Aquatech has entered into an agreement to acquire METICHEM, a UAE-based provider of advanced water treatment chemicals and operations & maintenance (O&M) services. Following the completion of the transaction, METICHEM will continue operating as an independent business within Aquatech’s global services division, preserving its established regional expertise while benefiting from Aquatech’s international capabilities.
METICHEM has built a strong reputation through decades of technical expertise originating from Metito’s O&M business. The company has become a leading supplier of water treatment solutions across industrial, municipal, and institutional sectors in the Middle East, North Africa, and Southeast Asia. Its portfolio includes specialty performance chemicals, comprehensive O&M services, and tailored water management solutions. With approximately 700 employees and service contracts spanning 46 countries, METICHEM has established a significant international presence.
The acquisition represents a strategic step for Aquatech as it broadens its ability to provide end-to-end water lifecycle solutions. By integrating METICHEM’s specialty chemical offerings with its own advanced water technologies and digital optimization platforms, Aquatech aims to deliver more comprehensive and data-driven services. The combined capabilities are expected to improve plant reliability, optimize water usage, reduce operational costs, and enhance long-term asset performance for industrial customers worldwide.
Devesh Sharma, Chief Executive Officer of Aquatech, stated that both organizations share a common commitment to innovation, operational excellence, and sustainable water management. He noted that METICHEM’s established presence across the Middle East and Asia, together with Aquatech’s global expertise and digital capabilities, will help industrial customers improve operational efficiency, reliability, and sustainability regardless of project scale.
Andrew Parke, Executive Vice President for Services at Aquatech, highlighted that METICHEM will become an important part of the company’s expanding services business. He emphasized that the acquisition aligns with Aquatech’s long-term strategy of combining regional expertise with global service delivery to create greater customer value and improve operational performance.
Mike Abla, Managing Director of METICHEM, welcomed the acquisition, describing it as an opportunity to strengthen the company’s technical capabilities while accelerating its mission to provide innovative, safe, and sustainable water treatment solutions. He added that the partnership would enable customers to benefit from advanced technologies, operational excellence, and improved environmental performance.
The acquisition also reinforces Aquatech’s growing footprint across Asia and the Middle East. Combined with its long-standing operations in India and the recent acquisition of Singapore-based Century Water, the transaction further positions Aquatech as a comprehensive industrial water services provider capable of delivering integrated water treatment, specialty chemicals, and operational support across key global markets.
Impact on Chemical Commodity Prices
The acquisition is unlikely to create any immediate price volatility for water treatment chemicals but is expected to strengthen long-term demand for specialty chemical products such as corrosion inhibitors, scale inhibitors, biocides, coagulants, flocculants, antiscalants, and reverse osmosis treatment chemicals tracked by ChemAnalyst. As Aquatech expands its integrated water treatment business across Asia and the Middle East, procurement volumes for these specialty chemicals could gradually increase. However, the transaction primarily enhances service capabilities rather than manufacturing capacity, limiting short-term supply disruptions. Consequently, chemical prices are expected to remain largely stable, with only modest upward demand-driven support over the medium to long term.
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