UAE: Water Security Through Desalination Investment

The Minister of Energy and Infrastructure of the United Arab Emirates, Suhail bin Mohammed Al Mazrouei, has confirmed that the country’s investment in desalination is meeting directives set out in order to achieve water security.

The country has prioritized achievement of SDG 6 and has increased investment in desalination projects at a rate of 3 percent per annum in combination with other national strategic projects. Total investment in new plants has reached $2.1 Billion USD.

The new investment is part of the strategic plan launched in 2017. The country has ambitious goals to reduce total demand of water resources by 21 per cent; increase the reuse of treated water to 95 per cent; reduce average consumption by each person by half; and develop a storage capacity for more than 45 days in extreme emergencies.

Water security is viewed to be key to sustainable development and the plan, to be concluded in 2036, will improve access and enhance sustainability. The backbone of the plan is investment in desalination technology.

 "The value of investments in new desalination plants in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Umm Al Quwain amounts to AED7.63 billion ($2.08 billion), in line with the directives of the UAE’s leadership to achieve water security," stated Suhail bin Mohammed Al Mazrouei, while speaking on the sidelines of the ongoing World Utilities Congress 2022.

 The UAE Water Security Strategy 2036 and the National Water and Energy Demand Management Programmes follow approved policies that include the development of the supply and demand sectors, as well.