first winners of these awards were: CISL UK (Gold), AMEC UK (Silver) and AYTB (Bronze) in the global category; Foster Wheeler in the mega projects category and Al-Suwaidi Industrial Services for periodic maintenance (turnaround).

SABIC had earmarked May 6 as SHE Day this year to announce and present the awards. The ceremony, held at the Multi-Event Center in Jubail Industrial City, was led by SABIC Vice Chairman and CEO Mohamed Al-Mady.

The SHE awards program this year was a true celebration of SABIC’s world-class safety achievements and commitment, peppered with informative presentations

honor for

operations

KEMYA President Abdulaziz A Al-Habardi (second from right) receives the SHE Gold Award from Al-Mady

Al-Mady delivers the opening remarks at the SHE Day in Jubail Industrial City24 saBiC May/June 2009

and seminars aimed at strengthening community awareness. Several key government

representatives attended the ceremony. The management team of Chevron Phillips, KSA and SABIC Europe contractors, presidents of SABIC affiliates, media representatives, and SABIC employees and customers were also present at the ceremony.

A special program on traffic safety was held for the Jubail school students of various age groups.

Al-Mady presented the awards, which were received by KEMYA President Abdulaziz Abdullah Al-Habardi, GAS President Ali H. Al-Ghamdi and UNITED General Manager Operations Ahmed Al-Sheikh. Al-Mady also honored the Chairman and members of the Awards Committee and presented certificates to the companies that qualified for competing for the awards. AL-BAYRONI, HADEED, SABTANK and PETROKEMYA won SABIC’s SHE Excellence Award.

al-mady laUds aChieVementsIn his opening remarks, Al-Mady said that industrial and environmental safety has been key to the success of SABIC’s operations, which involved not just the production process but also marketing and the application of a wide range of technologies. SABIC continues to set safety records, and has scored over the world’s other top companies in 2008. SABIC, its affiliates and contractors have completed 157 million man-hours without any lost time injury. The overall incident rate declined by 11 percent in 2008 compared to the previous year, and is significantly lower than the rates in the earlier years.

During 2008, the SABIC Safety, Health

2001 Affiliate Safety Award Program established

2002 The first SABIC Safety Awards distributed

2004 Environmental & Industrial Hygiene criteria added;

Safety Award becomes SHE Award

First Sword of Honor presented to KEMYA

2007 European sites participate in the SHE Award Program

2008 Contractor Safety Award Program established

May 6, 2009 SHE Awards, including the first Contractor Safety Awards, distributed

SABIC had earmarked May 6 as SHE Day this year to announce and present the awards. The ceremony, held at the Multi-Event Center in Jubail Industrial City, was led by SABIC Vice Chairman and CEO Mohamed Al-Mady.

SABIC SHE Awards celebrate the company’s world-class safety record and encourage its manufacturing affiliates to achieve consistent all-round improvement in Safety, Health and Environment. The coveted awards have now become a rallying point for SABIC companies to better their own record every year.

safe

she awards milestones


s

In his opening remarks, Al-Mady said that industrial and environmental safety has been key to the success of SABIC’s operations, which involved not just the production process but also marketing and the application of a wide range of technologies.

and Environment Management System (SHEMS) Standards were adopted as the key monitoring mechanism for occupational safety, industrial and environmental health. SABIC’s affiliates continued to win prestigious awards from well-known organizations. The SABIC Fire Training Center also earned a certificate of international re-accreditation for five years from the US National Council for Assessing Training Centers in the area of industrial emergency response.

Al-Mady pointed out that SABIC management has consistently given top priority to safety. In all its affiliates, SABIC has installed sophisticated software to enhance performance in the fields of safety, health, environment, and security.

One such example is the ‘Aman’ program for reporting and analyzing incidents. Sixteen affiliates are currently using this program. SABIC is now planning to roll out programs that will address individual safety behavior.

SABIC’s concern for safety goes beyond the workplace, and is also linked to its Corporate Social Responsibility strategy, which is based on its strong commitment to the communities where it operates. Al-Mady noted that SABIC regularly participates in various forums on industrial and environment safety as well as the World Environment Day, and has distributed more than 120 awareness handbooks.

Al-Mady extended his thanks and appreciation to the winning companies. He also expressed his appreciation for the contributions of Al-Tuwaijri as Chairman of the Awards Committee, and members of the evaluation and review team. “Let safety be our practice, and diligence our motto, which should reflect on our behavior, both at work and outside – not only today, but always” Al-Mady said.

Al-Tuwaijri stressed that the SABIC SHE Awards, the SHE Day and the Contractor Safety Awards programs will enable the company to realize its vision and be committed to its values. This year the Committee will continue to focus on the initiatives taken in

2008 and will assist SABIC affiliates in implementing SHEMS and comply with environmental standards.

award CriteriaThe awards were instituted in 2001 to recognize and reward the safety performance of SABIC affiliates, and the first award was presented in 2002. In 2004, the program was renamed SABIC SHE Awards, extending its scope to include occupational health and environment. Over the years, the award criteria have undergone several revisions to accommodate the ever increasing demands and challenges concerning SHE. The SHE Award winners are decided on the basis of performance against various Key Leading and Lagging SHE indicators, with 50 percent weightage given for performance and 50 percent for efforts to improve performance. The achievements listed in the application by affiliates are verified through a comprehensive audit of the facilities and their records, says Waleed Al-Fayyad, General Manager, Industrial Security and Environment.

