Updated: Dow Corning establishes Middle East silicone presence

Dow Corning, in an Oct. 22 press release, announced the establishment of a Middle East headquarters and commercial entity in Manama, Bahrain, its first in the region, which will house engineers, chemists, and sales personnel, with as many as 20 employees expected within the next year. Dow Corning said it is also seeking collaborative opportunities in the region with its customers, as well as academic, government, and research organizations.

The company has disputed a Reuters report indicating the site would include silicone manufacturing, saying in a release that, "The company has no current plans to build a manufacturing facility in the Middle East, however the company did establish a Middle East headquarters and commercial entity in Manama, Bahrain last week."

On the same day, Dow Corning announced that it and fellow silicone manufacturer Wacker Chemie AG had begun construction of the second phase of their pyrogenic silica plant in Zhangjiagang, Jiangsu province, China. That plant, along with a siloxane facility, will create an integrated silicone manufacturing site developed by both companies at Jiangsu Yangtze River Chemical Industrial Park. The 1-million-m² site will the largest of its kind globally.—[email protected]