The Covid-19 pandemic is accelerating the green transition of economies, particularly in the Middle East, where water is scarce in the region.
The UAE, which along with other Gulf economies relies heavily on desalination for potable water, is seeing an uptake in atmospheric water generation to supplement clean drinking water in homes and institutions.
Atmospheric water generation (AWG) refers to a method of producing drinkable water directly from air by condensing the H2O molecules below dew point.
The process has been used to provide water to regions struck by natural disasters, which disrupt supply. It has also been used to supply water in remote locations and is now being increasingly favoured in the GCC as a more sustainable way to produce water.
The GCC depends overwhelmingly on energy-intensive desalination plants to transform seawater to potable water for various uses.
However, the highly energy-intensive process takes up a significant portion of power loads of countries worldwide, and contributes to global warming. The region accounts for nearly 80 per cent of global desalination capacity and produces a fifth of desalinated water globally.
An unintended impact of the pandemic was slowing emissions as air and ground travel remained halted during the more severe lockdowns experienced globally during the first and second half of the year.
Vahid Fotuhi, vice president - Europe, Middle East and Africa at Source Global, which produces clean drinking water using renewable energy says the pandemic has been a boon for his industry.
The company, previously known as Zero Mass Water, relies on hydropanels to produce water directly from air using solar heat.
“[It is] completely grid free," Mr Fotuhi says. It's also "completely independent and scalable and resilient and will play a very important role as water security, localisation become more important, in this post-Covid era.”
The technology perfected in the deserts of Phoenix, Arizona operates at low levels of humidity, making it quite ideal for the arid conditions of the Middle East.
Conventional atmospheric water generators require more than 20 per cent humidity to operate. However, Source Global’s hydropanels start producing water at 6 per cent humidity in the air, Mr Fotuhi explains.
The company operates the platinum heritage desert safari camp next to a conservation reserve in Dubai, which does not use any plastic in packaging to dispense water to visitors. Globally, the company estimates around 1 million single-use plastic bottles are consumed every minute.
Another company, the Abu Dhabi-based Eshara has also taken up fight against plastic bottle consumption, starting with hotels. The company trialled its atmospheric water generators at the Saadiyat Rotana hotel in Abu Dhabi.
“We completely replaced all of their plastic bottles from the pool and beach area,” said Eshara chief executive Keith Gardner.
Since the pandemic, which crippled the hospitality industry across the world, Eshara has seen growing interest from health-conscious individuals and institutions, who have reached out to the company for units at their establishments.
Mr Gardner sees a unique intersection of clients, particularly in the UAE who are environmentally conscious and also keen to save money.
"For those that want to save money, we're saying: 'listen, we're going to save you $10,000 a year on what you're spending on water,'” he says.
Eshara, which is run by a family business has now expanded its reach and is present in countries such as Kenya and Nigeria and even further afield in Peru. The Abu Dhabi-based firm, which still relies on conventional energy to produce water, is looking to bring manufacturing capabilities for atmospheric water to the UAE.
"So at the moment, very proudly our products are all stamped with designed in the UAE,” says Mr Gardner.
The company is currently in discussions with a few government agencies to garner support for a manufacturing hub to thrive in the UAE for the industry.
Eshara is keen to relocate its manufacturing “as soon as possible”.
A big stumbling block for the greater adoption of air-to-water technology is obviously the upfront cost. Eshara helps hotels and institutions tide over these difficulties by offering them a subscription or rental-based model keeping in mind tight budgets this year. Individuals are more likely to pay upfront for their unit, and are also likely to customise their units to their aesthetic specifications, Mr Gardner says.
Meanwhile, Mayee, a startup, which emerged during the Covid-19 lockdown in Dubai, is offering discounts on subscriptions to encourage people to have their own systems and produce water at home. Subscriptions start from just Dh195 per month, with the company providing units that produce clean drinking water and also emit dehumidified, particle and pathogen-free air back into the surroundings.
Its founder, who wished to remain anonymous, says there is an increasing interest in the units, particularly as families with young children wish to avoid buying plastic gallons that may have passed multiple hands before reaching their homes.
While start-ups, family businesses and others are looking to democratise the availability of water in one of the more arid places in the world, a fully green solution is still an expensive proposition.
Source Global’s Fotuhi compares the evolution of the hydropanel technology to that of solar photovoltaic panels.
"You'll remember even here in the UAE, people were laughing at solar PV," he says. "They were saying it's a nice trophy project here. Look at us today, you have two gigawatt solar PV arrays in the desert producing power day in and day out.”
With costs for solar falling - Abu Dhabi announced during the lockdown that it had received one of the world’s lowest tariffs for a 2GW scheme in the desert at the height of the pandemic.
“There's no limit to how much water you can produce,” says Mr Fotuhi.
"All you need is some land. And that's it, you just put the panels and because they're modular, you know, you could satisfy the needs of let's say of a 100 people or 10,000 people because there is no limit we have. We have now made water become an unlimited resource,” he added.
Source Global is also expanding its reach within Neom - Saudi Arabia’s sustainable city, which straddles the Jordanian and Egyptian borders. The company already supplies clean drinking water to the staff working at the carbon neutral city and has plans to scale up its operations.
“We see huge potential in Saudi Arabia, and we anticipate that the next two years, we'll be producing over 10 million litres of drinking water purely from the air in Saudi Arabia alone,” says Mr Fotuhi.
