The scarcity in water in the hot, oil- and desert-rich United Arab Emirates (UAE) is more chance than challenge for many international and local energy and technology companies.

At the three-day fair and exhibition Water Technology and Environment Exhibition (WETEX), whose 14th edition kicked off Tuesday in Dubai, around 1,000 firms from 31 countries demonstrate products, know-how and perspectives on how the UAE and the Gulf region can reduce wastage of water and increase energy efficiency.

Dealing with the chronic water scarcity and avoidance of water wasting is in the focus of the congress. According to a study published mid-January 2011 by U.S. consultancy Booz and Company, the UAE and Saudi Arabia, for instance, consume 83 percent and 91 percent, respectively, more water than the global average.

Both countries, which harbor together a third of the world's known oil reserves but have almost no lakes or rivers, rely almost completely on desalination plants which transform sea water into drinking water. The demand is even rising more rapidly, as the Gulf Arab population doubled in less than 20 years to nowadays 40 million people.

Where there are challenges there are chances. For Rabieh Demina, Area Sales Manager at Future Pipe Industries, a Dubai-based pipeline producer, avoidance of the waste of water starts at the point of transportation.

"Using pipelines out of iron or any non-resistant material is not only a loss of water being transported due to corrosion, but also reduces the quality of water which reaches the end-consumer," he said.

Demina claimed that "our pipelines which are out of epoxy-based fiberglass reinforces composites guarantee a secure flow of water for at least 50 years, without causing any leakages in water pipeline."

Colin Shaw, export sales director at Britain-based Balmoral Tanks, agreed with Demina that transportation and storage is decisive to preserve water.

As desalinated water is especially aggressive to materials like iron or steel, the firm produces water storage solutions with an inner wall out of polyethylene or rubber for buildings, stadiums or artificial lakes.

Balmoral designed the water storage solution at the water- fountain park Dubai Fountain in the 30-acre (0.12 square km) man- made lake near the world's largest tower, the 828 meter-high Burj Khalifa.

Shaw added that competition is fierce in the sector. "In Europe and North America, we can convince clients with clients, but in the Middle East and Asia, Chinese and Korean firms come up with the same solutions but with lower prices. We have to innovate, innovate, innovate."

Other Gulf countries are less innovative. In Qatar "we are just at the testing phase in using renewable and energy-efficient solutions," said Fahad Hamad Al-Mohannadi, General Manager at Qatar Electricity and Water.

"Qatar has the third largest natural gas reserves in the world, after Russia and Iran, so the pressure for implementing energy efficiency is lower in our country, but we are working on it," Al- Mohannadi said.

In order to save drinking water, the UAE government urges the 8. 2 million residents in the Gulf state to use water at home efficiently. Regular campaigns on how to avoid over-usage of the precious liquid reach schools, households and companies.

During the summer time, when temperatures reach over 45 degrees Celsius in the day, the Gulf Arab countries face a dilemma as cooling energy to run air conditioners requires lots of additional water, besides drinking water.

District cooling is one way to ensure efficiency. At Dubai- based firm EmPower, sewage water from washing processes is used in the district cooling stations. The water will then be chilled down to 4.5 degrees and then distributed in a cycle process to complete buildings or even building cluster, said Tariq Al Najjar, Senior Key Accounts Manager at EmPower.

The firm runs district cooling stations at Dubai landmarks such as the financial center DIFC, the yachting district Dubai Marina or in the Business Bay in the heart of the sheikhdom. Such stations use up to 30 percent less energy and water than providing every room in the same building with its own air conditioners.

Germany's technology giant Siemens shows at the WETEX their patented technology to reduce power consumption when sewage water is cleaned for re-usage.

According to Ahmed Al Farra, Sales Engineer at Siemens in Abu Dhabi, "only a complete concept, and not a case-by-case solution, in the water and electricity cycle in the Gulf states can ensure a sustainable usage of the scarce and essential resource."

(Source: Xinhua)