Dow to open Middle East R&D centre at King Abdullah University in Saudi Arabia

King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) and The Dow Chemical Company have announced plans to establish the Dow Middle East R&D Centre at the university's Research Park and Innovation Cluster.

KAUST was inaugurated last week on 23 September 2009.

Substantial completion of the proposed state-of-the-art R&D center, to be jointly designed by the partners, is expected by the end of 2010. Initial research at the Dow Middle East R&D Center at KAUST will focus on water and water treatment technologies, eventually expanding its scope to oil and gas, processes research and development, and infrastructure materials. All of these activities are aligned with existing KAUST Research Centers.

KAUST is a graduate-level institution to promote the advancement of science and technology and act as a catalyst in transforming Saudi Arabia into a knowledge-based economy.

Dow's plans for an R&D Center at KAUST come on the heels of its June announcement that it would become a founding member of the university's industrial collaboration programme (KICP), which aims to enrich the research experience at the University while promoting economic development in Saudi Arabia.

Dow's plans include an initial annual minimum funding commitment of $1,000,000 to support multi-year R&D sponsored projects and initiatives catering to the mutual objectives of Dow and KAUST students and faculty.