For 2008, KEMYA won Gold with a score of 89.8 percent. GAS scored 86.29 percent to grab Silver and UNITED scored 83.64 percent to win Bronze. A Certificate of Appreciation is given to every affiliate that meets the eligibility criteria to apply for the

Wil Emes, Director Manufacturing Polymers at Geleen (above), receives the Certificate of Appreciation

“Let safety be our practice, and diligence our motto, which should reflect on our behavior, both at work and outside not only today, but always.”


winners through the yearsyear gold silver Bronze sword of honor

2002 KEMYA AR RAZI SADAF

2003 KEMYA SADAF AR RAZI

2004 KEMYA PETROKEMYA SHARQ KEMYA

2005 HADEED KEMYA SHARQ

2006 ALBAYRONI KEMYA SABTANK

2007 UNITED ALBAYRONI R&T

2008 KEMYA GAS UNITED

Contractor award winners type gold silver Bronze

2008 Global CISL UK AMEC UK AYTB

Periodic Maintenance Al-Suwaidi Industrial Services

Award - Turnaround

Mega Projects Foster Wheeler

awards. Al-Fayyad explains that the SHE performance criteria includes the following factors: employees Incidence rate (IR), Contractor Employees Incidence Rate (IR), Severity Rate of Total Days Lost (Employees), Severity Rate of Total Days Lost (Contractor Employees) Environmental Compliance, Environmental Management Systems, Waste Management, Natural Resources Conservation (reduction in water consumption per ton of product), Occupational Health Compliance (hearing conservation program, radiation sources permit and hazard communication).

The criteria for efforts to improve SHE

performance include: Management Commitment and Involvement in SHE Systems and Programs, Reliability (Mechanical Integrity) Programs, Environmental Management System (EMS), Hearing Conservation Programs, Radiation Protection Programs, Hazard Communication (HazCom) Programs, SHE Audit Rates, Near-miss Reporting Rates, SHE Training, and SHE Awareness Programs (On-The-Job and Off-The-Job).

The contractor award winners are decided on the basis of the results of their SHE performance as well as the results of audits conducted by the affiliates they work for. The Gold is awarded to the contractor that scores the highest points in the categories of Global Contractors, Turn-around Contractors, and Mega Projects Contractors; the Silver and Bronze are presented to the contractors that score the second and third highest points in the categories of Global Contractors only, says Al-Fayyad.

The SHE awards package also includes the prestigious Sword of Honor that is presented to the affiliate that wins SHE Gold for three consecutive years and the Sword of Merit given to the

GAS President Ali Al-Ghamdi receives the Silver. On left is Al-Tuwaijri.Paul Booth, President SABIC UK Petrochemicals, with Al Mady

she AWARDS


s

participant that wins any SHE award for three consecutive years. Over the past seven years, KEMYA has led the winners’ list, winning Gold four times, Silver once and the Sword of Honor.

Says KEMYA President Abdulaziz A Al-Habardi: “In order to sustain excellence in SHE performance, there has to be a strong belief in SHE requirements by everybody in the organization. We encourage and empower our staff to act as safety officers, boosting their commitment to SHE objectives. Our managers take the lead in implementing new safety rules and ensuring adherence of other staff and contractors. Creating a culture of respecting SHE rules is everybody’s responsibility.”

Al-Habardi feels that the SHE Awards play a major role in improving the SHE care culture as they create a healthy competition among all sites and learning opportunities between them.

new reCordsHamoud Al-Tuwaijri, Vice President of Corporate Control, says SABIC affiliates

set new SHE records in 2008. The number of discrepancies recorded due to Injuries Classification and Recording dropped from 10 in 2006 to 2 in 2008; the number of discrepancies recorded by the auditors dropped from 70 in 2006 to 40 in 2008; the number of discrepancies in recording/classifying SHE incidents for the purpose of calculating SHE Performance Index (SHEPI) dropped from 15 in 2006

to zero in 2008; and the average total score increased from 62.49 percent in

2007 to 68.16 percent in 2008 with seven affiliates scoring above 80 percent.

Al-Tuwaijri said the award program and the audit process helped to identify the best SHE practices within all of SABIC to be shared by the affiliates. Praising the superior teamwork that went into the SHE Awards process this year, he said the “1SABIC” spirit was quite evident in the success of the program this year, and the corporate leadership, various support departments and the SABIC Industrial Security and Environment Department actively participated in the event.

The audit team feels that the sense of shared values and the commitment of the entire workforce, combined with the systematic approach to manage SHE are the secrets of SABIC’s achievements. Al-Tuwaijri listed several factors that add up to this approach: the emphasis on thinking before acting; monitoring and listing key behaviors to be reinforced or eliminated; communicating these to the workforce; providing immediate feedback to correct at-risk behaviors; capturing and analysis of data on behaviors that have been identified; corrective action to drive down the at-risk behaviors; communication of the analysis back to the workforce; acknowledgment of success; and

restarting the cycle.“What makes the SHE culture at SABIC

unique in its identity is the integration of behavioral safety and safety engineering

in one package,” he added.

“What makes the SHE culture at SABIC unique in its identity is the integration of behavioral safety and safety engineering in one package.”

Waleed Al-Fayyad, General Manager, Industrial Security and Environment, in his office at SABIC headquarters in Riyadh making preparations for the SHE Awards event.

feedBaCk from eUropeThree sites from SABIC Europe participated in the competition this year -- Teesside, Gelsenkirchen and Geleen. Says Mark Harrison from the UK site: “The SHE Awards provide the means to understand and characterise our SHE systems, commitment and performance in the context of SABIC as a whole. The awards criteria identify the improvement opportunities and those within the company who deliver best practice, so that we can learn and improve. The contractor awards have a similar positive benefit for the companies with whom we work.”

Jochen Stuckenholz, SHE Manager at Gelsenkirchen (Germany), says the awards support the process of improving the safety performance. “We have learned a lot from the audit and review process which has enabled us to see the limits of our systems and we have implemented advices from the audit team and best practices from other sites,” he says.

