Texas Railroad Commissioner candidate Bo French has uncovered ties between the current Railroad Commissioner Jim Wright and a company linked to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
On Monday, French released a new development that Wright has approved several permits allowing Saudi Arabia Basic Industries Corp. (SABIC) to operate its Gulf Coast Growth Ventures (GCGV) plastics plant in Corpus Christi.
Corpus Christi, located in Nueces County, is facing a historic water crisis and is about two months away from a water emergency. The city has experienced a surge in industrial demand alongside a five-year drought, reducing the available water supply for residents.
Among those industrial users is the GCGV plant. The Corpus Christi City Council approved the Saudi-owned plant’s use of 25 million gallons of municipal water. According to French, the facility is also exempt from most water rationing measures.
The GCGV plant is a joint venture between ExxonMobil and SABIC. However, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and its auxiliaries, including SABIC, operate according to “the kingdom laws and regulations that are driven from Islamic values and laws (Sharia).”
French also pointed to past legal concerns involving SABIC. A Delaware court previously examined claims that the company was attempting to implement Sharia-based business practices in America.
Additionally, SABIC has been under investigation by anti-Iran watchdog United Against a Nuclear Iran for its dealings to send Methyl Tertiary Butyl Ether to the Iranian regime.
During Wright’s tenure, he toured the GCGV plant and appeared in photos with SABIC signage in Arabic. After his meeting with the Muslim-owned company, SABIC praised Wright for his approval of several permits.
“Despite serving on the Railroad Commission and being the only statewide elected official from Corpus Christi, Jim Wright has not only stood silent while a pro-sharia, foreign, Muslim government created the biggest looming water crisis in Texas history in his own backyard. It’s worse than that,” said French. “He allowed their RRC permits to be renewed year by year, and even visited their facility, where they praised him. If Jim Wright can’t put his own neighbors before a Muslim government, he is unfit to serve in public office.”
French and Wright are set to face each other in the Republican primary runoff for Railroad Commissioner on May 26, 2026. The winner will face Democrat candidate Jone Rosenthal in the general election on Nov. 3, 2026.