Dow to Invest in Water Technology in Saudi Arabia

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia -- The Dow Chemical Company (NYSE:DOW) today announced plans to invest in a best-in-class manufacturing facility for DOW FILMTEC™ reverse osmosis (RO) elements in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Related Results

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“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 chief executive officer, Dow Advanced Materials.

This press release was issued through eReleases(R). For more information, visit eReleases Press Release Distribution at http://www.ereleases.com.Modern water treatment technology allows industrial economies to advance while minimizing water requirements. Over the years, improvements in DOW FILMTEC RO membrane elements have provided a threefold increase in the amount of treated water per element while reducing energy costs in desalination and other water purification and re-use projects around the world. Desalination plants with Dow technology produce hundreds of millions of gallons of freshwater per day in many sites around the globe, contributing to Dow’s overarching goal to further reduce the cost and energy-intensity of seawater desalination.Reverse Osmosis uses a semi-permeable membrane that allows the water to pass through it, while ensuring that contaminants do not. Reverse Osmosis systems have come a long way in recent years, and many people have installed them in their homes to ensure that their family is drinking clean, pure, healthy water.Dow (NYSE: Dow) combines the power of science and technology with the "Human Element" to passionately innovate what is essential to human progress. The Company connects chemistry and innovation with the principles of sustainability to help address many of the world's most challenging problems such as the need for clean water, renewable energy generation and conservation, and increasing agricultural productivity. Dow's diversified industry-leading portfolio of specialty chemical, advanced materials, agrosciences and plastics businesses delivers a broad range of technology-based products and solutions to customers in approximately 160 countries and in high growth sectors such as electronics, water, energy, coatings and agriculture. In 2010, Dow had annual sales of $53.7 billion and employed approximately 50,000 people worldwide. The Company's more than 5,000 products are manufactured at 188 sites in 35 countries across the globe. References to "Dow" or the "Company" mean The Dow Chemical Company and its consolidated subsidiaries unless otherwise expressly noted. More information about Dow can be found at www.dow.com.Founded in 2001, WEX is a widely recognized chemical and services company focused on the rapidly growing Indian market. WEX's chemical product solutions address applications for boilers, cooling towers, and reverse osmosis and thermal evaporator antiscalants and cleaners. Over the past 10 years, WEX has experienced consistent growth and has built an impressive customer base, particularly in the power, petrochemical, and oil and gas markets.Many families are rightly concerned about the quality of water they are consuming. As evidenced by various stories in the press, people cannot always be sure that their tap water is clean and free from contaminants. One of the best ways to ensure that your family has clean drinking water is to take matters into your own hands and invest in a Reverse Osmosis system. There is no other commercial system available that is as effective as Reverse Osmosis.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. In 2009, Dow entered into a comprehensive Research and Development (R&D) collaboration agreement with the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), the region’s leading graduate-level research university.Dow is committed to investing for growth in Saudi Arabia. This announcement builds on the recent decision by The Dow Chemical Company and Saudi Aramco to form Sadara Chemical Company, a joint venture to build and operate a world-scale, fully integrated chemicals complex in Jubail Industrial City, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.WEX will continue to operate as an independent entity with the original founders, who are recognized and respected veterans in the field, continuing in their management capacities. Dhrubo Banerjee will continue to be the Managing Director of WEX, and Aquatech will add new members to the Board of Directors of WEX in order to develop synergies that will enable both companies to offer complete water treatment solutions to their respective customers.http://www.aquatech.comReverse Osmosis systems effectively remove dozens of contaminants from water, including chlorine, benzene, chloroform, barium, and countless others. These systems essentially strip water down to its most basic form. We installed one in our home a few years ago. A manufacturing plant on the edge of town contaminated the local water supply and, although we were not affected, it served as a much needed wake-up call. Within days, we had a Reverse Osmosis water treatment system installed. We added the UV light system a month later, when we learned some more about it. Clean water is essential for health and survival. Contaminated water can kill you. Do you really have a choice in the matter? Think smart. Plan ahead.

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