Both Harrison and Stuckenholz say that the audit and review process helps sites to prepare for the next year’s competition. “We have an action list for implementing advices, recommendations and best practices which resulted from the last SHE Award audit,” says Stuckenholz. Wil Ernes, Director Manufacturing Polymers at Geleen, concurs. “Knowing and implementing the SABIC standards and having good

Dr. Christopher Eacott, Director, Stewardship Solutions Ltd, addresses the gathering

Michael Palmer, Vice President, Health and Safety Services Inc (ENSAFE) speaks at one of the SHE Day sessions


systems in place is one thing, but knowing your own performance and ranking being compared to other affiliates gives you again a sense of urgency and drive for continious improvements. This year we participated for the second time. We will discuss the improvement opportunities in the SHE Steering Committee and we will set actions for next year’s participation. Our site management is committed, and we recorded the SHE Award 2009 as a High Priority Action in our SHE Multi-Year Plan 2009-2013,” he says. Describing the audit experience, Henri Smolenaers, SHE Manager at Geleen, says: “We have convinced our colleagues of our commitment and drive to improve our SHE performance in every possible way. Although we might not perform to the highest standards this year, we have definitely been able to show improvement. Further improvements for 2009 are already in the pipeline.”

presentationsThe SHE Day activities included three sessions of presentations. In the first session, Dr. Christopher Eacott,

Stewardships Solutions Ltd., presented a paper titled “Managing Chemical Products Safely in Supply Chain.” Michael D. Palmer, VP H&S Services Ensafe, Inc. spoke about “Contractor Safety – Top Ten Accidents & Safety Violations”.

In the second session, Dr. Abdullah Al-Fawaz presented a paper on SABIC Corporate Social Responsibility Programs, which was followed by a presentation titled “The Key for SABIC SHE Excellence” made by Edward J. Platini. In the third session,

“1SABIC” spirit was quite evident in the success of the program this year, and the corporate leadership, various support departments and the SABIC Industrial Security and Environment Department actively participated in the event.”

Edward J. Platini, Safety Advisor SABIC IS&E, makes a presentation

Tawfeek Shammasi of HADEED (Saudi Iron and Steel Company) presented “CO₂ Emission & the Efforts of the World Steel Association Toward Kyoto Protocol” and PETROKEMYA’s Mohammed Al Yami made a presentation titled “Enhancing the Safety Culture”.

she AWARDS


ssUCCess STORY

With razor-thin profit margins, supermarkets are vigilant in controlling overhead costs such as electricity. This is doubly true for Price Chopper which is focused on living up to its brand message of low prices for shoppers while simultaneously projecting its environmental stewardship.

SABIC Innovative Plastics approached Price Chopper offering a new, energy-efficient way to ensure fog-free doors on freezer and refrigerated cases. The supermarket welcomed the contact and initiated a trial to assess the SABIC energy-saving solution. The results of a two-year test of Lexan* Resin* Resin Constant Clear anti-fog freezer film

were so impressive that Price Chopper has installed the film in 10 stores with plans for more.

energy ChallengeExplaining the challenge faced by Price Chopper, the company’s Director of Energy Management Benny Smith says: “All of our new stores are being constructed to meet LEED Green Building certification requirements. We recognized that a lot of energy was used to heat the glass doors of our freezer and refrigerated cases to prevent fogging. Not only did the doors have to be heated around the clock, but because the heat elevated the

temperature of the cold air within the cases, our compressors experienced an extra burden.”

In addition to demanding significant amounts of power to heat the 80 to 100 glass doors in each store, the system did not work particularly well. “In warm, humid summer periods, when a shopper opened a freezer case door, it tended to fog up,” said Smith. “Then, when the next shopper came along and couldn’t see into the case, that person had to hold the door open while making a selection. Energy was lost while the doors were held open, but equally important, it had an impact on the shopping experience.”

When SABIC Innovative Plastics visited Price Chopper to introduce Lexan* Resin* Resin Constant Clear film – a crystal-clear, adhesive, anti-fog film for freezer and refrigerated glass doors – Smith and his team decided to give the solution a try.

“We suggested the film as an easy retrofit solution to Price Chopper’s existing door heaters,” explained Ken Rudolf, Marketing Manager Americas for SABIC Innovative Plastics. “We provided and installed the film on a five-door freezer case and turned off the heat to the glass on the doors. Price Chopper then tracked and compared the energy usage over a period of two years.”

Lexan* Resin Constant Clear film is a one-side-coated polycarbonate (PC) film with an adhesive backing that offers long-term anti-fog performance, chemical and abrasion resistance, and outstanding optical clarity. It can be screen printed or digitally printed for in-store branding.

BenefitsThe test of Lexan* Resin Constant Clear film yielded impressive results. “By turning off the heat to the doors that warm up the glass, we cut the electrical usage for the five-door case by 400 watts,” said Smith. “Based on these numbers, we expect to recoup the investment in Lexan* Resin Constant Clear film in as little as 10 months, depending on the size of the store.” Further, although Price Chopper did not quantify the reduced impact on compressors, it is clear that the SABIC Innovative Plastics solution significantly lightens the load on compressors – potentially extending their useful life and avoiding maintenance issues.

Another important benefit of the anti-fog film is an improved shopping experience for consumers. “In spite of the heaters, our doors tended to fog up as soon as they were opened in warm, humid weather, making it hard to see the items inside the case,” Mark Hankle, Manager of Mechanical Engineering for

lexan* resin Constant Clear film saves cost, energy for Us supermarket chain

Price Chopper installs SABIC’s anti-fog film in freezers at 10 stores after a two-year trial, enabling the outlets to turn off glass door heaters and reduce the load on compressors.

Price Chopper is a privately held supermarket chain headquartered in Schenectady, NY. Part of the Golub Corporation, the 75-year-old chain of 116 supermarkets located in upstate New York, Pennsylvania and New England is known for its emphasis on helping consumers save money.

When Price Chopper decided to adopt the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building standards at all its new stores, the company knew that it would require significant energy savings. The LEED Green Building certification demands a high level of energy efficiency compared with conventional buildings.

Price Chopper stores noted. “With the Constant Clear film, the doors stay fog-free, even after they are held open for a period of time. This improved clarity helps Price Chopper display our frozen and refrigerated items to their best advantage.”

Yet another positive result of the Price Chopper trial was the high performance of the film over the two-year period. “We have had no quality issues at all – the film has stood up to constant use without any sign of degradation, separation or scratching,” said Hankle. Installation by a certified professional, which requires only about a half-day per store, is the key to top performance over the long term.

