Foster Wheeler has joined hands with Sofcon of Saudi Arabia to form a venture that will be active in the petrochemical, refining oil and gas and associated infrastructure sectors.

The new firm, Foster Wheeler Sofcon Consulting Engineering Company, will be developed as a regional engineering hub with its headquarters in Al Khobar.

“Foster Wheeler and Sofcon have a long and outstanding record of successful cooperation in project execution in Saudi Arabia,” commented Umberto della Sala, president and chief operating officer, Foster Wheeler AG.

Sala: commitment demonstrated

 “The formation of this new company demonstrates the ongoing commitment of our two companies to work together to deliver successful projects in Saudi Arabia and provide high-quality services and expertise from a local base,” Sala added.

Professional and competitive services

Sofcon’s president and CEO Ala’a Fattani said the goal was to make Foster Wheeler Sofcon a leading full-service engineering and project management provider in Saudi Arabia, delivering professional and competitive services in front-end engineering, detailed engineering, procurement, construction and project management. 

“The new entity will bring an enhanced value proposition in the development of the local economy and capabilities,” said Fattani.

Foster Wheeler is a global engineering and construction contractor and power equipment supplier. The company employs approximately 14,000 talented professionals with specialised expertise dedicated to serving its clients through one of its two primary business groups.

The company’s Global Engineering and Construction Group designs and constructs leading-edge processing facilities for the upstream oil and gas, LNG and gas-to-liquids, refining, chemicals and petrochemicals, power, environmental, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology and healthcare industries.

The new company will be active in several sectors including oil and gas

Foster Wheeler’s Global Power Group is a world leader in combustion and steam generation technology that designs, manufactures and erects steam generating and auxiliary equipment for power stations and industrial facilities and also provides a wide range of aftermarket services. The company is based in Zug, Switzerland.

Realising the founders’ vision

Sofcon was founded in 2000 by engineers Abdullah A Al-Saihati, Othman R Al-Othman and Alaa D Fattani by merging their respective design engineering organisations into a larger, technically more diverse consolidated company continuously aspiring to achieving the founders’ vision.

It specialises in providing a complete range of programme management, engineering design, procurement, construction and environmental services to clients in Saudi Arabia and GCC countries. As a major engineering and project management service provider to Saudi Aramco, Saudi Electric Company and Sabic, Sofcon has executed a large number of engineering and project management contracts for prestigious projects. Its areas of operation include the oil and gas, refining, petrochemicals, power, water and infrastructure business sectors.