ARAMCO, HONEYWELL, AND KAUST SIGN JOINT DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT TO DEVELOP TECHNOLOGY TO ADVANCE THE CAPABILITIES OF CRUDE-TO-CHEMICALS

2025-10-02 12:45:34

(MENAFN- Mid-East Info)

DHAHRAN, Saudi Arabia, October, 2025 - In a move intended to accelerate 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 a next-generation direct Crude-to-Chemicals (CTC) technology.

The collaboration will focus on developing and scaling up the full CTC process. This initiative aims to significantly reduce both capital and operating costs associated with CTC conversion.

The new CTC pathway is designed to extract significant value from each barrel of crude oil by converting it directly into light olefins and other high-demand chemicals. The innovative CTC process concept is expected to improve fuel efficiency, carbon utilization, and process economics-allowing for more efficient and cost-effective production at scale.

The collaboration supports Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 by helping to advance economic diversification, build national research and technology capabilities, and strengthen the Kingdom's position across the petrochemicals industry. It represents a strategic alignment among industrial know-how, academic excellence, and market ambition - delivering a platform for high-impact innovation.

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. Moreover, this initiative demonstrates our focus on contributing to the growth of a vibrant ecosystem, where the deployment of innovative technologies can create lasting value for our stakeholders, our communities, and the environment.”

Rajesh Gattupalli, Honeywell UOP President, said:“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 while solidifying its competitive edge in the global chemicals market.”

KAUST's involvement brings leading-edge scientific expertise into the heart of industrial development, ensuring that research, design, and innovation move in lockstep. The collaboration underscores the value of integrating applied research with market-driven objectives to accelerate technology readiness and national capability.

Dr. Ian Campbell, Senior Vice President, 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. It is a model for how academia and industry can jointly accelerate technology development in support of Saudi Arabia's innovation-driven economy.”

About Honeywell:

Honeywell is an integrated operating company serving a broad range of industries and geographies around the world. Our business is aligned with three powerful megatrends – automation, the future of aviation and energy transition – underpinned by our Honeywell Accelerator operating system and Honeywell Forge IoT platform. As a trusted partner, we help organizations solve the world's toughest, most complex challenges, providing actionable solutions and innovations through our Aerospace Technologies, Industrial Automation, Building Automation and Energy and Sustainability Solutions business segments that help make the world smarter and safer as well as more secure and sustainable.

About King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST)

KAUST, Saudi Arabia's leading science and technology research university, unites the best minds in a culture of invention, providing a catalyst for the discoveries, innovations and technologies that will shape tomorrow for the good of Saudi Arabia and the world. KAUST is on a journey to create a new model of university for the 21st century, based on global partnerships, research, and invention. KAUST attracts and offers unique opportunities to world-leading academic and research talent, truly allowing them to innovate. KAUST plays an active role in accelerating impact and innovation in the areas of Health and Wellness, Energy and Industrial Leadership, Sustainable Environment, and Supply of Essential Needs and Economies of the Future under Vision 2030 and the Research, Development, and Innovation Ecosystem (RDI).

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