DOW Corning, one of the world’s largest silicon-based materials developers and manufacturers, has opened a Middle East headquarters and commercial office in Manama, Bahrain. The Bahrain operations will help Dow Corning provide the region’s vibrant construction, textiles, petrochemical and oil and gas industries with silicon-based materials and solutions.

The inauguration of its Middle East regional office in Manama was held last month in the presence of Dr Hassan Fakhro, Bahrain’s Minister of Industry and Commerce.
It was also attended by several eminent Bahraini personalities, local and regional media as well as senior Dow Corning representatives, including those from its US headquarters.
Dow Corning’s Bahrain office will house engineers, chemists and sales professionals with diverse expertise in silicon-based technology. The company expects there will be as many as 20 employees working out of the office within the next year.
“The Middle East is growing rapidly and quickly diversifying its business footprint,” said Dr Stephanie Burns, Dow Corning’s chairman, president and CEO. “We recognise the region’s growing impact on the global economy and are now better positioned to share the benefits of Dow Corning’s silicon-based materials and technology to help the region continue to grow and compete in the global economy over the long term.”
While Dow Corning’s Bahrain office is the company’s first location in the Middle East, the firm has been active in the region for many years. Most recently, Dow Corning’s silicone construction materials were used in the construction of the world’s tallest building, the Burj Dubai in Dubai, UAE. Dow Corning worked closely with the building’s structural engineers to ensure the tower can withstand the region’s high winds and extreme heat, some of the biggest challenges for construction projects in the region.
“We have done extremely well to grow our business in this region in the last few years, even when servicing from afar. Now is our chance to drive business forward through both Dow Corning and our Xiameter brands,” said Jean-Paul Mollie, Dow Corning’s president of the Middle East, South Asia and Africa. “With the special challenges of high temperatures, sand and wind, there will be no end of uses for the incredible silicon atom in this area. The potential is yet to be realised.”
Dow Corning is seeking collaboration opportunities in the UAE, not just with customers, but also with academic, government and other research organisations that are focused on innovating products and process to make them more efficient and environmentally sustainable.
“Now Dow Corning will have better access to local knowledge and a better understanding of the needs of the people and businesses in the region,” said Mollie. “Developing links and collaborations with academic institutions in the region will become essential and we will work alongside local governments to help fill the skill gap in local labour forces and teach and develop nearby communities.”