THE region's links with Saudi Arabia were strengthened this week with the visit of senior members of staff from the University of Jubail.

The delegation was invited by One NorthEast and the North-East Process Industry Cluster (Nepic) to see the research and development going on in the region's five major universities and the investment potential of the North-East's process industry.

Both the University of Jubail and chemicals firm SABIC have strong links with the Saudi government and the catalyst for the visit was SABIC's recent £372m purchase of Huntman's Tees Valley base chemicals and polymers business.

During the trip, the delegation visited Wilton - the largest non-military research and development centre in Europe - and heard about One NorthEast and Nepic's bid to bring the proposed National Skills Academy Process Industries (NSAPI) to the North-East.

David Allison, director of business and industry at One NorthEast, said: "The delegation was keen to see the innovative work going on in the region's process industry. It is an area where we have world-class expertise and have fostered successful collaborations between our universities and business.

"Together with an unrivaled infrastructure and industry-led centres of excellence, North-East England is a fantastic proposition that has proved attractive to companies like SABIC, Ensus and others who have invested in the region."