With the goal of bringing a new form of sustainable water treatment to the UAE and wider Middle East, developer Arada said it is investing in a major new research and development (R&D) facility in Sharjah.

The developer said it has inked a joint venture agreement with Hungarian water tech firm Biopolus, Sharjah Research Technology and Innovation Park (SRTIP) and Metito. The deal will enable the development and implementation of upgraded versions of the existing Biopolus technology, allowing them to be patented, tested and integrated within projects in Sharjah, a statement from Arada said.

“With COP28 being held in the UAE later on this year, we believe it’s important that private-sector companies commit to supporting the government by introducing greener and more sustainable technologies and processes wherever possible. This partnership is in line with one of Arada’s key goals: to be a leader in the field of sustainable development. Trees and green landscaping play a central role in all of Arada’s communities, and it’s vital that these areas can be nourished in a sustainable and environmentally friendly manner,” said Ahmed Alkhoshaibi, Group CEO of Arada.

According to the developer, the R&D facility is designed to be a living, learning laboratory that can serve as an inspiring and innovative space for students and researchers to study ecological engineering and circular economy principles in a practical and hands-on manner. The long-term goal for the facility will be to create an improved ‘Biopolus 2.0’ version of the technology, while also turning Sharjah into a global hub for the process.

In mid January 2023, Arada awarded a US $129mn contract for the Vida Aljada Hotel Complex to GAC.

The agreement will also result in the construction and operation of a water treatment plant that will treat, recycle and produce treated water to use for the irrigation of landscapes in both Aljada and SRTIP. The plant will use the Biopolus Metabolic Network Reactor (MNR) technology, a biological engineering process that mimics natural processes by using artificial root structures containing microbial biofilms to clean water rapidly, efficiently, sustainably and without the use of chemicals, the firm explained.

HE Hussein Al Mahmoudi, CEO of Sharjah Research, Technology and Innovation Park remarked, “Effective water reuse is of primary importance, especially in a part of the world where water scarcity is such a critical issue. We are delighted that Sharjah will now become a global hub for a technology that has huge potential to conserve this precious resource. We’d like to welcome Biopolus to the UAE, and to thank our valuable partners at Arada and Metito for their role in this critical partnership.”

The modular, flexible and odour-free nature of the Biopolus technology means that each plant can be placed directly in any urban environment and can be designed in an attractive manner that blends in with its surroundings. As a result, the first plant in the Middle East is based on a 9,900sqm plot on the boundary between SRTIP and the Aljada megaproject in Sharjah. Known as a BioMakery, the state-of-the-art Sharjah plant is characterised by its unique architecture and green and leafy exterior, the statement outlined.

Fady Juez, Managing Director of Metito added, “Our founding principles are impact, sustainability and innovation and with this partnership we are aligning with our core commitments to the communities we serve. We look forward to bringing our high value engineering capabilities, our global experience and local presence and knowhow to this mix of synergistic partners. We see huge potential for this technology and its applications, not just for Sharjah but for the entire region. We must collaborate in advancing water solutions to meet the growing demands and the global supply challenges and this project takes us a step closer to creating a positive, lasting impact to our ecosystem”.

In mid February 2023, Arada successfully closed a $50mn second tap of sukuk.

Construction on the first phase of the Sharjah plant is currently underway and is scheduled to be completed in April 2024, with US engineering firm Jacobs serving as lead consultant. The first phase will have the capacity to recycle 5,500cu/m of water a day, with two further phases providing the capacity to recycle 16,500cu/m a day. Further plants are also planned to serve Arada’s other projects, Arada stated.

Istvan Kenyeres, Founder and CTO of Biopolus commented, “As a biotechnologist and ecological engineer I have learnt how to design thriving and beautiful living systems to recycle our precious water, combining nature’s forces and human intelligence. The new facilities that we are building in Sharjah will not just demonstrate the full potential of this technology in a challenging climate but provide more: it will create the infrastructure and the partnership ecosystem for a significant impact on a global scale. We are also excited to work with our partners in the UAE to test new and exemplary ways of water-based urban circularity technologies and solutions.”

Over the long term, Arada and its partners hope to integrate a number of other processes into the Sharjah plant, including recycling, community functions and energy recovery technologies, helping it to become a local hub for the urban circular economy.

In late March 2023, the Big Project Middle East editorial team said that its inaugural Future of Water Summit will focus on water security in the region.

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According to a new report from audit and advisory services group KPMG, infrastructure is a vital component in Kuwait’s Vision 2035 agenda; the country is said to have a strong pipeline of infrastructure projects, and the emphasis is likely to remain on this sector – so vital for supporting other activities – for the foreseeable future.

