Italmatch Chemicals signs supply agreement with the Saudi Water Authority
September 3rd, 2026 (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia) – Italmatch Chemicals, a global specialty chemicals group headquartered in Genoa (Italy), yesterday signed a long-term supply agreement with the Saudi Water Authority (SWA) during a ceremony held in Riyadh. The agreement was ratified in the presence of Group CEO and Founder of Italmatch Chemicals Sergio Iorio, along with His Excellency the President of the Saudi Water Authority Abdullah Bin Ibrahim Al-Abdulkareem, His Excellency the Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture Abdulrahman Bin Abdulmohsen Al-Fadley, His Excellency the Minister of Investment Fahad Bin Abduljalil Al-Saif, and Their Excellencies the heads of various authorities. This signing further consolidates Italmatch Chemicals' footprint in the Middle East, while strengthening its position in water treatment, a strategic market segment for the Group.
SWA is the Saudi governmental authority responsible for regulating and overseeing the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia water sector, with a mandate to ensure long-term water security in line with Saudi Vision 2030. The new agreement reinforces the two organizations' shared commitment to developing local technologies for water treatment applications.
Commenting on the signing, Italmatch Chemicals Group CEO & Founder Sergio Iorio said: "This agreement builds on a relationship between Italmatch and SWA that spans more than four decades, grounded on innovation, reliability, sustainability and technical support. The signing represents a direct contribution to the water security of Saudi Arabia and its local industrial development. Our collaboration with Saudi Water Authority has grown into a strategic partnership that today underpins one of the most significant localization stories in the Kingdom. We are proud to stand alongside our Saudi partners in building a capability that will serve generations to come. More importantly, Italmatch localization for SWA will be instrumental in accompanying SWA during the transition from thermal to reverse osmosis technology, where Italmatch today offers the most advanced solutions”.
About Italmatch Chemicals’ Kingdom of Saudi Arabia localization project
This signing is part of Italmatch's broader localization program in Saudi Arabia, developed together with its shareholder Dussur, the Saudi Arabian industrial investment company, which acquired a minority stake in the company in 2023. Italmatch will bring its expertise in phosphorus chemistry and water treatment additives, in particular scale inhibitors: additives that prevent mineral deposits from building up inside desalination equipment, keeping plants running at maximum efficiency and avoiding water or energy waste. Italmatch has been present in the Kingdom for many years and is today the country's largest supplier of scale inhibitors for desalination, treating approximately 80% of the water generated in Saudi Arabia.
The localization program includes an investment of up to $500 million dedicated to phosphorus derivatives (the same chemistry family behind Italmatch's scale inhibitors), including a new facility which is targeted for completion by the end of 2027. The initiative is expected to create around 300 jobs and will bring the share of value produced and sourced within Saudi Arabia above 90%, helping to address water-related challenges in the Kingdom's desalination plants
Regarding the localization project, Italmatch Chemicals Group General Manager Global Business, Adriano Costantini, underlined: “Saudi Arabia is one of the world’s most dynamic water treatment markets, driven by the rapid expansion of desalination infrastructure and the Kingdom’s strategic focus on water security. Localizing our technologies enables us to serve our customers more closely, with solutions tailored to Saudi Arabia’s specific water challenges, while strengthening our global supply reliability and supporting the development of a more resilient local water treatment value chain.”
Italmatch Chemicals Middle East CEO, Carlos Galeano, added: "This project changes how Saudi Arabia sources critical materials for its water sector. We are not just building a facility. We are building local capability: from Saudi non-traditional raw materials to finished solutions, from technology transfer to the development of Saudi engineering talent. It is a model built to last.