King Abdullah, the Custodian of Two Holy Mosques, inaugurated here Friday 30 development projects with total capital investments of SR70 billion. The projects in the fields of petrochemicals, gas and steel, and housing were those of Saudi Arabian Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC), the Royal Commission for Jubail and private sectors. The King inaugurated the projects in a specially built tent located near the headquarters of the Royal Commission for Jubail. Prince Saud Bin Abdullah Bin Thunayan, chairman of the Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu, lauded the King for his continued support to various development projects of the Commission, SABIC and the private business sector. He said the King's visit to the Eastern Province, particularly the Jubail Industrial City, reaffirms his commitment in undertaking projects for the benefits of its citizens. The King laid the foundation of several housing projects of the Royal Commission for Jubail Projects, as well as other projects at Jubail 2. The Commission projects, worth SR7.1 billion are the development of the Matrafiyah Residential Area at a cost of SR2.4 billion which can accommodate over 11,000 people, second phase of the housing project at Jalmoudah Districts comprising 10,200 housing units at the cost of SR1.4 billion, expansion of Jubail Colleges housing units for 18,000 students costing SR.500 million, and several projects at Jubail 2 worth SR2.8 billion. The mega-expansion projects of SABIC launched by King Abdullah are the SR1.31 billion expansion of the National Industrial Gas, Saudi Methanol Company expansion costing SR3.5 billion, expansion of Saudi Iron & Steel Co. (Hadeed) costing SR3.77 billion, expansion of the Jubail United Petrochemical Company's Linear Alpha Olefins plant costing SR1.2 billion, and the SR.1.28 billion expansion of National Gas Company. The projects of the private sectors launched by the King are those of Saudi Ethylene & Polyethylene Company (SR9.5 billion), Jubail Chevron Philips Company (SR4.9 billion), Advanced Polypropylene Company (SR2.9 billion), and Chemical Methanol Company (SR1.51 billion), and other petrochemical and plastics projects valued at SR2.2 billion. The visit of King Abdullah at Jubail Industrial City ended his almost one week tour of the Eastern Province. He visited Jubail in 2006 and laid the foundation of 22 mega projects. __
