Fluor was selected for the post against competition from three other US-based companies - ABB Lummus Global, Foster Wheelerand Jacobs Engineering. The olefins complex will cover an ethane cracker with capacity of at least 1 million tonnes a year (t/y) as well as polyolefins units. Negotiations are ongoing with potential technology providers. All feedstock arrangements have been concluded with Saudi Aramco.

Sahara will invest in the project, which is due to come on stream in 2007, in partnership with the local National Petrochemical Industrialisation Company.

Banque Saudi Fransi (BSF)is understood to have been selected as the financial adviser on a second project that Sahara plans to invest in - a polypropylene (PP) and propane dehydrogenation (PDH) plant in Jubail. Sahara last year signed four memoranda of understanding for the PDH/PP plant with Europe's Basell, the US' UOP, Germany's Lurgiand Italy's Tecnimontfor technology transfer, equity positions and engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contracts. Jacobs has the contract to provide PMC services on the scheme, (MEED 24:10:03).