AI-Driven Control Room Poised to Revolutionise Borouge Operations

Borouge and Yokogawa UAE Industry have joined forces on a proof‑of‑concept project to trial an AI‑powered autonomous control room at Borouge’s Ruwais facility in Abu Dhabi. The initiative is designed to make decision‑making proactive, accelerating corrective action and reducing the likelihood of unplanned shutdowns through advanced data analysis, pattern recognition, and anomaly prediction.

This initiative is embedded within Borouge’s AI, Digitalisation and Technology programme, which is targeting $575 million in value creation in 2025. The firm has already realised $307 million in value by the close of the second quarter. Hazeem Sultan Al Suwaidi, Chief Executive Officer of Borouge, emphasised that the company is advancing toward an AI‑driven control centre at what will be the largest petrochemical plant globally, aiming to foster shareholder value through growth.

Norinao Sato, President and CEO of Yokogawa Middle East & Africa, characterised the autonomous control room as a next‑generation operational hub. It elevates operational safety, automates processes, sharpens decision‑making, and boosts efficiency—transitioning from reactive oversight to intelligent command.

The broader AIDT strategy reflects Borouge’s digital transformation ambitions. In 2024, the organisation deployed over 200 AIDT initiatives spanning operations, safety, sales, sustainability, and innovation, generating $573 million in value. Borouge’s expansive poliolefin complex in Al Ruwais is one of the largest integrated operations of its kind, supplying diverse sectors including infrastructure, energy, mobility, healthcare, agriculture, and advanced packaging.

Earlier in June, Borouge announced a similar partnership with Honeywell aimed at establishing the industry’s first full‑scale, real‑time AI‑driven control room. This collaboration shared the same objectives: optimising production, cutting energy consumption, boosting safety, and lowering costs across the Ruwais site, as well as reinforcing competitive advantage.

Whilst the Honeywell arrangement precedes the current work with Yokogawa, they appear complementary—both serving the overarching goal of building autonomous, intelligent control capabilities across operations. The Honeywell partnership notably precedes in timeline, with the Yokogawa project announced 27 August 2025.

Operational experts point to rapid AI adoption in UAE’s industrial landscape, where advanced machine‑learning frameworks can streamline energy management and quality control. Borouge’s strategy aligns with this broader regional trend, particularly through multi‑vendor collaborations facilitating scalable AI integration.

The Ruwais initiative may well become the world’s foremost petrochemical site to deploy real-time AI-optimised control infrastructure at scale. Borouge’s blend of process know-how, digital tools, and multi-partner engagement underscores its ambition to set new benchmarks in operational efficiency and innovation.