Plans are under way to increase water efficiency in agriculture, above, fit water-saving devices to residential and public buildings and cut "wasteful" landscape use
Plans are under way to increase water efficiency in agriculture, above, fit water-saving devices to residential and public buildings and cut "wasteful" landscape use
Plans are under way to increase water efficiency in agriculture, above, fit water-saving devices to residential and public buildings and cut "wasteful" landscape use
Plans are under way to increase water efficiency in agriculture, above, fit water-saving devices to residential and public buildings and cut "wasteful" landscape use

Treated sewage will reduce Gulf water use


  • English
  • Arabic

Abu Dhabi plans to introduce quotas on the use of treated sewage water for agriculture, landscaping and district cooling to help to reduce the amount of water removed from the Arabian Gulf. The emirate is among the world's highest consumers of water and the quotas are intended to improve its management of water.

Most of the emirate's water is desalined seawater, which is expensive to produce. This is supplemented by groundwater used for agriculture. The Government has identified treated water as a resource in its own right, said Majid al Mansouri, the secretary general of the Environment Agency-Abu Dhabi (EAD). The quotas will be discussed at the next session of the Permanent Committee for Water and Agriculture Resources, said Mr al Mansouri, although he was unable to give a precise date.

The committee was established in December and is chaired by Mohammad al Bowardi, the secretary general of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council. It is comprised of representatives of Government agencies including the EAD, the Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority and the Abu Dhabi Water and Electricity Company (ADWEA). Mr al Mansouri was speaking at a one-day forum in the capital, marking the second anniversary of the Arab Water Academy, and attended by ministers of water resources from Iraq, Sudan, Yemen and Saudi Arabia.

Mr al Mansouri briefed ministers on the emirate's efforts to better manage its water, including fitting water-saving devices in residential and public buildings, reviewing landscaping practices and increasing the efficiency of agriculture. The moves are an attempt to reduce Abu Dhabi's reliance on desalination, which incurs large financial and environmental costs. The high salt concentration of brine pumped back into the Gulf damages coral and the marine environment, research shows.

In 2007, the emirate's desalination plants produced a total of 856 million cubic metres of desalinated water. It costs around US$1 (Dh3.67) to produce one cubic metre of desalinated water, not including the cost of transportation. Saudi Arabia, another country that relies heavily on desalination, faces similar challenges. "If we continue with desalination use as we do today, we will be the biggest consumer of our own oil," said Dr Mohammed al Saud, the deputy minister for water at the kingdom's ministry of water and electricity.

In Abu Dhabi, it is agriculture that requires most water and, with forestry, accounts for 76 per cent of the emirate's water use. The use of treated sewage water to irrigate crops is illegal in Abu Dhabi. However, the technology exists to do this safely, and several trial projects are under way. Most public parks in the emirate are already irrigated by treated sewage effluent, but landscaping projects in the new private developments rely on desalinated water, said Geoff Sanderson, the principal landscape architect at Dubai-based Green Concepts.

"There has been a huge amount of waste in the past," he said, adding that inefficient irrigation systems and water-thirsty plants have made the sector inefficient. "There has also been too much landscaping in a country that can ill-afford the water needed for this," he said. "Abu Dhabi does not need all the shrubbery and grass. It is a total waste." Abu Dhabi city currently relies on a sewage treatment plant in Mafraq, where more than 450,000 cubic metres of waste water are treated daily.

A consortium, Al Wathba Veolia Besix Waste Water, is building two new plants, with a joint capacity of 430,000 cubic metres of sewage per day, in Al Wathba and in Allahamah, 40 kilometres from Al Ain. The project is due for completion in 2011, as is a further project to build two more plants with a joint capacity of 380,000 cubic metres per day, in Al Wathba and Al Saad, by a consortium including ADWEA, Emirates Utilities Company Holding and Biwater.

vtodorova@thenational.ae

While you're here
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

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%3Cp%3EThe%20influx%20of%20talented%20young%20Afghan%20players%20to%20UAE%20cricket%20could%20have%20a%20big%20impact%20on%20the%20fortunes%20of%20both%20countries.%20Here%20are%20three%20Emirates-based%20players%20to%20watch%20out%20for.%0D%3Cbr%3E%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EHassan%20Khan%20Eisakhil%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EMohammed%20Nabi%20is%20still%20proving%20his%20worth%20at%20the%20top%20level%20but%20there%20is%20another%20reason%20he%20is%20raging%20against%20the%20idea%20of%20retirement.%20If%20the%20allrounder%20hangs%20on%20a%20little%20bit%20longer%2C%20he%20might%20be%20able%20to%20play%20in%20the%20same%20team%20as%20his%20son%2C%20Hassan%20Khan.%20The%20family%20live%20in%20Ajman%20and%20train%20in%20Sharjah.%0D%3Cbr%3E%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EMasood%20Gurbaz%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EThe%20opening%20batter%2C%20who%20trains%20at%20Sharjah%20Cricket%20Academy%2C%20is%20another%20player%20who%20is%20a%20part%20of%20a%20famous%20family.%20His%20brother%2C%20Rahmanullah%2C%20was%20an%20IPL%20winner%20with%20Kolkata%20Knight%20Riders%2C%20and%20opens%20the%20batting%20with%20distinction%20for%20Afghanistan.%0D%3Cbr%3E%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOmid%20Rahman%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EThe%20fast%20bowler%20became%20a%20pioneer%20earlier%20this%20year%20when%20he%20became%20the%20first%20Afghan%20to%20represent%20the%20UAE.%20He%20showed%20great%20promise%20in%20doing%20so%2C%20too%2C%20playing%20a%20key%20role%20in%20the%20senior%20team%E2%80%99s%20qualification%20for%20the%20Asia%20Cup%20in%20Muscat%20recently.%0D%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
MATCH INFO

