In mid-December, the energy companies Saudi Aramco and Total announced a gigantic project: With an investment of 11 billion dollars, the Saudi and French companies plan the complex „Amiral“ on the east coast of Saudi Arabia, one of the largest petrochemical factories in the world. Here, 7,000 workers will soon produce, among other things, the basic materials for carbon fibers, lubricants, detergents and car tires. In parallel, the chemical company Ineos is constructing a new ethane cracker in the Belgian port of Antwerp for 3 billion dollars.