Price Chopper has completed installation of the SABIC Innovative Plastics’ film in 10 stores in New York State, and plans to expand this retrofit project to its other stores.

“Price Chopper is aggressively pursuing many avenues to lighten the environmental impact of our stores, and the anti-fog film project is an important component of this effort,” Smith said. “Constant Clear film not only enables us to cut our energy usage, but delivers improved anti-fog performance compared to door heaters. SABIC Innovative Plastics has developed a winning product that can make a big contribution to the green building movement.”The top half of the freezer door in the picture shows the clarity provided by the Lexan* Resin

Constant Clear anti-fog film

The results of SABIC’s Lexan* Resin Constant Clear anti-fog freezer film were so impressive that Price Chopper has installed the film in 10 stores, and has plans to install at more outlets

This advertisement image seeks to show the energy and environmental advantages of using Lexan* Resin Constant Clear anti-fog freezer film


Corporate SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY s

Jet-Net (Jongeren en Technologie Netwerk Nederland – Youth and Technology Network Netherlands) is a partnership between the industry, the Dutch government and the education sector. The program was launched in November, 2002 as part of a national plan to achieve a significant increase in the number of science and technology graduates. It is aimed at plugging the shortage of science and technology talent, and its success has drawn the attention of other European countries to the ‘Dutch approach’.

Jet-Net now consists of 30 national and international companies, representatives of two government ministries, trade organizations and the national Science and Technology Platform. About 150 schools – 30 percent of all pre-college schools in the country – are enrolled in the program. European Commission President José Manuel Barroso has cited the program as best practice that other nations could adopt.

SABIC has been actively involved in

Jet-Net since the company ‘adopted’ the Philips van Horne Comprehensive School in Weert as part of the initiative. “We have now completed two years of participation in the program. As part of the program, we work with students to try and influence their higher education and career choices,” says Michiel Evers, Manager Recruitment, HRM - People & Organization Development at SABIC Europe in Sittard, the Netherlands.

When a business commits itself to reach out to the community, it is not all about donating funds. While the money is important, what matters more, especially in programs related to youth and education, is the commitment of the corporate teams and individuals who are driving the program. SABIC’s experience in the Netherlands’ Jet-Net Program, which is aimed at planting the seeds of science and technology in young minds, proves just that.

linking youthand technology

“We have now completed two years of participation in the program. As part of the program, we work with students to try and influence their higher education and career choices.”

gUest leCtUresAs part of the adoption, SABIC offers a basket of Jet-Net activities for students and teachers. A key feature is guest lectures given by SABIC engineers on a voluntary basis. “The engineer volunteers are playing a central role

in the program. Our engineers are extremely enthusiastic about their profession and our business, and they share their knowledge and experience with the teachers and students. That makes a really big difference in tapping the potential to groom science and technology talents. Our engineers’ dedication has been exemplary,” says Evers.

That dedication serves Jet-Net’s goal of inspiring and motivating students

to secure the future of science and technology. “Many future engineers and research professionals are needed to strengthen scientific, technological and economic innovation in the Netherlands. Shortages in these disciplines are already imminent – as

SABIC’s Ed van de Gaar, Technical Support Engineer PP Automotive, taking a guest lecture for the students

32 saBiC May/June 2009 Young visitors are visibly excited about wearing safety helmets and goggles


Corporate SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY s

they are in other Western countries. Jet-Net aims at substantially curbing this trend,” says the program’s website.

About 30 SABIC staff are involved in the program, including representatives from Communications and Human Resources departments for coordination of activities and the volunteers from technical marketing, manufacturing, research and technology.

site VisitsConducted tours of SABIC’s manufacturing sites is another important element of the program. These tours, held once every year, enables students and teachers to see the processes at work, and more importantly to get a feel of working in a science and technology environment. SABIC volunteers also support teachers with examples and ideas that help a deeper understanding of the science lessons.

The most recent visit of students took place over two days in March, when VWO-3 (preparatory scientific education) and HAVO-3 (Higher General Secondary Education) students from the school were given a tour of the SABIC site in Geleen, The Netherlands. The SABIC Jet-Net team had organized

The SABIC Jet-Net team had organized a full program for the students and their teachers. As in the previous year, the tour was based on the theme, ‘From oil to bumper’.

a full program for the students and their teachers. As in the previous year, the tour was based on the theme, ‘From oil to bumper’.

A step by step explanation of the process of oil refinery to final product was given at various plant locations. Three groups of students visited a number of ‘places of interest’ on the Geleen site by bus. At NAK4 (SABIC’s naphtha cracker in Geleen), they were given an explanation about the naphtha-cracking process and the job of a Process Engineer. As the students moved from one location to another, they were given more information on SABIC and Chemelot. (Chemelot is a unique a Dutch industrial park that is designed to pool the knowledge and skills normally found only in major organizations and to apply those within a community of small and large chemical businesses to innovate and develop new products and product applications).

During their visit to the LDPE function

room, the students learnt about polymers and plastics processing. The students then went on to the SLPO (Site Logistic Polyolefins) bagging unit, followed by a visit to Research and Development laboratory, where they could see a whole variety of final products, such as plastic sheets and bumpers.

SABIC’s young technologists, Roel Kemp, Stefan Wolfs, Felix van Diepen, Ramon Meijers and Edwin Biemond showed great enthusiasm to make presentations to the visitors. “We had an attentive audience,” Felix van Diepen explains. “The students did well. Usually, they only see a heap of pipes and plumes of smoke and they are not able to fully grasp what we make here. When they saw the beads emerging, that’s when the questions started. How many beads does it take to make a sandwich bag? An afternoon like that makes our work for these young students that much more concrete.”

“I found it very interesting,” says Matt Verstappen, Mathematics and Computer Science teacher. “It is fascinating to see the processes that make a final product and the huge variety of products that you can make with only a few raw materials.”

