KHOBAR – The Dow Chemical Company (Dow) was commended by Prince Saud Bin Nayef Al Saud, governor of the Eastern Province of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, for the company's outstanding contributions to economic development and Saudization in the province. A plaque in recognition of Dow's contributions was presented by Prince Saud to Johanna Söderström, Corporate Vice President of Human Resources of Dow and Jim McIlvenny, president of Dow India, Middle East, Africa & Turkey, during a ceremony in the Governor's Office last May 16. Charles Swartz, president of Dow Saudi Arabia, was also in attendance. "We are most grateful for the support and recognition by Prince Saud. Dow has had a presence in the Kingdom for more than 40 years and, in the past 5 years alone, we have provided technology specific trainings for over 1,000 young Saudi talents in various Dow locations around the world. We are most impressed with their qualities and their ability to learn and innovate. As a result, we've been able to start up one of our most advanced Reverse Osmosis manufacturing facilities in Jubail with 99% Saudi employees. The facility is already setting quality and production records," said McIlvenny. "With the Saudi Government's launch of Vision 2030, we see unprecedented opportunities to participate in various sectors to support the national priorities, upskill the Saudi workforce, and provide technology solutions that help solve local challenges in the Kingdom. In particular, we'll continue to look for collaborative opportunities to equip young talented Saudi men and women for the jobs of the future," Söderström said. Swartz said: "Our vision is to be the partner of choice for sustainable growth and innovation in KSA. With Dow's global and regional experience and expertise, we have unmatched capabilities to deliver high value, innovative solutions that support KSA in key areas such as sustainable development, energy efficiency, oil and gas, alternative energy and water." Started up in December 2015, Dow's first and only Reverse Osmosis (RO) element production facility outside of North America resides in the Sadara Chemical Complex in Jubail. The plant manufactures high-tech RO elements for demineralizing brackish water or desalinating seawater for a variety of sectors and industrial applications including water treatment, power generation, food and beverage processing, municipal desalination and water reuse. It serves customers around the world, especially growth regions such as Middle East and Africa, Eastern Europe, India, China and Southeast Asia. In December 2016, for the second year in a row, Dow was recognized as one of the best workplaces in Saudi Arabia by Great Place to Work. In February 2017, Dow was certified as one of the Top Employers for the Middle East and for Saudi Arabia by the Top Employers Institute. — SG
