Infrastructure Jordan selects preferred bidder for $3bn water project A consortium led by French investment firm Meridiam has been selected as the preferred bidder for Jordan’s $3.3 billion Aqaba Amman water desalination and conveyance project. The Meridiam-led group includes Orascom Construction, Vinci Construction Grands Projets and Suez. Jordan is one of the most water-stressed countries in the world, with its population facing absolute water scarcity, according […] August 22, 2024
Real Estate Artificial lagoons making waves in Dubai Creating water features in the desert is expensive and ambitious, but they draw premium prices from residents seeking relief from the heat August 21, 2024
Infrastructure UAE company involved in $1bn project in Uzbekistan A consortium, which includes an Abu Dhabi state-owned company, is set to develop a $1 billion wastewater treatment plant in Uzbekistan. The group, comprising Abu Dhabi Sustainable Water Solutions Company, Japan’s Marubeni Corporation and France’s Suez, signed a development agreement with Uzbekistan’s investment, industry and trade ministry and state-run Uzsuvtaminot JSC. The project, located in […] August 15, 2024
Agriculture Climate change drying up Turkish agricultural production Drought conditions across much of Turkey have led to authorities in one prime agricultural region banning new crop plantings. There are rising concerns across local government, academia and the farming industry that climate-driven water shortages are dramatically weakening food security in the country. In late July, agricultural authorities in the Seyhan region of the southern […] August 14, 2024
Opinion Economy The GCC must tackle climate risk to protect credit lines Climate premium costs could manifest as a silent tax burden and hamper economic development July 16, 2024
Opinion Finance The Thames Water crisis makes waves for the UK’s Labour Party A government bailout is no longer unthinkable and Gulf investors will have grave concerns July 15, 2024
Sustainability Forests in the desert: more than just a pipe dream Planting trees in the sand has been done before and can be done again, but when water is so scarce it is a remarkable challenge, says Valentina Pasquali July 8, 2024
Analysis Infrastructure Morocco struggles to solve its water crisis A seawater desalination plant that opened last month at Sidi Rahal near Casablanca is a major part of Morocco’s plans to tackle the country’s frightening decrease in water supplies. The plant will be built in two phases and is designed to produce 300 million cubic metres of water a year to supply 7.5 million people, […] July 1, 2024
Agriculture Drought pushes up sheep price for Eid in Morocco The price for a sheep in Morocco for the annual sacrifice at Eid al-Adha has increased on average at 10 times the 2.2 percent rate of inflation. A medium-sized female sheep costs MAD4000 ($400) as opposed to MAD3000 last year. This puts it out of range for many families in the country where a high […] June 17, 2024
Opinion Infrastructure Libya’s water woes must be addressed The country urgently needs a national strategy to strengthen water security May 31, 2024
Sustainability $4bn set aside for Saudi water projects Saudi Arabia will spend $4 billion by the end of the decade on recycling over 2 billion cubic metres of water, about 70 percent of the country’s renewable water sources, an official said this week. Speaking at the World Water Forum in Indonesia, Mohammed bin Zaid Abuhid, head of the General Authority for Irrigation, outlined […] May 23, 2024
Opinion Oil & Gas As Iran mourns, questions about its oil remain The next president will have to deal with economic woes and rumblings from Washington May 22, 2024
Energy Dewa profit falls despite surge in demand The state-owned utility provider Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa) reported a 13 percent year on year decline in net profit to AED651 million ($177.2 million). The lower earnings were mostly due to higher administrative expenses, finance costs and a drop in other income. Revenue for the period reached nearly AED6 billion, an annual rise of 7 […] May 10, 2024
Infrastructure Drake & Scull unit to oversee $210m Saudi water project A subsidiary of Dubai’s Drake & Scull International is to design and build an expanded wastewater treatment plant in Saudi Arabia’s eastern province. Passavant Energy and Environment Limited, which specialises in wastewater and water treatment technologies, was awarded the project in collaboration with a major contracting company in the kingdom. The name of the partner […] May 1, 2024
Opinion Infrastructure The Gulf must act now to protect against future floods Storm crates can offer fast, effective relief and are cost-efficient April 25, 2024
Opinion Sustainability The Gulf is all-in on AI, but it’s thirsty work for a desert region AI data centres in themselves can use vast amounts of scarce water for cooling April 15, 2024
Opinion Agriculture Lessons from China: how the UAE can conserve its soils While the challenge of soil regeneration is formidable, it is not insurmountable April 12, 2024
Sustainability Acwa Power to build $800m desalination plant in Senegal Acwa Power, Saudi Arabia’s operator of power generation and desalinated water production plants, will construct a SAR3 billion ($800 million) desalination plant in Dakar, Senegal. The company signed an agreement with Senegal’s ministry of water and sanitation and state-backed National Water Company, to build a 400,000 cubic metres per day desalination plant in Dakar. The […] March 29, 2024
Agriculture Hydroponics allows family to become first Saudi tomato exporter A family company has become the first exporter of tomatoes from Saudi Arabia, thanks to drip irrigation, which has made sending fruit and vegetables from the Gulf to lucrative European markets economically viable. Dava, a private company set up by the Batal family in 2017, began exporting various types of tomato and “snack peppers” – […] March 26, 2024
Opinion Agriculture The memory of water: Saudi Arabia’s troubled history Growing crops and preserving water is a balancing act for Saudi Arabia March 20, 2024
Sustainability Saudi company faces blowback over water use in Arizona The US state of Arizona has cancelled land lease deals with a subsidiary of the Saudi dairy company Almarai after complaints of groundwater being depleted in the arid region. The cancellation highlights tensions over corporations controlling foreign land for food security. In 2014 Almarai’s Fondomonte bought and leased thousands of acres in Arizona and California, […] March 12, 2024
Opinion Sustainability Desalination is the answer – but it must be green The path forward in addressing water scarcity and pollution demands pragmatic solutions March 8, 2024