In the nearly two years following its entry into the market as a regional player, the Saudi Arabian Sabic group (Riyadh; www.sabic.com) has sharpened its European profile. A major step towards integrating its 2002 acquisition DSM Petrochemicals – now known as Sabic EuroPetrochemicals (NL-6130 AA Sittard; www.sabic-europe.com) – was taken at the beginning of 2004 when DSM brand names “Stamylan” (PE and PP), “Kelburon” and “Stamytec” were replaced with the Sabic name. This year also has seen changes in the European marketing organisation. New sales offices in Poland and the Czech Republic have widened the total number to nine.

In Europe, Sabic produces 2.5m t/y of polyolefins, about half its 5m worldwide volume. European sales of PE are now claimed to have reached 2m t, with 1.3m t from production at Geleen / The Netherlands, and Gelsenkirchen / Germany. But Sabic still imports 700,000 t/y of PE from the Middle East into Europe. Its European PP sales volumes currently do not exceed regional output of 1m t/y of base polymer and 200,000 t/y of compounds, but expansion is the watchword here. A 35,000 t/y production line for its “Stamax” long glass-fibre-reinforced PP compounds was recently opened at Genk / Belgium to meet growing automotive industry demand. In the long term, as polyolefins output in the Middle East exceeds regional demand, Sabic´s declared goal is to “sell and supply our products on the world market.” (see PIE 22, 2003 – “Polyethylenes”).