Dow has responded to a Daily News inquiry about its joint venture with Saudi Arabian company Al-Hejailan Group in the context of Dow’s stated commitment to inclusion, diversity and equity. – Huron Daily Tribune
Midland-based international materials science company Dow has responded to a Daily News inquiry about its recently-announced joint venture with Saudi Arabian company Al-Hejailan Group in the context of Dow’s stated commitment to inclusion, diversity and equity.
In late July, Dow announced that Dow and Al-Hejailan had agreed to form a joint venture to design, build and operate a methyl diethanolamine plant in the PlasChem Park in Jubail, Saudi Arabia.
The venture will be built and operated by Al-Hejailan, with Dow holding a 25% stake and Al-Hejailan holding a 75% stake.
The facility will utilize Dow’s manufacturing technologies, and Dow will be responsible for marketing of the plant’s production of methyl diethanolamine. Construction of the plant is expected to begin in 2024, and it is scheduled to open in 2025.
In its World Report 2021, Human Rights Watch detailed many human rights violations by the government of Saudi Arabia, including, among others, the detention of five individuals while they were on trial for women’s rights advocacy; capital trials against people for expressing dissent and religious ideas; Saudi authorities’ failure to hold high-level officials accountable for their suspected involvement in the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018; and prosecuting people for gay or extramarital sex.
Dow is openly committed to inclusion, diversity and equity, so what criteria does it use to determine whether the values and practices of a potential partner in a joint venture align with the company’s?
Dow spokesperson J.D. Sterba responded that Dow stands by its insistence on “a fully inclusive workplace” wherever it does business.
“As a leading materials science company, we have the responsibility and opportunity to act and lead the industry in areas where our science and innovation can make a difference — such as reducing our environmental footprint, developing and implementing circular economy solutions, and creating new materials that are more sustainable and generate less carbon emissions,” Sterba said in an emailed statement to the Daily News. “To do that, we collaborate to develop innovations and solutions that help deliver a sustainable future for the world.
“Dow’s ambition is to be the most innovative, customer-centric, inclusive and sustainable materials science company in the world. Guided by our core values – integrity, respect for people and protecting our planet – we champion a fully inclusive workplace to achieve this ideal. No matter where Dow does business, our Code of Conduct, policies and values are consistent. We aim to provide a culture and working environment where all our colleagues feel safe, included and valued.”
Dow and Al-Hejailan previously agreed on a joint venture in 2020 to design, build and operate a polyacrylic acid and emulsion polymers plant in Saudi Arabia.
Dow operates 104 manufacturing sites in 31 countries, employs approximately 35,700 people, and in 2021 had sales of approximately $55 billion.