Consumption of water in the GCC is an issue. Some believe in the bottle and others say we should take to the tap. But with an expanding population – one thing is for certain – demand keeps on growing for H20 as Jamie Kinghts finds out
W ater, water, everywhere, nor any drop to drink. The line from The Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, refers to the plight of sailors, who, if stranded at sea would run out of fresh water and would have the added agony of being surrounded by plenty of seawater which was of no use at all.
And while much of the region has access to plenty of seawater, it is not abundantly blessed in natural water. Despite this, desalination plants, where sea water is stripped of its salt content and pumped through our taps, mean water is readily available. We can now sit back safe in the knowledge Coleridge’s poem is unlikely to come to haunt us.
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But the situation is not so simple. The UAE is currently the largest consumer of potable water in the world, with per capita consumption reaching 285 litres per year. Bottled water sales are also growing extremely strongly.
According to international food and drinks consultant Zenith International, sales in the UAE have rocketed 20% between 2008–2010 to in excess of 700 million litres per year – the majority coming from on-the-go size bottles with a 50cl capacity.
Motorga Heathcliff, bar manager at Cavalli Club, Restaurant & Lounge, Dubai, says the total water market in the UAE stands at around 1.2 billion litres, worth AED 1 billion (US $272m).
“Considering the hot climate and the population growth from year to year, the growth of the hospitality industry and the tourists, the demand for bottled water will continue to grow significantly in the next years,” he adds.
This is not news the Emirates Environmental Group (EEG) wants to hear. The group is keen to counter the region’s reliance on bottled water and promotes the notion that tap water is safe.
The World Health Organisation recognises tap water in the UAE as safe to consume, but entrepreneur at New Concepts Dubai – which is behind Crevasse – bottled Patagonian glacial water – Maxime Nassour points out, there are concerns over the upkeep of some of the water holding tanks in individual properties.
Director food and beverage at Hotel Missoni Kuwait,Yamen Tehfe, argues that in Kuwait the safety of tap water is more of an issue than in the UAE.
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