The $10 million centre, which will be known as the GE Saudi Water and Process Technology Centre, has been set up to provide critical water solutions to the country and in the Middle East. GE also have a water plant in Dubai, which acts as a manufacturing facility and office complex.
The 7500m2 water plant incorporates a blending plant for water treatment chemicals and offers advanced water, water reuse, wastewater and process solutions to local and regional customers. The centre is a joint project between GE and the Al Tamimi Group, a leading engineering and construction firm in Saudi Arabia. It will initially blend a number of chemical products, including those used in the petrochemical and manufacturing sectors, as well as serving the municipal water and wastewater sector.
“This technology centre exemplifies our commitment to partner in the infrastructure development of Saudi Arabia. GE has been a successful growth partner for the public and private sector companies in the country since 1942. Today, GE is more than 600 people strong and we continue to invest in the Kingdom as part of our company’s localisation initiative,” said Glen Messina, CEO of the Chemicals & Monitoring Solutions business for GE Water, a business unit of GE Energy.
“The center provides two important benefits to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and to the Gulf Region,” Messina added. “It helps to ensure that the growing industrial sector will have continuing access to the clean water supplies necessary for operation and it also will support a reliable, efficient and flexible supply chain, better serving our local customers’ growing demand for water treatment solutions and technologies.”
GE have a strong water management portfolio in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East region, including desalination, municipal and utility water and wastewater treatment, process chemicals and separation, and products for residential water applications. Work in this area includes mobile water treatment services, again with the Al Tamimi Group; water sustainability technology in connection with ConocoPhillips; and water reuse at the international medical centre in Jeddah.