Chelsea 0

Liverpool 2 (Mane 50', 54')

Red card: Andreas Christensen (Chelsea)

Man of the match: Sadio Mane (Liverpool)

The%20specs
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs

AT4 Ultimate, as tested

Engine: 6.2-litre V8

Power: 420hp

Torque: 623Nm

Transmission: 10-speed automatic

Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)

On sale: Now

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Sole survivors
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  • George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
  • Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
  • Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
The specs
 
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20NOTHING%20PHONE%20(2A)
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57%20Seconds
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Company Profile

Company name: Fine Diner

Started: March, 2020

Co-founders: Sami Elayan, Saed Elayan and Zaid Azzouka

Based: Dubai

Industry: Technology and food delivery

Initial investment: Dh75,000

Investor: Dtec Startupbootcamp

Future plan: Looking to raise $400,000

Total sales: Over 1,000 deliveries in three months

Washmen Profile

Date Started: May 2015

Founders: Rami Shaar and Jad Halaoui

Based: Dubai, UAE

Sector: Laundry

Employees: 170

Funding: about $8m

Funders: Addventure, B&Y Partners, Clara Ventures, Cedar Mundi Partners, Henkel Ventures

HAJJAN
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Company%20Profile
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WOMAN AND CHILD

Director: Saeed Roustaee

Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi

Rating: 4/5

Tips for job-seekers
  • Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
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David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East

Ferrari 12Cilindri specs

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Power: 819hp

Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm

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Sun Feb 23 – Thu Feb 27, Al Amerat, Oman

The two finalists advance to the Asia qualifier in Malaysia in August

 

Group A

Bahrain, Maldives, Oman, Qatar

Group B

UAE, Iran, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia

 

UAE group fixtures

Sunday Feb 23, 9.30am, v Iran

Monday Feb 25, 1pm, v Kuwait

Tuesday Feb 26, 9.30am, v Saudi

 

UAE squad

Ahmed Raza, Rohan Mustafa, Alishan Sharafu, Ansh Tandon, Vriitya Aravind, Junaid Siddique, Waheed Ahmed, Karthik Meiyappan, Basil Hameed, Mohammed Usman, Mohammed Ayaz, Zahoor Khan, Chirag Suri, Sultan Ahmed

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The 12 Syrian entities delisted by UK 

Ministry of Interior
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Al Watan newspaper
Cham Press TV
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F1 The Movie

Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem

Director: Joseph Kosinski

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INDIA%20SQUAD
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Chelsea 2
Willian (13'), Ross Barkley (64')

Liverpool 0

Greatest of All Time
Starring: Vijay, Sneha, Prashanth, Prabhu Deva, Mohan
Director: Venkat Prabhu
Rating: 2/5
MATCH INFO

Karnatake Tuskers 114-1 (10 ovs)

Charles 57, Amla 47

Bangla Tigers 117-5 (8.5 ovs)

Fletcher 40, Moores 28 no, Lamichhane 2-9

Bangla Tiger win by five wickets

MATCH INFO

RB Leipzig 2 (Klostermann 24', Schick 68')

Hertha Berlin 2 (Grujic 9', Piatek 82' pen)

Man of the match Matheus Cunha (Hertha Berlin

'Ghostbusters: From Beyond'

Director: Jason Reitman

Starring: Paul Rudd, Carrie Coon, Finn Wolfhard, Mckenna Grace

Rating: 2/5

Our legal consultant

Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

The White Lotus: Season three

Creator: Mike White

Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell

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Global state-owned investor ranking by size

1.

United States

2.

China

3.

UAE

4.

Japan

5

Norway

6.

Canada

7.

Singapore

8.

Australia

9.

Saudi Arabia

10.

South Korea

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
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Southampton 2 (Ings 32' & pen 89') Tottenham Hotspur 5 (Son 45', 47', 64', & 73', Kane 82')

Man of the match Son Heung-min (Tottenham)

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Uefa Champioons League semi-final, first leg:

Liverpool 5
Salah (35', 45 1'), Mane (56'), Firmino (61', 68')

Roma 2
Dzeko (81'), Perotti (85' pen)

Second leg: May 2, Stadio Olimpico, Rome

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

All%20The%20Light%20We%20Cannot%20See%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECreator%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESteven%20Knight%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%C2%A0%3C%2Fstrong%3EMark%20Ruffalo%2C%20Hugh%20Laurie%2C%20Aria%20Mia%20Loberti%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E1%2F5%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A