The Dow Chemical Company and the Saline Water Conversion Corporation (SWCC) have announced the signing of a commercial agreement for research collaboration. 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 Middle East. The announcement follows a memorandum of understanding (MoU), in March 2012, between Dow and SWCC to conduct joint research in desalination technologies. 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. he tests will be conducted by the Saline Water Desalination Research Institute (SWDRI) in Al Jubail, Saudi Arabia, 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 Dr. 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. From gulftoday