SABIC Launches $170 Million Resin Manufacturing Plant in Singapore

Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC) recently announced the official launch of its new $170 million Ultem resin manufacturing plant in Singapore, the company’s first advanced specialty chemicals manufacturing facility in the region to produce Ultem resin, a high-performance thermoplastic.

The new plant is a strategic move by SABIC to achieve its goal of increasing global Ultem specialty resin production by more than 50% to meet the growing demand from high-tech and manufacturing industries in the Asia Pacific region, including Japan and China. The plant targets high-tech end-user industries such as aerospace, healthcare, 5G, artificial intelligence and electric vehicles.

Supported by the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB), the new plant reinforces SABIC’s commitment to localizing reliable supply of high-performance materials to meet complex and demanding supply chain requirements.

Abdulrahman Al-Fageeh, SABIC CEO, said: “We are delighted to be able to produce one of the world’s most advanced plastics in Singapore using SABIC’s advanced manufacturing capabilities. The ultem resin plant reflects our long-term commitment to the region’s high-tech economy and advanced manufacturing, supporting the growth of advanced applications. Singapore’s extensive network of trade agreements also provides us with competitive access to the region’s markets.”

“The opening of SABIC’s new ultem plant reflects the company’s confidence in Singapore as a hub to meet Asia’s growing demand for high-performance specialty chemicals,” said Lim Wei-jen, Executive Vice President, Singapore Economic Development Board. “We look forward to how the new plant’s advanced manufacturing capabilities will advance our chemicals division to meet customer needs in growth areas such as mobility and electronics. We will continue to welcome like-minded partners like SABIC to invest in our talent and capabilities in Singapore to create cutting-edge material solutions for the world.”

SABIC is strengthening its workforce and establishing a regional hub in Asia by facilitating global knowledge transfer and upskilling local talent to produce advanced plastics. This move supports Singapore’s role in sustainable high-tech manufacturing using high-performance polyetheretherketone resins in industries such as automotive and healthcare. With support from the Singapore government, the new facility leverages the country’s strategic location and free trade agreements to efficiently serve the region.