The Dow Chemical Co. Plans Manufacturing Facility in Saudi Arabia

The Dow Chemical Co. announced plans to invest in a best-in-class manufacturing facility for Dow FILMTEC reverse osmosis (RO) elements in Saudi Arabia.

"Dow has a 50-year history of innovation and market leadership in the water industry. Saudi Arabia and nearby emerging markets represent a tremendous opportunity for Dow. Our plan is to complement our commercial presence with a manufacturing footprint, thereby bringing us closer to regional customers and strengthening the global competitiveness of our water business," said Jerome Peribere, Dow executive vice president and president and CEO of Dow Advanced Materials.

The proposed facility would deliver local supply security of technologies for water desalination and water reuse for potable, non-potable and industrial water serving Saudi Arabia, the surrounding Middle East and North Africa region and emerging markets worldwide.

Dow FILMTEC membranes are used in some of the most water-challenged areas of the world, including Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Algeria.

The announcement builds on the recent decision by The Dow Chemical Co. and Saudi Aramco to form Sadara Chemical Co., a joint venture to build and operate a world-scale, fully integrated chemicals complex in Jubail Industrial City, Saudi Arabia.

Upon completion, the joint venture is projected to be among the world's largest petrochemical facilities and would represent the largest foreign direct investment into Saudi Arabia's petrochemical sector.