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CMT’s MENA Water Resource World outlines the needs of the water sector in the Middle East, and pinpoint opportunities

Posted on : 06 Oct, 2009

 

To meet rapidly growing water needs, countries in the Middle East and North Africa region will need to invest heavily in water-related infrastructure over the next 12 years. The World Bank predicts that per capita water availability in the region will fall by at least 50% by 2050 and warns of “serious, social and economic consequences if countries do not adapt their current water management practices”.

 

Hence governments and water authorities in the region are intensifying efforts and seeking private sector participation to increase their water production. Saudi Arabia for example, will need to increase its desalination capacity to 10.7 million cubic metres per day by 2020 to meet expected demand, requiring over US$53 billion in investment. The UAE needs to invest at least $10 billion in water investment to satisfy growing water needs and has already invested over US$50 billion in power and desalination during the past 10 years.

 

Meanwhile Egypt has also embarked on a program to overhaul and expand its water infrastructure restructuring policies to attract more investment and industry involvement. Algeria has plans to build coastal desalination plants with capacities ranging from 100,000m3/d to 500,000m3/d and have offered a succession 25-year BOT projects. Tunisia’s government is also pushing for the development of private desalination plants within the tourism industry, which could entail the procurement of up to 90,000m3/d of new capacity, in addition to SONEDE’s 250,000m3/d of new desalination capacity planned.

 

CMT will host the MENA Water Resource World conference on 19-20 Jan in Dubai, to shed light on:

• Global water resource planning, management, dynamics & challenges
• Water investments & update on government policies in: Middle East, Libya, Algeria, Egypt
• Managing water distribution and supply quality systems
• Project financing & legal issues
• Water technologies advances & case studies covering Desalination, Wastewater treatment & reuse, Biological treatment technologies and Membrane technologies

The event features interactive presentations, panel discussions and case studies by leading water experts, policy makers, private and public utility representatives, investors, financiers and international players in water and wastewater management. It will also outline the needs of the water sector in the Middle East, and pinpoint opportunities for the entire value chain.

 

>>Click here<< to reserve your seats at MENA Water Resource World.

 

Keen on playing a bigger role in the MENA Water Resource World as sponsors, exhibitors and media partners? Email Ms. Jaime at jaime@cmtsp.com.sg with your ideas and proposals!