Current pipe-lined infrastructure projects have an estimated value of $27.6bn in the bidding stage, which is setting a tone of optimism for the sector, explained KPMG in the report titled ‘The Kuwait Perspective.’

The report contains a comprehensive narrative around factors such as sustainability, ESG, mass customisation, inflation, the supply chain, climate change, globalisation, sunk costs and geopolitics, all with regard to Kuwait’s infrastructure sector.

Imran Shaik, Director for Deal Advisory and Head of Infrastructure Services, KPMG, Kuwait said that despite the slowdown in the awarding and implementation of projects, the prevalent tone in the sector is positive.

In mid January 2023, Kuwait’s PART issued a consultancy services tender for Phase One of the railway network and, in late March 2023, Egis said it would provide PMC services for the Al Mutlaa City Development in Kuwait.

The report called for attention to the push for public-private partnerships (PPPs), citing their potential long-term benefits.

According to Shaikh, the report featured interviews with five key personalities from the country’s infrastructure sector, who – unusually – spoke to members of KPMG in Kuwait in personal capacities to make the publication more insightful.

These include Kapil Kumra, Deputy General Manager and Head of Project Finance at National Bank of Kuwait; Hassan F. Choudhry, the Chief Financial Officer at Umm Al Hayman for Wastewater Treatment Company; Dr Dheeraj Bhardwaj, the Group CEO for City Group Company; Shi Yifei, Deputy Chief Representative of AVIC INTL in Arabic Gulf Area and Yang Chunsen, Representative of China State Construction Engineering Corporation in Kuwait and President of Chinese Enterprise Association in Kuwait.

In mid April 2023, Kuwait Arab Contractors won a $367mn contract for infrastructure services.

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Bahrain-based Developer Diyar Al Muharraq has begun registration for the third edition of its internship programme, Tumouh. The developer said the registrations for this edition of the programme will be open until 13 May.

A rigorous selection process, which will be held next month, will see four graduates qualify for the Tumouh programme which will run from July to December.

Billed as a major youth-oriented programme, Tumouh aims to provide career training opportunities for Bahraini graduates with degrees in civil and electrical engineering, architecture and real estate development.

In late November 2022, Bahrain said i would invest US $312mn into new education facilities by 2030 and, in mid January 2023, Naseej appointed CBRE to manage and lease retail for CanalView on Dilmunia Island.

Commenting on the programme, Diyar Al Muharraq CEO Engineer Ahmed Ali Alammadi said, “Diyar Al Muharraq continues to invest in Bahraini youth and remains committed to developing the skills of the next generation of engineers through various training opportunities that aim to build their vocational skills and enable them to integrate into the future labor market.”

Diyar Al Muharraq said it will work on developing the participants’ abilities and enable them to acquire vocational skills and experience under the guidance of an experienced team during the six-month course.

The participants will also undergo specialised training in both engineering and real estate development departments, it added.

“We look forward to witnessing our trainees’ creative efforts, ideas and suggestions that will reflect our vision and values while comparing to and exceeding previous batches,” concluded Alammadi.

In mid January 2023, Diyar Al Muharraq said that secondary infrastructure works had begun at key plots in its integrated city project.

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The commercial operation phase at the Jubail 3A desalination plant has begun according to the Abengoa group. The group said it has transferred the facility to Nomac, the operation and maintenance unit of Acwa Power, the lead for the development, investment, ownership and operation of power generation and desalinated water production plants.

The move follows the plant’s successful completion of all necessary contractual tests led by Abengoa and Acwa Power’s Jazlah Water Desalination Company, which obtained the commercial operation certificate last week.

The plant is located in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia and has a total capacity of 600,000cu/m per day, which is said to make it the largest reverse osmosis desalination plant in commercial operation in Saudi Arabia together with Rabigh-3, which was also developed by Abengoa.

Abengoa said that it worked together with Tiejun for the construction and commissioning of the desalination plant. The group said it was also responsible for the technological leadership, and was in charge of the engineering, supply, construction supervision and commissioning of the project for the pre-treatment, reverse osmosis process and post-treatment of the plant.

In early December 2022, Voltas said it would provide HVAC services for the Jubail 3B IWP, and in late January 2023, SWPC issued RFQs to 35 companies for the Jubail 4 & 6 IWPs.

The firm said it achieved 100% availability during the Dependable Water Capacity Test that established the commercial operation date on 28 February, following on the successful completion of the 30-day Reliability Test Run.

Jubail 3A is said to be the first and largest desalination plant in the world to be partially powered by renewable energy generated by a solar photovoltaic plant (45.5 MWp), as part of Saudi 2030 Vision to reduce carbon emissions.

