Desalination is likely to be one of the first sectors to benefit from a new nanotechnology company launched in Saudi Arabia.
Announcing the launch on 30 March 2009, Prince Bader Bin Saud, chairman of the Saudi Nanotechnology Company, said, “The new company came into being after more than three years of intensive consultations and negotiations with international companies which are leaders in the field and after reaching an agreement for the establishment of a strategic partnership with global partners, investors and nanotechnology specialists.”
The prince added, “The Kingdom is first in the world in the production of desalinated seawater, and we must be the first in terms of the operational requirements associated with the use of nanotechnology in the water sector, especially since the current cost of production of desalinated water is very high and there is an increase in the volume of consumption,” said Prince Bader.
The company will provide services in nanomembrane technology, in addition to several other scientific techniques which can be utilized in the fields of chemical and mechanical engineering. Its headquarters will be in Jeddah with regional branch offices.