The government of Umm Al Quwain and the UAE Federal Electricity and Water Authority (FEWA) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to build reverse osmosis desalination plants in the emirate.

The move comes in response to steadily increasing water consumption in the UAE’s residential, economic, industrial and cultural sectors.

The MoU was signed on Sunday, June 11 by Humaid Rashid Al Shamsi, secretary-general of the Executive Council of Umm Al Quwain, and Mohammed Mohammed Saleh, director-general of FEWA. The event was witnessed by Sheikh Ali bin Saud bin Rashid Al Mu’alla, chairman of the Municipality Department in Umm Al Quwain, as well as other officials from both parties.

The authorities say that they have studied the latest desalination processes and technologies, in an effort to help reduce production costs. Desalination has traditionally been an expensive and energy heavy process, however updates are on the way to improve efficiency and reduce costs.

FEWA is currently also building four other desalination plants across the UAE, specifically in Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain. The projects are aligned with the National Agenda and the UAE 2021 vision to enhance water capacity to cater for population growth in the UAE, and preserving underground water resources.