The plant will produce drinking water in a sustainable and efficient way, being the first experience of Independent Water Project (IWP) in Saudi Arabia on a commercial scale, the firm concluded.

In early February 2023, ACCIONA said that the Al Khobar 2 desalination plant had ramped to full production.

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A water purchase agreement has been inked between Acwa Power and the Saudi Water Partnership Company (SWPC) for a 600,000cu/m capacity plant being developed on the Red Sea coast. The project is valued at US $676.3mn according to Acwa Power in its filing to the Saudi bourse Tadawul.

According to a statement, the 25-year agreement was signed through Rawabi Water Desalination Company, the project company partly owned by Acwa Power.

The project’s scope is said to include the development, construction, operation and ownership of a water desalination plant using reverse osmosis technology. Acwa Power will also see the building of associated infrastructure and facilities, including potable water tanks with a 1.2m cu/m capacity.

In early February 2023, ACCIONA said the Al Khobar 2 desalination plant had ramped up to full production and, in early April 2023, Big Project Middle East said the 2023 Future of Water Summit would focus on water security in the Middle East.

The facilities, which will be located in the Western Province of the Kingdom, 180km north of Jeddah, and south of Rabigh city, are strategic to the Kingdom, as they will deliver and manage potable water services for the Western Province, it stated.

The financial impact of the contracted revenues is expected to materialise when the facilities become commercially available in 2026, the statement concluded.

In early April 2023, SEWA issued the RFP for the Hamriyah water project.

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Abu Dhabi National Energy Company (TAQA) has launched a new green finance framework for the issuance of green bonds, sukuks, loans, and other key debt instruments.

Proceeds from these new offers will go to eligible green projects including renewable energy, energy efficiency, sustainable water and wastewater management, clean transportation, and terrestrial and aquatic biodiversity. Projects that are being financed under the Framework will contribute to TAQA’s 2030 ESG targets, as well as its long-term Net Zero goal.

TAQA’s Green Finance Framework is aligned with the global best practices set out under the four core components of the Green Bond Principles 2021 published by the International Capital Market Association (ICMA).

TAQA has also obtained a Second Party Opinion (SPO) from Moody’s Investor Services (Moody’s). Moody’s has also assessed the framework and given it a Sustainability Quality Score of SQS2 (Very Good), the second-highest score under Moody’s SPO scoring framework – which means it demonstrates a significant contribution to sustainability.

In late December 2020, it was announced that US $1bn in financing would kick off world’s largest solar project and, in mid January 2022, TAQA and Etisalat Digital joined forces for an advanced metering infrastructure project.

TAQA’s Group CEO and Managing Director Jasim Husain Thabet said the green finance framework was an important mechanism to help the group finance the journey towards achieving its environmental, social, and governance (ESG) goals, as a low carbon power and water champion.

“This framework is further evidence of how serious we are about putting sustainability and responsible business practices at the heart of everything we do, as we also support the UAE in achieving its Net Zero by 2050 objective. Our own emission reduction targets are backed by a business plan and credible green projects that will see us play a key role in de-carbonising the power and water sector and other industries in the UAE and worldwide,” he explained.

In late 2022, the Abu Dhabi energy group announced its 2030 ESG Strategy, which included interim greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction goals. As a credible step towards achieving its Net Zero ambitions by 2050, TAQA has committed to a 25% reduction of Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2030 across the Group, including a 33% reduction of the UAE portfolio emissions compared to the 2019 baseline.

In mid August 2022, TAQA reported a 50% increase in net income to $1.17bn for H1 2022.

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Adnan Jabri has been appointed as the new General Manager for Deyaar Facilities Management (Deyaar FM), according to a statement by Deyaar Development (Deyaar). The move comes as Deyaar FM expands its project portfolio and strives to set new benchmarks in service delivery.

Jabri is said to have joined the firm recently to lead the strategic growth of the facilities management business, oversee all aspects of building an industry expert team, as well as lead on aggressive new business development, to boost profitability and add value to clients in line with Deyaar’s corporate goals.

“We are delighted to welcome Adnan Jabri on board as the General Manager for Deyaar Facilities Management. Jabri joins Deyaar at a critical juncture of the company’s strategic growth, as we aim to deliver on our ever-growing portfolio of projects, strategic business plans and the long-term vision to reinforce Deyaar’s reputation as a world-class developer. With a wealth of experience in managing top-tier properties and a free-thinking approach, Jabri’s expertise in facilities management, planning and financial oversight, process efficiency and adoption of technology will be critical in ensuring exceptional and cost-effective services throughout Deyaar’s complete range of facility management services,” said Saeed Mohammed Al Qatami, Chief Executive Officer of Deyaar Development PJSC.

