RIYADH – The Dow Chemical Company and Saudi Arabia-based Saline Water Conversion Corporation (SWCC) have signed a commercial agreement for research collaboration in desalination technologies. Dow and SWCC's first action after this agreement will be to launch a pilot project to test the suitability of innovative desalination technologies for conditions in the Arabian Gulf. The deal follows a memorandum of understanding in March 2012 between Dow and SWCC. Dow and SWCC will partner to test state-of-the-art desalination technologies developed by Dow Water & Process Solutions (DW&PS), evaluating their performance in the Arabian Gulf's unique environment, including their ability to effectively handle factors such as high salinity and high temperatures. The tests will be conducted by the Saline Water Desalination Research Institute (SWDRI) in Jubail over a period of one year. “We are looking forward to this opportunity to test the effectiveness of Dow's innovative UltraFiltration and reverse osmosis technologies in the conditions we work with, in the Arabian Gulf,” said SWDRI director Ibrahim Al Tisan. “As the sole producer of desalinated water in Saudi Arabia, we are looking at cost-effective and environmentally friendly ways to boost our operational efficiencies and the quality of our product. Our decision to partner with Dow and explore the possibility of introducing new, more effective, technologies, reflects this commitment.” SWCC is a Saudi government body responsible for desalinating sea water to augment the supply of potable water to coastal and inland cities in the Kingdom. It is the largest desalinated water producer in the world with 32 desalination plants that are responsible for 18 per cent of the world's desalinated water production. “We welcome this opportunity to further prove the effectiveness of DOW UltraFiltration and Dow Filmtec Reverse Osmosis technologies in the challenging environmental conditions we see in the Arabian Gulf,” said Ilham Kadri, general manager, Dow Advanced Materials, Middle East and Africa, and commercial director, Dow Water & Process Solutions (DW&PS), Europe, Middle East and Africa. “We are proud to partner with SWCC and confident our innovations will deliver enhanced solutions for the unique needs of the Kingdom.” “Dow's ongoing partnership with SWCC mirrors our longstanding commitment to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Through such joint development activities, we are able to combine over five decades of Dow's global expertise with SWCC's valuable experience and insights to help address local and regional water needs in a sustainable manner,” she added. – SG
