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Dubai: A whopping Dh367 billion ($100 billion) investment in power and desalination over the next 10 years could help the Gulf states to sustain continued economic growth, according to industry experts.
The spiralling Middle East population boom, combined with the resulting urbanisation, massive increases in industrialisation and essential irrigation to enable increased food production, continues to intensify the need for rapid growth in available water supplies across the region.
"Conservative estimates project that $100 billion of investment is necessary in the GCC over the next 10 years to sustain continued economic growth, and this element of urgency has resulted in an increased move towards private investment," Sarah Woodbridge, group director - exhibitions at IIR Middle East, organisers of the Middle East Electricity exhibition, said in a statement.
"Alongside power generation, water is the top priority for governments - the Middle East has one of the world's highest demands for power generation and clean water due to remarkable population growth rates and determined economic diversification efforts."
Official statistics show that Saudi Arabia, the world's largest producer of desalinated water, accounts for some 30 per cent of global production, pumping almost 600 million gallons per day, which meets 70 per cent of the Kingdom's drinking water needs. It also produces 5.5 million cmd (cubic metres per day) of drinkable water and treats two million cmd of wastewater. However, an estimated $53 billion is required to increase its desalination capacity to 10.7 million cubic metres per day by 2020 to meet demand.
"Water demand is expected to exceed 11 million cmd in the next 20 years," said Abdullah Al Husayn, Saudi Arabia's Minister of Water and Electricity.
"In order to meet that demand, wastewater collection and treatment will reach more than five million cmd in five years using tertiary treatment, which makes it reusable. Sewage treatment services also will be provided to 90 per cent of the population by that time," he added.
Due to the staggering increase in demand for water in the GCC countries, and with conventional water resources such as fresh surface water and renewable groundwater extremely limited, alternative sources such as wastewater reclamation and desalination have been adopted since the 1960's.
"To put the scale of the challenge in real perspective, the UAE currently consumes more water per person than any other country in the world with the exception of the United States and Canada," added Woodbridge.
The Middle East Electricity exhibition will take place at the Dubai International Exhibition Centre from today till February 13.
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