Dow Adds Abunayyan Trading as Distributor of Filmtec for Saudi Arabia

The A. Abunanyyan Trading Corp. (AAT), an affiliate of the A. Abunanyyan Group, will act as respresentatives and distributor for Filmtec membranes (manufactured by Dow Liquid Separations) for Saudi Arabia. AAT has the experience, know-how and proven track record of working with national and multinational corporations in Saudi Arabia in the rapidly growing water treatment market.

Filmtec membranes are used to convert bracksih and salt water into fresh water for drinking, agrivulture and industrial processes. AAT will provide local, technical and commercial support for Filmtec products and also will carry a local stock of key Filmtec elements.

"We believed we needed a presence in Saudi to support the growing demand for our technology there," said Ian Barbour, global business director for Dow Liquid Separations. "The water treatment market is growing and increasingly is turing to thin film composite reverse osmosis and nanofiltration membrane technology."

Water is an extremely valuable resource in Saudi Arabia. Modern urban life, industry and agriculture consume far more water than the traditional life in the deserts and town ever required. As a result of agricultureal, urban and industrial growth, the country's water deman d has been increasing steadily over the past two decasdes, reaching approximately 81 billion cubic feet by the year 2000. Irrigation consumes the largest amount of water in Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Arabia now is the world's largest producer of desalinated water. Every day the country's 30 deslination plants pump almost 600 million gallons of water through nearly 2,000 miles of pipeline, meeting 70 percent of Saudi Arabia's needs for drinking water.

Another expanding srource of water is treated urban wastewater. It is estimated that apporximately 40 percent of the water used for domestic purposes in urban areas could be recycled.

Source: Dow Liquid Separations