US Air Products to build R&D centre in Saudi Arabia

LONDON (ICIS)–Air Products is to build a research and development (R&D) centre in Saudi Arabia, the US industrial gases major said on Monday.

Financial details on capital expenditure (capex) were not disclosed.

The centre is expected to be operational by 2019 and will be located in the Dhahran Techno Valley Science Park in the eastern coast. 

“As the company’s new technology centre and primary base for technology support in The Kingdom [Saudi Arabia], the centre will ultimately become a base for collaboration with regional universities, as well as for supporting all of Air Products’ technical activities in the region,” it said.

Air Products announced in 2015 it was to build a 75,000 tonne/year industrial gas complex in Jazan, in the southern Saudi Red Sea coast, to support a refinery being built by Saudi Aramco at the site.

The complex will produce 20,000 tonnes/year of oxygen and 55,000 tonnes/year of nitrogen.

Once built, the facility will be owned by a 25:75 joint venture between Air Products and Arabian Company for Water and Power Development (ACWA Holding).

However, timeline for the industrial gases complex construction or financial details of the contract have not been disclosed.