GCC governments have earmarked more than $100 billion in their water sectors between 2011 and 2016 to improve desalination technologies involving solar energy, and maximise on waste water treatments and recycling, said a report.
Developers, manufacturers, buyers and service providers from a range of sectors in power and water will meet to discuss current products and technologies in the related industries in an upcoming event in Abu Dhabi.
The fifth edition of Power + Water Middle East will take place from October 8 to 10 at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre.
Held in partnership with Abu Dhabi Water & Electricity Authority (ADWEA), with Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ADCCI) as a strategic partner, Power + Water Middle East is the region’s premier event for showcasing power and water related products and services.
Toray Membrane Europe will showcase its latest water treatment technologies including reverse osmosis, nano-filtration, micro-filtration and ultra-filtration technology at the exhibition.
“The main focus of our water and wastewater treatment technologies is on energy saving, plant efficiency and performance,” said Rolf Richard Keil, deputy general manager of the Middle East branch at Toray Membrane Europe, which has expertise across the entire spectrum of high performance water treatment membranes.
According to joint research by the Euro Arab Organisation for Environment, Water and Desert Ranches and the University of Jordan, the Arab world is likely to witness a water crisis around 2025 unless effective steering mechanisms for sustainable water management and measures to reduce the agricultural consumption of water are applied.
The UAE has planned several wastewater treatment and recycling projects to improve water management practices in order to meet rising demand of this scarce and costly resource. Abu Dhabi will add more than 30 million gallons per day of desalination capacity to its water network following a green light for a power and water plant extension at Mirfa.
Abdulla Saif Al Nuaimi, director general of Abu Dhabi Water and Electricity Authority (ADWEA) said: “It is a well known fact that water is one of the scarcest resources in the Mena region and that Gulf countries are among the world’s top ten producers of desalinated water.”
“Desalination currently provides two-thirds of the water requirements in MENA, and the new urgency and high priority assigned by governments to investments across the water desalination sector in the region is therefore not a surprise.”
