Sinopec holds first virtual open day event in Saudi Arabia

China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation ("Sinopec", HKG: 0386), China's leading energy and chemical company, today held a Sinopec Open Day in Saudi Arabia. This "Better Energy, Better Life" event exploring Sinopec's comprehensive, multi-faceted approach to sustainability, is its first virtual, as well as first international Open Day.

A close and deepening cooperation

This online event highlighted Sinopec milestones since its entry into Saudi Arabia in 2000 and provided updates while inviting questions from the global audience.  

For over two decades, Sinopec has consistently provided high-quality engineering, technology, and refining services for the Saudi petroleum and petrochemical industry, as well as supplied petroleum and petrochemical equipment, products, and services.

Sinopec, along with local partners, launched a world-class joint venture and cooperation refinery plant. In 2000, Sinopec established its first drilling rig in the country; now, it oversees nearly 70 rigs. With its safe, efficient construction, Sinopec has established a positive reputation in Saudi Arabia.

To propel the development of drilling technology, Sinopec established Sinopec Tech Middle East in Saudi Arabia's Dhahran Techno Valley in 2017, the first Chinese R&D center in the country. This reflected Sinopec's commitment to becoming the world's leading clean energy chemical company through greater cooperation with local communities and the government.

Sinopec is currently carrying out a four-year 3D geophysical prospecting project in the country, with over 1,000 project personnel combating average highs of 50° Celsius of daily basis in a desert zone covering more than 200km2. Since entering Saudi Arabia in 2004, the Sinopec Exploration team has completed nine geophysical prospecting projects marked by its leading technology and outstanding health safety & environment performance.

In 2008, the Sinopec Training Center opened in Saudi Arabia to train local petroleum engineering personnel. As Sinopec's first overseas training center, it has since hosted 1,310 training courses and trained over 30,000 employees, in addition to cooperating with Saudi Aramco Training and multinational training institutions. The training center is also an important venue for Sino-Arab cultural exchange with a Silk Road bookstore for students to learn about Chinese culture.

To help Saudi Arabia realize its 2030 vision of building up a vibrant society, a thriving economy, and an ambitious nation, Sinopec is also constructing over 30 city overpasses and passages in Saudi Arabia, creating a 600km domestic water transportation system from Yanbu to the holy city of Medina as well as a 300km irrigation system.

Concurrent with this virtual open day event, Sinopec released the book "My 100 Overseas Colleagues", which tells the stories of Sinopec employees around the world. Meanwhile, Sinopec has also launched Sinopec Russia account on Facebook, Twitter, and VK to highlight its local appearance.

A growing international presence

Sinopec has 327 offices, 350 ongoing projects, and 52,000 international employees across 60 countries and regions around the world. Its overseas assets total more than RMB 600 billion. In line with the Belt and Road Initiative, Sinopec forged energy partnerships on an international level to establish new platforms for global, win-win cooperation. It is dedicated to assisting Belt and Road Initiative countries such as Saudi Arabia, Russia, and Kuwait as they transform from resource-exporting countries to resource-processing countries, steering forward in their sustainable development.

In uncertain times, Sinopec has continued to work with local governments to battle the COVID-19 pandemic, promote the resumption of production and projects, and ensure the health of its employees around the world.