Aramco, Honeywell, and KAUST Sign Joint Agreement to Advance Crude-to-Chemicals Technology
Mumbai: In a strategic move to bolster Saudi Arabia’s leadership in downstream innovation, Aramco, Honeywell (Nasdaq: HON), and King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) have signed a Joint Development Agreement (JDA) to co-develop next-generation direct Crude-to-Chemicals (CTC) technology.
The collaboration aims to develop and scale up the full CTC process, targeting significant reductions in both capital and operating costs. The new pathway is designed to extract greater value from each barrel of crude oil by converting it directly into light olefins and other high-demand chemicals. This innovative approach is expected to enhance fuel efficiency, carbon utilization, and overall process economics—enabling more efficient and cost-effective production at scale.
Aligned with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, the initiative supports economic diversification, strengthens national research and technology capabilities, and reinforces the Kingdom’s position in the global petrochemicals industry. It represents a powerful convergence of industrial expertise, academic excellence, and market ambition.
Dr. Ali A. Al-Meshari, Aramco Senior Vice President of Technology Oversight & Coordination, said: “This collaboration with Honeywell UOP and KAUST furthers Aramco’s efforts to drive innovation and shape the future of petrochemicals. By harnessing the power of cutting-edge technologies, we aim to enhance energy efficiency and unlock increased value from every barrel of crude. This novel Crude-to-Chemicals process is aligned with our vision of supporting the global transition towards cleaner, high-performance chemical production.”
Rajesh Gattupalli, President of Honeywell UOP, added: “This agreement marks a defining moment in our strategic collaboration with Aramco and KAUST – and in the global evolution of Crude-to-Chemicals technology. With Honeywell UOP’s deep expertise in catalytic process design and commercial scale-up, we’re well positioned to drive this innovation forward. The outcome is expected to enhance energy efficiency, reduce emissions, and enable the Kingdom to unlock greater value from its resources.”
KAUST’s role brings cutting-edge scientific expertise into the heart of industrial development, ensuring that research and innovation are tightly integrated with market-driven goals. Dr. Ian Campbell, Senior Vice President of the National Transformation Institute (NTI), commented: “At KAUST, we believe that impactful science must translate into industrial solutions. This collaboration brings our research expertise together with the world-class engineering and R&D capabilities of Honeywell UOP and Aramco to address a major opportunity in the petrochemicals industry.”
