PPG’s joint venture Sigma Paints Saudi Arabia receives MECOC Expo Gold Sponsorship and Speaker Appreciation Awards

PPG (NYSE: PPG) today announced that its Sigma Paints Saudi Arabia (SPSA) joint venture was honored with the prestigious MECOC Expo Gold Sponsorship and Speaker Appreciation Awards at the recent Middle East Metallurgy Corrosion & Coatings Expo (MECOC) in Abu Dhabi. The awards recognize the company’s significant contributions to the innovation and sustainability agenda of the conference and support as Gold Sponsor to the event as acknowledged by the MECOC conference committee.

“The Middle East oil and gas sector is in a period of transformation as industry and governments move towards sustainable sources and search for sustainable coating solutions,” said SPSA's PMC Sales Manager, Mohmmed Alnasser. “As a leading provider of innovative coating solutions, we were perfectly aligned to be a gold sponsor for the MECOC, which serves as a learning and networking platform for technical experts in the region.”

The company’s MECOC exhibit featured PPG PITT-CHAR® NX, a flexible epoxy intumescent passive fire protection (PFP) coating system designed to resist severe hazards such as cryogenic spills, hydrocarbon pool fires, jet fires and explosions. The coating is exceptionally tough and is resilient to the extremes of both onshore and offshore environments while being thin, lightweight, and allowing significantly faster application.  

Ali Shah, PPG global technical director, corporate research and development, presented a session on coating technology for splash and tidal zones in the offshore market. Ali Shah spearheads a multidisciplinary team at PPG dedicated to advancing coatings research capabilities and product development innovations across end markets.

Ali Shah discussed technological advancements that can assist the oil and gas industry to lower its environmental impact. He highlighted the growing trend towards more sustainable practices, including coatings that are thinner, lighter and faster to apply, and explained how new generations of material can significantly reduce health and safety risks, such as intumescent coating materials with increased fire resistance, buying additional time for rescue or evacuation.