Roland Wahlgren, an expert on air-to-water technology and principal at Vancouver-based Atmoswater Research says the technology lends itself to decentralisation. He sees the technology plugging in many of the gaps in access to drinking water in many of the arid regions of the Middle East, but anticipates the adoption to have a very high cost.
"The conventional wisdom with water supply is that you have to build a large centralised plant, and then you distribute from there,” says Mr Wahlgren.
"That’s sort of the conventional utility approach to providing drinking water and is going to have a very expensive premium distribution infrastructure. And water-from-air does make sense as a way of filling in the gaps of conventional water distribution systems.”
WEST ASIA RUGBY 2017/18 SEASON ROLL OF HONOUR
Western Clubs Champions League
Winners: Abu Dhabi Harlequins
Runners up: Bahrain
Dubai Rugby Sevens
Winners: Dubai Exiles
Runners up: Jebel Ali Dragons
West Asia Premiership
Winners: Jebel Ali Dragons
Runners up: Abu Dhabi Harlequins
UAE Premiership Cup
Winners: Abu Dhabi Harlequins
Runners up: Dubai Exiles
UAE Premiership
Winners: Dubai Exiles
Runners up: Abu Dhabi Harlequins
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
MATCH INFO
West Ham United 2 (Antonio 73', Ogbonna 90 5')
Tottenham Hotspur 3 (Son 36', Moura 42', Kane 49')
UAE squad
Humaira Tasneem (c), Chamani Senevirathne (vc), Subha Srinivasan, NIsha Ali, Udeni Kuruppuarachchi, Chaya Mughal, Roopa Nagraj, Esha Oza, Ishani Senevirathne, Heena Hotchandani, Keveesha Kumari, Judith Cleetus, Chavi Bhatt, Namita D’Souza.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
MATCH INFO
Day 1 at Mount Maunganui
England 241-4
Denly 74, Stokes 67 not out, De Grandhomme 2-28
New Zealand
Yet to bat
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Squid Game season two
Director: Hwang Dong-hyuk
Stars: Lee Jung-jae, Wi Ha-joon and Lee Byung-hun
Rating: 4.5/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
SHOW COURTS ORDER OF PLAY
Wimbledon order of play on Tuesday, July 11
All times UAE ( 4 GMT)
Centre Court
Adrian Mannarino v Novak Djokovic (2)
Venus Williams (10) v Jelena Ostapenko (13)
Johanna Konta (6) v Simona Halep (2)
Court 1
Garbine Muguruza (14) v
Svetlana Kuznetsova (7)
Magdalena Rybarikova v Coco Vandeweghe (24)
RESULTS
6.30pm: Longines Conquest Classic Dh150,000 Maiden 1,200m.
Winner: Halima Hatun, Antonio Fresu (jockey), Ismail Mohammed (trainer).
7.05pm: Longines Gents La Grande Classique Dh155,000 Handicap 1,200m.
Winner: Moosir, Dane O’Neill, Doug Watson.
7.40pm: Longines Equestrian Collection Dh150,000 Maiden 1,600m.
Winner: Mazeed, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar.
8.15pm: Longines Gents Master Collection Dh175,000 Handicap.
Winner: Thegreatcollection, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.
8.50pm: Longines Ladies Master Collection Dh225,000 Conditions 1,600m.
Winner: Cosmo Charlie, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.
9.25pm: Longines Ladies La Grande Classique Dh155,000 Handicap 1,600m.
Winner: Secret Trade, Tadhg O’Shea, Ali Rashid Al Raihe.
10pm: Longines Moon Phase Master Collection Dh170,000 Handicap 2,000m.
Winner:
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
Zayed Sustainability Prize
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
More on Quran memorisation:
Moon Music
Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
KYLIAN MBAPPE 2016/17 STATS
Ligue 1: Appearances - 29, Goals - 15, Assists - 8
UCL: Appearances - 9, Goals - 6
French Cup: Appearances - 3, Goals - 3
France U19: Appearances - 5, Goals - 5, Assists - 1
Teachers' pay - what you need to know
Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:
- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools
- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say
- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance
- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs
- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills
- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month
- in Indian schools, it has also become common for teachers to share residential accommodation, living in a block with colleagues
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Abu Dhabi GP schedule
Friday: First practice - 1pm; Second practice - 5pm
Saturday: Final practice - 2pm; Qualifying - 5pm
Sunday: Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (55 laps) - 5.10pm
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Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
Men's football draw
Group A: UAE, Spain, South Africa, Jamaica
Group B: Bangladesh, Serbia, Korea
Group C: Bharat, Denmark, Kenya, USA
Group D: Oman, Austria, Rwanda
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
RESULTS
5pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 2,200m
Winner: Jawal Al Reef, Fernando Jara (jockey), Ahmed Al Mehairbi (trainer)
5.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m
Winner: AF Seven Skies, Bernardo Pinheiro, Qais Aboud
6pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,200m
Winner: Almahroosa, Fabrice Veron, Eric Lemartinel
6.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,200m
Winner: AF Sumoud, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 1,200m
Winner: AF Majalis, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
7.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh90,000 (T) 1,400m
Winner: Adventurous, Sandro Paiva, Ali Rashid Al Raihe
Neymar's bio
Total club appearances 411
Total goals scored 241
Appearances for Barca 186
Goals scored for Barca 105
