The MTBE Petrochemical Complex, the first of its kind in the Middle East and only the third in the world, was executed over a 2 year period. The plant was commissioned in 1988 and capable of producing 500,000 tons/year of MTBE (Methyl Tertiary Butyl Ether), which increases the octane rating in petroleum products and provides a substitute for TEL (Tetra Ethyl Lead), a petroleum additive causing high atmospheric pollution.