中东地区，特别是阿拉伯国家石油化工行业从20世纪80年代中期起步后，依靠丰富的油气资源和成本优势经历了跨越式发展，已经成为当今世界石化格局中重要的一股力量，在乙烯产量、炼油能力、炼油利润率等方面处于世界领先水平。在取得骄人成绩的同时也面临着全球石化行业产能过剩、替代能源和其他新兴炼油区域竞争、自身行业结构缺陷等方面的挑战。进入21世纪后，中东地区石化行业开始新一轮的产能扩张，创新和提升产业链附加值成为中东石化产业发展的重要方向，以期质、量并举，并向精细石化领域产品的研发、生产发展，提高中东地区石化行业竞争力。
The Middle East petrochemical industry has experienced leapfrog development since its initiation in the mid-1980s by relying on abundant oil and gas resources and cost advantages. It has become an important force in the world’s petrochemical pattern and leads in ethylene production，refining capacity and refining margins throughout the world. In the meantime，it also faces challenges from overcapacity，alternative energy，other emerging refining competitors，and its own structural defects. Since the beginning of 21st century，the petrochemical industry in the Middle East has begun a new round of capacity expansion. Innovation and enhancement of the added value chain have become an important direction of development. It is anticipated that both quality and quantity can be simultaneously upheld by developing refined petroleum products，and that the competitiveness of the petrochemical industry in the Middle East can be improved.