“I was very impressed by it all,” says Chemistry teacher Susanne Trommelen. “The guest lesson that SABIC gave at the school prior to this tour provided a really good introduction. Everything is then really brought to life when you are actually here. It is good for raising awareness, as both the chemical sector and SABIC as a company are not really that well known to the students.” The VWO-3 and HAVO-3 students who take part in the Jet-Net tours at SABIC have all chosen a technical career path, which is either an NT profile (Natural Science & Technology) or an NG profile (Natural Science & Health). SABIC’s participation in Jet-Net helps sustain their interest in science and technology while also motivating the students to choose a follow-on course in the technology/petrochemical sector.

And what did the youngsters think of it all? “I find it really interesting, and

what I have seen here really appeals to me,” says Jules van Lierop. Aeilt-jan Takken, another student, chips in: “You can see so many things here that you can do later on.” Noël Dautzenberg, another student, is also enthusiastic: “I don’t know what I want to do after the VWO yet, but the chemical sector is definitely an option.”

Career daySABIC also participates in the annual Jet-Net Career Day in the Netherlands, which is visited by around 3,000 students over two days. At the Career Day exhibition, students learn about basic petrochemical technology and products from SABIC’s volunteer engineers.

The educational event is also a technological experience for students as Jet-Net companies display new technologies. It is an opportunity for them to discuss their future prospects with young engineers and research staff in a wide variety of disciplines.

Evers says that SABIC’s participation in Jet-Net benefits between 300 and 400 students every year from guest lectures, Career Day and manufacturing site visits. “We are

sponsoring the program with an annual participation fee, but this is clearly one instance in which the fund is relatively unimportant. Our people’s dedication and commitment matters more to the students and to the program objectives.” Says Gerry Verhaegh, the teacher who is charge of coordinating the program with SABIC: “”We, the teachers as well as the management of our school, think it’s very important for students to meet with young engineers. They act as role models (especially the young women) for our pupils and because they’re enthusiastic about both their work and the company, they are the best representatives you can wish for.

The site visits change the impression most children have of a chemical plant and its working conditions in a positive way.

The guest teacher adds an important dimension to the lessons in the book by sharing his or her experiences with the students.

“The school is very pleased with the cooperation with SABIC and we hope that more of our pupils will choose to become technical engineers,” she adds.

Felix van Diepen, a SABIC volunteer engineer, explains the functioning of the SLPO bagging unit

On the way to the next point of interest at the Geleen site


Behind THE SCENES s

PTO, which was launched in January 2009, has begun to yield significant early results.

The goals in creating PTO were to provide an easy-to-use and fast SAP-integrated intranet portal that helps sales to pursue opportunities—both with existing clients and new ones—and allows PTO information to be managed in a uniform and transparent way within the wider SABIC organization. PTO was designed with the larger objective of shifting gears from optimizing sales to existing clients to expand into new markets.

A key strength of PTO as compared to conventional systems and methods used to promote sales is its multidisciplinary approach that helps to analyze the business and prospect developments from different aspects. It involved the cooperation of Sales, Business Management, Technical Marketing, Financial Service Center and Demand Chain Management. At each stage of the PTO process, reports are captured in an interactive online system integrated into the business’ SAP databases.

The polymer market has changed radically since the time the project was conceived and finalized, and the new sales tool is proving extremely relevant and useful in difficult market circumstances, says Koen Cremers, PTO Program Manager. “Every passing day demonstrates just how important it is to track and follow up market opportunities,” he says. The added value

pto opens new windows of opportunity with polymer sales in europeSABIC Europe recently launched a new sales tool called Prospect-to-Order (PTO) which makes it easier to track prospects and identify locations from where new sales would be generated.

Poland, Scandinavia, Hungary, Belgium and the Czech Republic.

People learning to use the PTO have praise for it. “Feedback concerning training has been positive because it’s practical, and they’re saying the tool is quick and easy to use,” says Bernd Naumann, Product Sales Manger LDPE/LLDPE Germany. “We start with a general presentation, which is followed by a practical part where everybody was asked to fill the system with their projects,” he says. “At the end of the training we had more than 140 projects in the PTO representing more than 120 kilotons.”

Bart Wiertz, Sales Office Captain Germany, says that the sales organization is strongly committed to the success of PTO. “Koen Cremers is now dedicated for one year to the PTO project to make sure everyone is dealing with it in an accurate way and to assist where needed. Every effort has been taken to make this project a success.”


comes from the fact that various sales teams will have a uniform application that allows departments within SABIC Europe to align planning processes and to communicate in a ‘common language’.

amBitioUs targetThe timing for this new tool could not have been better: Polymer sales in Europe are set to grow from 3.3 million tons in 2007 to 4.8 million tons in 2012, a growth target driven by SABIC’s increased polymer production capacity.

The idea of PTO grew out of this ambitious growth plan and the realization that the capability to sell is the biggest challenge in the years to come for sales and business management teams. It was conceived in the first quarter of 2008, followed by

early initiatives, approvals and start-up of the project in the second quarter. The PTO tool was built over the second half of the year and by January, the program was ready to launch.

“Achieving growth faster than the average potential offered by the market required a special and different approach. Setting up the PTO process enabled the whole of SABIC Europe to use one simple tool and to make all sales efforts transparent. It also enabled other parts of the organization to make use of this information,” says Koen Cremers.

Since January, the PTO program has been helping SABIC get a clearer picture of market opportunities. Originally developed to help find new customers to realize SABIC’s growth strategy,

organization about new prospects. The result is a seamless integration of PTO activity up to the point when SABIC’s granules have reached the customers’ production lines.

“If we tap 100 potential customers, maybe only about half would ever become actual customers for several reasons,” says Koen Cremers. “But by better tracking customers and prospects, we have a tool that provides insights about why the leads were not converted into sales, which is a good basis for taking decisions to support growth strategy.” Information that was once simply noted between sales staff and business managers is now more transparent, and potentially actionable.

staff training All sales staff in Europe including the European Head Office in Sittard, The Netherlands, have been PTO-trained. SABIC Europe’s sales offices are located in Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, Spain, Russia, Greece, UK, France,

the program has provided the sales team with the wherewithal to face the market slowdown in a radically different economic environment.