As per Deyaar, Jabri brings more than 20 years of experience working in senior management roles, financial oversight, bidding, protocol development and process improvements to the role.

In late January 2023, Deyaar completed the Mesk and Noor districts and, in early March 2023, the firm appointed the appoints main contractor for its US $140mn luxury residential project.

Commenting on his appointment, Jabri stated, “I’m extremely excited to take on this new challenge as the General Manager of Deyaar Facilities Management and welcome the opportunity to lead and grow this fantastic team into the region’s market leader. As facilities management and service delivery models undergo a profound transformation in Dubai and the region, I am looking forward to putting my regional knowledge and experience into practice for Deyaar’s prestigious properties, pivoting on data, technology and process efficiency while bringing out the very best of our passionate and dedicated human capital.”

Prior to joining Deyaar, Jabri was the General Manager of MAB Facilities Management, with full P&L responsibility for Jordan and Egypt. His responsibilities included service development through implementation of ERP, CAFM, and client application. Jabri was also the General Manager of SERVEU and FITOUT, two fully owned subsidiaries of Union Properties.

Jabri has also served in various senior finance and advisory roles in multinational organisations during his career, including Kingdom Hotel Investments, Majid Al Futtaim Group, and Arthur Andersen & EY in Dubai, the statement concluded.

In mid March 2023, Deyaar launched a $300mn waterfront residential project in Dubai Maritime City.

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Qatar-based Estithmar Holding has announced that its subsidiary, Elegancia Arabia Trading Company, has been awarded the MEP package works contract for three hotel projects on Shura Island, which is part of the Red Sea project.

According to a statement, the contract award includes the Prestigious Central Hotel, a 430-key property as well as two other properties (respectively, 150- and 180-key) on the eastern side of the island. Overall, this portion of the Red Sea project features a built-up area of 88,269sqm, which is said to mark it as a flag-bearer for regenerative tourism worldwide.

The Red Sea project is billed as the first tourism enterprise of its type, size, and magnitude, to be designed and build off-grid, solely powered by renewable solar energy in line with the stringent commitments of Red Sea Global (RSG).

“Elegancia Arabia Trading is committed to adopting innovative, energy-efficient, and environmentally friendly solutions throughout our performance of the awarded MEP package works, aligned with industry-leading guidance in the energy and environmental design LEED certification,” said a company spokesman.

In late March 2023, Red Sea Global awarded contracts for Amaala’s Marina Village and, in early April, the developer appointed ILF Consulting Engineers to implement a $1.5bn project.

According to RSG, the ongoing construction works, underpinned by a regenerative approach to tourism development, are a critical part of building its legacy and supporting the delivery of Saudi Vision 2030.

Estithmar’s spokesperson continued, “This necessitates experienced partners, who share the same vision for choosing to do better and challenging the status quo of the business-as-usual approach. At this juncture, we – along with Elegancia Arabia Trading – are delighted to play our part in the delivery of this unique development, creating a new gateway to explore the rich diversity and fabled hospitality of the Kingdom.”

The award of this project marks a major milestone for the expansion of Estithmar Holding in Saudi Arabia, he added.

In early April 2023, PKF Hospitality Group said Saudi Arabia represents the single biggest opportunity for hospitality and tourism.

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Kuwait’s Public Authority for Housing Welfare (PAHW) has awarded a $367mn contract to Kuwait Arab Contractors for an infrastructure services contract for the South Sabah Al Ahmad City project.

The PAHW said that a total of 14 companies had expressed their interest in the project but Kuwait Arab Contractors emerged the winner with the lowest bid, according to a report by Arab Times.

The scope of work includes construction, completion and maintenance of main road works for the South Sabah Al Ahmad City, as well as provision of infrastructure services and setting up of rainwater tanks. The entire project work will be completed within the next three years, the report explained.

In mid December 2022, CDE said it would supply wet processing equipment for a major land remediation effort in Kuwait and, in mid January 2023, Kuwait’s PART issued consultancy services tenders for Phase One of its railway network.

The South Sabah Al Ahmad project is taking shape 80km south of the capital, Kuwait City. The 61.5sqkm city features ten neighbourhood clusters arranged around the city’s central business district, and will be bordered by a ring of light industrial buildings.

Set to be the urban core for the country’s southern sub-region, the city will be home to an estimated 280,000 residents, while creating 145,000 jobs in a diverse range of industries including construction, medicine, manufacturing and culture.

It will also boast extensive green open spaces and multi-layered public transport systems that promote wellbeing and sustainability, the report concluded.

In late March 2023, Egis said it would provide PMC services for the Al Mutlaa City Development in Kuwait.

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