On Dec 1st, 2014, Dr.Mario Ferrer (Assistant Professor of Operations Management of Management) and a group of students enrolled in Organizational Behavior, Principles of management and Logistics management’s class took an academic field trip to SABIC, Plastics Application Development Center (SPADC) at the Riyadh Techno Valley research complex inside the King Saud University (KSU) campus, in order to bridge the gap between the business classroom and the business world.
Whilst visiting the company, students were given three presentations by the executive management team of the company, and were subsequently allowed to question the executives on topics including the firm’s corporate and business strategy, human resource management policy, Saudization strategy, marketing strategy, operations and supply chain management, and corporate social responsibility. Additionally, students were given a comprehensive tour of the company’s plastic and innovation center, manufacturing facility and overall operations. Professor Mario, students are truly thankful to SABIC Company for their hospitality, as well as the comprehensive educational opportunity they afforded the class.
Sabic is well known by its innovation capabilities because they are constantly looking to the future, they are also known in investing heavily in Technology and Innovation (T&I). There T&I facilities are spread across the globe with hundreds of dedicated scientists contributing to the ongoing development of new patents and certifications.
SABIC began in 1976 by Royal decree and its growth has been nothing short of miraculous. Today, the company has operations in over 40 countries with a global workforce of over 40,000 talented individuals. Since SABIC’s founding, its employees have exhibited a remarkable ability to do what others said couldn’t be done.
Ranked among the world’s largest petrochemicals manufacturers, SABIC is a public company based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. 70% of the Company’s shares are owned by the Saudi Arabian government, with the remaining 30% held by private investors in Saudi Arabia and other countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council.
SABIC is composed of six business units, each headed by an Executive Vice President. These are: Chemicals, Polymers, Performance Chemicals, Fertilizers, Metals and Innovative Plastics. These six operating units make four distinctly different kinds of products:
- Chemicals – Chemicals and Performance Chemicals
- Plastics – Polymers and Innovative Plastics
- Fertilizers
- Metals