“Until recently, we were selling all of our production volume,” says Koen Cremers. “The market has now become very competitive and PTO allows us to build a strong base of potential customers, but also to effectively manage declining sales.”

new leadsNow that the project is up and running and the staff have been trained, the next move is to incorporate the PTO tool in SABIC’s normal business processes, says Koen Cremers. “Building the tool was the first step; now that we have started using it, we need to generate real added value. The early success of the project is quite evident from the fact that PTO has captured 1276 new leads after 4 months with a potential yearly volume of 1143 Kton if all projects were successful.”

Since the introduction of PTO, progress on prospect development is discussed on a regular basis with the business managers and the sales office captains. It is also regularly on the agenda of the product managers’ meetings. Although the sales and business development teams drive the process, the tool updates other parts of the

“By better tracking customers and prospects, we have a tool that provides insights about why the leads were not converted into sales, which is a good basis for taking decisions to support growth strategy.”

The timing for this new tool could not have been better: Polymer sales in Europe are set to grow from 3.3 million tons in 2007 to 4.8 million tons in 2012, a growth target driven by SABIC’s increased polymer production capacity.

Koen Cremers, PTO Program Manager

The PTO team at a meeting in August last year in Landgraaf, the Netherlands


sprodUCt PROFILE

fast faCtsappearance: White, crystalline powderformula: (NH2)2COstructure: Highly soluble in water and has a pKa close to zeromost important use: Fertilizer for cropsproduced from: Ammonia and carbon dioxideStorage: Closed, sealed bags on pallets; bulk storage under tarpaulin coverhealth and safety: Reacts violently with strong oxidants, nitrites, inorganic chlorides, chlorites and perchlorates, causing fire and explosion hazard. Urea dust may irritate the eyes, skin and respiratory tract. High concentrations in the blood can cause organ damage.

When German chemist Friedrich Wöhler (1800-1882) stumbled upon artificially synthesized urea in 1828, he would not have imagined the far-reaching impact of his discovery on humanity. However, he was not totally unaware of the importance of the discovery as is evident from what he wrote to his fellow chemist in Sweden, Jöns Jacob Berzelius: “I must tell you that I can make urea without the use of kidneys, either man or dog. Ammonium cyanate is urea.”

Although French chemist Hilaire Rouelle (1718-1779) discovered urea in urine in 1773, Wöhler’s discovery of “artificial” urea effectively quashed the theory of ‘vitalism’ which held the view that the chemicals in living organisms are fundamentally different from inanimate matter. The German chemist is therefore considered by many as the father of modern organic chemistry.

As the first organic compound to be artificially synthesized from inorganic starting materials, it was urea that launched the glorious saga of organic chemistry which has made significant contributions in the advancement of human knowledge in diverse fields, ranging from medicine to industrial and agricultural development.

appliCationsUrea has a wide range of applications in agriculture, industry, medicine

and other commercial fields, but the substance is known as the vital fertilizer that helps feed millions of people around the world. Around 85-90 percent of the global production of nearly 150 million tons per year of urea is used in agriculture as fertilizer.

It is the most popular and economical of all nitrogenous fertilizers being used worldwide. It has a nitrogen content of 46 percent, which is the highest among the solid nitrogenous fertilizers in common use. The result is that it has

the lowest transportation cost per unit of nitrogen nutrient for crops.

Unlike phosphate and potassium fertilizers, which normally require a single application, urea needs to be applied several times during the growing season. Urea is an ideal source of nitrogen for all kinds of crops (wheat, barley, rice and maize). Urea dissolves in water for application as a spray or through irrigation systems.

Urea is usually spread at rates of between 40 and 300 kg per hectare,

Ureahelping feed millions around the world

Friedrich Wöhler


Urea plays a key role in fertilizing crops around the world, supporting the production of food grains and other vital crops.

Floating cranes getting ready to unload SABIC’s urea cargo alongside Convent, LA

A floating crane takes a large bite of the cargo to drop it off on to a customer barge. The largest cranes take a bite of more than 30 tons.

(NH2)2CO

prodUCt PROFILE s

SABIC fertilizers laid out at the Jubail port, ready to be shipped.

but actual spreading rates will vary according to farm type and region. Farmers are usually advised to make several small to medium applications at intervals to minimize leaching losses and increase efficient use of the nitrogen applied, compared with single heavy applications. During summer, urea should be spread just before, or during rain to reduce possible losses from volatilization (process wherein nitrogen is lost to the atmosphere as ammonia gas). Urea should not be mixed for any length of time with other fertilizers, as the mixture may lead to loss of essential properties.

Product experts say that the high nitrogen concentration in urea makes it essential for farmers to ensure that its application is even on the farm. The application equipment must be correctly calibrated and drilling must not occur on contact with or close to the seed as it will pose the risk of affecting germination.

Because of the high nitrogen concentration in urea, it is very important to achieve an even spread. The application equipment must be

correctly calibrated and properly used. Drilling must not occur on contact with or close to seed, due to the risk of germination damage.

non-farm appliCationsUrea has a host of other commercial applications. It is a major raw material in the production of melamine, plastics such as urea-formaldehyde resin and urea-formaldehyde that is used to make industrial glue. It may also be used to reduce emissions from diesel engines and power plants, and as an alternative to rock salt in the de-icing of roadways and runways. Small quantities of urea are also used in the production of aviation fuel and lubricating oils.

Not many people are aware the urea could also be an ingredient in hair conditioners, facial cleansers, bath oils and lotions. It has found use in some ready-to-use cold compresses for first-aid and as a cloud seeding agent to expedite the condensation of water in clouds. In dry chemical fire extinguishers, urea-potassium bicarbonate finds use as a flame-proofing agent. Other products

in which urea is present are: tooth whiteners, skin softening creams (especially for cracked skin on the feet) and soap.

