CENTRAL TO Sabic's business success is its ability to efficiently export its products to international markets.

The relationship between petrochemical producer and maritime transporters is seen by Sabic as crucial, and the development of the industrial cities of Jubail and Yanbu - both with close proximity to key international shipping lanes - has been no coincidence.

Sabic affiliates now export more products than ever from expanded facilities. To do this, the Corporation has a joint venture company which provides operations and management support for port services to the Sabic affiliates - and private operators - in Jubail and Yanbu.

Sabtank is 75 per cent-owned by Sabic Services Ltd and 25 per cent by Paktank, and boasts a storage capacity of one million cu m in more than 50 tanks.

In addition to the tanks, Sabtank operates five berths at King Fahd Industrial Port in Jubail, three multicargo berths for simultaneous cargo loading and two for single cargoes. In Yanbu, Sabtank operates two berths.

As well as Sabtank, Sabic's close involvement with product export logistics also comes in the form of its 20 per cent stake in the National Chemical Carriers (NCC), a joint venture with the National Shipping Company of Saudi Arabia (NSCSA).

Sabic also has a wholly-owned subsidiary, International Shipping and Transportation Company (ISTC), a Saudi-based shipping company which carries around 30 per cent of Sabic's total liquid product exports.

At present, ISTC operates a fleet of eight chemical carriers, two of which are fully-owned and six of which are time-chartered.