Cairo, Egypt - February 22, 2009

Dow Mideast Systems in Egypt, the leading polyurethane (PU) systems house in the Middle East and the first production facility built by The Dow Chemical Company in Egypt, recently celebrated the 10-year completion of its International Organization for Standardization (ISO) Certificate. The latest quality systems audit, which was done on November 19, 2008, revealed zero major or minor non-conformances in the operations of Dow Mideast Systems in Egypt.

"With this highly regarded ISO certification, Dow has shown its ongoing focus on improving all aspects of its polyurethane business" said Mohammad Sabry, Country Manager, Egypt, Dow Chemical India, Middle East & Africa (IMEA). He further added, "We are extremely proud of our team in Egypt for achieving this goal as it is a clear testament of our commitment to apply sustainability standards in all aspects of our operations".

The audit for Dow Mideast Systems in Egypt was conducted by DQS (Deutsche Gesellschaft zur Zertifizierung von Managesystemen), an external auditor that is an internationally recognized ISO certification body with offices all over the world. The audit conducted in Egypt was part of a bigger periodic auditing process conducted in a number of Dow PU systems houses around the world including Brazil, Turkey, Italy, Spain, and other locations.

Commenting on Dow Mideast Systems in Egypt's achievement, Director Ahmed Ellaboudy said, "Receiving this certificate reflects Dow's continued commitment to maintaining a solid quality management system in the areas of design, development, production and servicing of polyurethane systems". He further added, "This widely recognized certificate clearly differentiates Dow from its competitors in the market and sets a high standard of quality in the products and services we provide to our customers in both local and export markets".

The successful audit has led to a renewal of the systems house's ISO 9001 certificate until 2011, at which point the next external audit will be conducted. Dow Mideast Systems in Egypt received its first ISO certification in 1999 and has since renewed it successfully every three years.

Dow Mideast Systems in Egypt is aligned with The Dow Chemical Company's performance plastics & chemicals business as it produces fully formulated polyurethane systems for a range of applications, including transportation, construction, thermal insulation, appliances, decorations, elastomers and footwear. Dow Chemical's presence in Egypt also includes a regional commercial office in Cairo that supports Dow's global businesses.

About Dow

About Dow in the Middle East

Dow has several current and proposed operations throughout the Middle East. From the opening of its first commercial office in Cairo in the early 1970's, its facility in Jebel Ali in Dubai and its successful joint ventures like EQUATE, MEGlobal and Arabian Chemical Company to its proposed integrated chemical production facility at Ras Tanura in Saudi Arabia, Dow has established itself as a solid partner in the Middle East petrochemicals industry. Dow's commitment to the Middle East has also been extended through support for community programs like the Lothan Youth Achievement Center (LoYAC) in Kuwait, Emirates Environmental Group in the UAE and is an active investor in the region's future, by supporting the Young Arab Leaders (YAL) across the region. More information about Dow can be found at http://www.dow.com/imea/me

For Editorial Information:

Majed Al-Majed
Dow Chemical India, Middle East & Africa (IMEA)
+971 4 312 3687

Gaya Subramaniam
GolinHarris
+971 4 332 3308
gsubramaniam@golinharris.com

Gaurav Bhatnagar
GolinHarris
+971 4 332 3308
gbhatnagar@golinharris.com