Laboratory technicians use urea to as a protein denaturant while in pharmacologists use it as an ingredient in several dermatological products. Urea is also used in clinical diagnosis and textile laboratories.

gloBal oUtlookThe global trade in urea has been robust, with the need for higher food output driving demand in major markets. In the long term, the demand is likely to remain healthy although production capacity expansions due in the coming years seem to point towards an oversupply between now and 2011. The International Fertilizer Industry Association (IFA) estimates that global production will increase from about 145 million tons in 2007 to nearly 180 million tons in 2011, compared to global demand increasing from 143 million tons in 2007 to 164 million tons in 2011.

India, Western Europe and the US

continue to be large consumers while China continues to retains a strong export position. The main production expansions in recent years have happened in China, Egypt, Iran,Oman and Saudi Arabia.

saBiC, a maJor prodUCerSABIC is one of the leading producers of urea and a dedicated Strategic Business Unit (SBU) that oversees the product business. Three world-scale SABIC fertilizer manufacturing affiliates located in Jubail Industrial City in Saudi Arabia are major producers of urea: SAFCO (Saudi Arabian Fertilizer Company), IBN AL-BAYTAR (National Chemical Fertilizer Company) and AL-BAYRONI (Al-Jubail Fertilizer Company). The three SABIC affiliates produced a total of 3.7 million mt per year of urea in 2008 that was marketed worldwide.

Asia, Oceania and North America are major markets for SABIC’s fertilizers, making it a leading player in the global market. In Asia, Thailand , and India-sub continent are the leading consumers of SABIC’s urea.

saBiC ameriCas’ eXampleSABIC Americas, Inc.’s experience with urea offers interesting insights into the product’s transportation and applications. For SAI, granular urea represented not only the largest volume product line in 2008, but its largest source of revenue as well. Noting that granular urea is very economical to transport as a dry, high-nitrogen fertilizer, Scott Bell, Regional Sales Manager, Fertilizers, says: “This is why it’s the most traded of all fertilizer products.” In North America, 85 percent of urea is used as fertilizer, but it also has other uses. Approximately 1 million tons are used in urea formaldehyde resins for the wood products industry. Another half million tons are used in animal feed for ruminant animals like cows and sheep, that have the ability to convert urea into protein.

SAI transports its urea to US on vessels laden with approximately 60,000 metric tons of urea and headed for New Orleans. The product is then unloaded from the vessel onto river barges, each holding approximately 1,400 metric tons of the product. The barges

take the urea via the river system to warehouses on the Mississippi, Arkansas, Illinois and Ohio rivers.

Much of the industry operates on what it calls a ‘fertilizer year,’ July through June of each year. SAI has imported approximately 540,000 tons of urea into New Orleans since July 2008. Nearly all urea sold in North America is granular urea due to the product’s better shelf-life and handling characteristics; it blends more easily with other fertilizer materials because it is similar in size.

SAI also looks into business opportunities in South America, particularly Argentina and southern Brazil, where granular urea is in demand.

Change is a part of every market, and fertilizer is no different. Thirty years ago, the United States was a significant exporter of nitrogen fertilizers. Now, it imports more than half of its total nitrogen requirements due to the lower cost of manufacturing in other parts of the world, particularly the Middle East.


slifestyle

Know your colors and then pick the ones best for your interiors. Though some colors have great universal appeal, it will help to know what colors give rise to positive emotions in you.

interiors: what color are you?


It’s been a long, tiring day. Hectic meetings, impossible deadlines, and an hour’s traffic leave you wanting nothing more than to lock yourself up in the comfort of your home. When you walk in through the door and look at your bare white walls, home doesn’t seem all that comforting anymore. Before you sign up for a meditation class, you may want to consider repainting your home. Yes, paint.

Now picture this – you’re sitting at the beach, or by a lake, or even just looking at a large picture of the sea. The rich blue melts into that green and comes up to the shore in soft white. Calms you immediately, doesn’t it? It’s not the sound of the waves or the warmth of the sun on your back that does the trick – it’s the color.

Ancient Egyptians wore amulets of colored stone, which they believed had healing powers. Red was worn to cure an illness, yellow was worn to create happiness, and green was

worn to promote fertility. Today, 5,000 years down the line, color therapists, aestheticians and interior designers concur.

Experts attribute the red side of the color spectrum – red, orange and yellow – to warmth and heat, with associated feelings ranging from warmth and comfort to anger and hostility. Cool colors are those on the blue side – blue, purple and green – representing calm, but also melancholy.

Whatever the interpretations are, color is central in every home. From the color of your walls to the color of your sofa cushions, every minor detail goes a long way in effecting your mood. Some colors, like a soft yellow, create a feeling of joy, while others, like white, can create a feeling of emptiness if not used properly. By picking the right color combinations, you can create a variety of effects in your home, from altering the size of the room to your


“Colors, like features, follow the changes of the emotions.”

- Pablo Picasso


slifestyle

Whites symbolize elegance, and make your furniture stand out. However, if you want your drawing room to be a cosy place with lots of warmth, try darker shades, like reds.

Your bedroom is the one place where you would want to relax and unwind after a long day. Light shades of blue and green work very well to create this effect. If you are a college-going student, or a young and exuberant person, you may find that shades of purple and royal blue help you relax better.

Of course, it’s not just the walls in your home that make a difference. Even the kind of furniture you use affects your mood. A home with a modern, monochromatic look usually has steel-and-glass furniture for a classy, elegant look, while more traditional homes have wooden furniture. The latter, gives a feeling of warmth and comfort, while the former has a very aloof, cold feel. The idea is that wood, being natural, and being a deep color, brown, is something that our brain sub-consciously marks as “comforting”.

Even here, there is room for variety. Your home may have metal and glass furniture, but a few walls that are a deep shade, and a few rugs and cushions in deep reds, purples,

mood when you come home every evening.

Studies show that the kind of colors you choose for your rooms must also depend on your age – younger people are happier and more productive when their rooms are painted bright colors, like orange and yellow or even red, while older people may find overly bright colors disturbing and distracting.

