UAE to build $900m desalination plant with Saudi Arabia’s ACWA Power

A desalination plant in Dubai. The new plant planned for Umm Al-Quwain will be the largest in the UAE's northern Emirates. (Shutterstock)
Updated 11 July 2019
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UAE to build $900m desalination plant with Saudi Arabia’s ACWA Power

  • Plant in Umm Al-Quwain will produce 150 million gallons of water per day
  • The UAE's Federal Electricity and Water Authority and MDC Power Holding Company

DUBAI: The UAE has struck a deal with a consortium of companies including Saudi Arabia's ACWA Power to build a $900 million desalination plant.

The facility will be located in the northern emirate of Umm Al-Quwain to meet the growing demand for water in the region.

The UAE's Federal Electricity and Water Authority (FEWA) agreed the deal with ACWA Power and MDC Power Holding Company, a subsidiary of Abu Dhabi's Mubadala Investment Company, a joint statement said Tuesday.

FEWA will hold a 20 percent stake while ACWA Power and Mubadala will each own 40 percent

The government of Umm Al-Quwain will join as a partner in the project and will own a stake at a later date.

Construction on the 150 million gallons per day plant will start later this year, with initial water production scheduled in 2021.

The project is FEWA's first asset in partnership with the private sector and will reinforce the UAE's water security strategy, Suhail Al-Mazrouei, UAE minister of Energy and  Industry and chairman of FEWA said.

Once commissioned, the plant will be the largest desalination project in the northern Emirates.

* with Reuters


The Family Office to host global investment summit in Saudi Arabia

Updated 18 January 2026
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The Family Office to host global investment summit in Saudi Arabia

RIYADH: The Family Office, one of the Gulf’s leading wealth management firms, will host its exclusive investment summit, “Investing Is a Sea,” from Jan. 29 to 31 on Shura Island along Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea coast.

The event comes as part of the Kingdom’s broader Vision 2030 initiative, reflecting efforts to position Saudi Arabia as a global hub for investment dialogue and strategic economic development.

The summit is designed to offer participants an immersive environment for exploring global investment trends and assessing emerging opportunities and challenges in a rapidly changing financial landscape.

Discussions will cover key themes including shifts in the global economy, the role of private markets in portfolio management, long-term investment strategies, and the transformative impact of artificial intelligence and advanced technologies on investment decision-making and risk management, according to a press release issued on Sunday.

Abdulmohsin Al-Omran, founder and CEO of The Family Office, will deliver the opening remarks, with keynote addresses from Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman and Prince Turki Al-Faisal, chairman of the King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies.

The press release said the event reflects the firm’s commitment to institutional discipline, selective investment strategies, and long-term planning that anticipates economic cycles.

The summit will bring together prominent international and regional figures, including former UK Treasury Commercial Secretary Lord Jim O’Neill, Mohamed El-Erian, chairman of Gramercy Fund Management, Abdulrahman Al-Rashed, chairman of the editorial board at Al Arabiya, Lebanese Minister of Economy and Trade Dr. Amer Bisat, economist Nouriel Roubini of NYU Stern School of Business, Naim Yazbeck, president of Microsoft Middle East and Africa, John Pagano, CEO of Red Sea Global, Dr. Anne-Marie Imafidon, MBE, co-founder of Stemettes, SRMG CEO Jomana R. Alrashed and other leaders in finance, technology, and investment.

With offices in Bahrain, Dubai, Riyadh, and Kuwait, and through its Zurich-based sister company Petiole Asset Management AG with a presence in New York and Hong Kong, The Family Office has established a reputation for combining institutional rigor with innovative, long-term investment strategies.

The “Investing Is a Sea” summit underscores Saudi Arabia’s growing role as a global center for financial dialogue and strategic investment, reinforcing the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 objective of fostering economic diversification and sustainable development.