Honeywell has announced the opening of its Research & Training Center at the Dhahran Techno Valley business cluster in Saudi Arabia.
The ceremony was held with the support of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Minister Ali Al-Naimi, and attended by Petroleum and Mineral Resources Ministry Director General Yahya J. Shinawi, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM) Rector and CEO Khaled Al-Sultan, Honeywell Chairman and CEO of Dave Cote, Saudi Aramco CEO Khalid Al-Faleh and A.A. Turki Group Chairman and CEO Abdulrahman Ali Al-Turki.
The center offers a platform for engineering research and training excellence for Honeywell employees, industrial partners, and customers.
Advanced research projects on catalytic processes are already being conducted with KFUPM, as well as software development for Honeywell’s Process Solutions business.
Advanced customer training for Honeywell’s UOP oil and gas technology business will be another unique feature, as this center is the first outside the US to offer these services to local customers.
Cote said: “I see the opening of this Research and Training Center as a foundation for partners and growth for many years to come. We expect a lot of great new products and technologies to emerge from this new center, as it will offer a platform for engineering and research excellence for employees and customers in the region.”
Al-Sultan said: “We are proud that Honeywell has chosen to partner with us in Dhahran Techno Valley. The company’s training activities and scholarships for young Saudis, as well as our ongoing advanced joint research projects, demonstrate the company’s commitment to innovation and a knowledge-based economy.”
Norm Gilsdorf, president high growth regions, Russia, Middle East and Central Asia, said: “Innovation, research and development are key for all our customers here, Honeywell’s world-class research capabilities in the energy, safety and security sectors will help provide innovative solutions for the challenges Saudi Arabian companies and institutions are facing as they develop industries and technologies for the region. Helping them achieve their vision is an enormous privilege for us.”