The most important thing to consider while decorating your home is the effect you want to create. If you have a small room, painting your walls in pastel shades will help it look bigger. If your room is too big, or the ceiling too high, darker shades will help it look smaller and cosier. Of course, your choice of color should also depend on the amount of natural light (from the sun) the room gets. If your wall is painted white, but your room does not get much light, your wall will look more grey than white, and grey brings depression.

Your drawing room is where you spend most of your time and where you entertain your guests. It is usually the first place people see when they come home. Experts suggest that your living room be painted neutral shades, like off-whites or beige, or in pastel colors.

or browns can create the perfect blend between the modern and the traditional.

Choosing the right color scheme is a daunting task. How do you know, when you step into a paint shop or leaf through the brochure, which colors to pick out of the dozens of combinations on display? Most people avoid the risk of choosing the “wrong” color by simply choosing a neutral shade, like beige or off-white.

The secret is knowing what colors make you feel more comfortable. Each person has a different perception of color, and every person has a unique preference for a particular color or shade. This preference can depend on anything, from the color of your favourite dress as a child, to the color

Experts suggest that your living room be painted neutral shades, like off-whites or beige, or in pastel colors. Whites symbolize elegance, and make your furniture stand out.

that reminds you of home, to the color that simply makes you smile for no reason. Preference for certain colors depends on your personality.

Once you know which colors you


want to see in your home, think about where you want these colors while keeping in mind the effect they can have on your mood. Bathrooms, kitchens and bedrooms usually have lighter colors, to help the eye and the mind relax, while living rooms and hallways have deeper, more vibrant colors, to boost energy levels. The hallway from the main door of your home may be painted a soft yellow or orange, the former giving energy and the latter being a warm color.

Not all psychologists are convinced about the lasting impact of colors on the mood and individual happiness. Some hold the view that colors may help lift your mood tentatively, but with familiarity, the impact is just likely to fade away. However, the perception that color and space will have a lasting impact on the moods and quality of life of residents have given birth to a whole new line of learning and business – design psychology.

Jeanette Fisher, Design Psychology Professor and author of “Doghouse to Dollhouse for Dollars: Using Design

Psychology to Increase Real Estate Profits”, argues that design psychology helps individuals and families to create a home that sustains positive emotions. “Our senses react to many other factors besides those of basic interior design, even though those factors can profoundly affect our emotions and happiness. Design Psychology addresses elements that interior design doesn’t take into consideration,” an online interview quotes Fisher as saying.

Regardless of the level of impact that colors have on our moods, all of us are likely to agree that we do feel more pleasant amid certain colors – and that some colors are jarring and depressing, especially on the walls. So take a look around your home and head out to the paint store. Invest in some vibrant, energizing reds, or some relaxing, cooling blues or greens, or even some royal, noble purples and you’ll find your day’s worries and troubles hesitant to follow when you walk in through the door of your home.


ssaBiC COMPETITION

Across 1: Iris6: Corn-flower7: Bear’s breech8: Christmas orchid10: Edelweiss13: Blue-eyed grass14: Cattleya orchid15: Flax 18: Thyme19: Water lily20: Maple leaf21: Yellow elder22: Marguerite daisy

DoWN2: Calla lily3: Lily-of-the-valley 4: Red poppy5: Butterfly jasmine6: Lotus8: Plum blossom9: Dwarf poinciana11 Golden wattle12: Black orchis14: Kantita16: Bellflower17: Knapweed18: Blue poppy

Listed below are the national flowers of 26 countries. Name the countries.

name: address:

tel:

mob:

email:

Congratulations go to Henri Smolenaers, Europe, who is the winner of our competition from the last issue of SABIC magazine. The prize will reach you shortly.

Untitled PuzzleHeader Info 1Header Info 2

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Across1. Iris [FRANCE] 6. Corn-flower [ESTONIA] 7. Bear's breech [GREECE] 8. Christmas orchid [COLOMBIA]

10. Edelweiss [AUSTRIA] 13. Blue-eyed Grass [BERMUDA] 14. Cattleya Orchid [BRAZIL] 15. Flax [BELARUS] 18. Thyme [BOHEMIA] 19. Water Lily [BANGLADESH] 20. Maple Leaf [CANADA] 21. Yellow Elder [BAHAMAS] 22. Marguerite Daisy [DENMARK]

Down2. Calla Lily [ETHIOPIA] 3. Lily-of-the-valley [FINLAND] 4. Red Poppy [BELGIUM] 5. Butterfly Jasmine [CUBA] 6. Lotus [EGYPT] 8. Plum Blossom [CHINA] 9. Dwarf Poinciana [BARBADOS]

11. Golden Wattle [AUSTRALIA] 12. Black Orchid [BELIZE] 14. Kantuta [BOLIVIA] 16. Bellflower [CHILE] 17. Knapweed [GERMANY] 18. Blue poppy [BHUTAN]


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Qasr Al-Farid is one of the famous tombs in Madain Saleh in northwest Saudi Arabia. “Farid” is the Arabic word for lonely and “Qasr” means tomb. This historical monument got its name because it is completely isolated from the other tombs in Madain Saleh, which was named by UNESCO (United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization) in 2008 as Saudi Arabia’s first World Heritage Site.

Correctly complete the suduko and crossword puzzles for your chance to win a digital camera. Fax complete entries to +966 1 461 2966(Closing date August 15, 2009)

IT TAKES COLLABORATION, CHEMISTRY AND HALF A PINT OF MILK TO MAKE HER MORNING.

Colourful and unbreakable. Two qualities that make a simple plastic bowl fun and family-safe.

By delivering the essential chemicals, SABIC helps create products that brighten the lives

of millions worldwide. And by working ever more closely with our customers, we discover

innovative new ways to solve manufacturing challenges. It’s the collaborative approach

that has made us a world leader in chemicals, polymers, highly engineered thermoplastics,

fertilizers and metals. Get round the table with us at sabic.com

KING OPENS NEW PROJECTS - SABIC

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