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UAE, Israel Sign Strategic Partnership in Water Security

Khadim Al Darei, Vice-Chairman and Co-founder of Al Dahra Holding Company, and Michael Mirilashvili, CEO and President of Watergen signing UAE-Israeli water security deal. WAM
Khadim Al Darei, Vice-Chairman and Co-founder of Al Dahra Holding Company, and Michael Mirilashvili, CEO and President of Watergen signing UAE-Israeli water security deal. WAM
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UAE, Israel Sign Strategic Partnership in Water Security

Khadim Al Darei, Vice-Chairman and Co-founder of Al Dahra Holding Company, and Michael Mirilashvili, CEO and President of Watergen signing UAE-Israeli water security deal. WAM
Khadim Al Darei, Vice-Chairman and Co-founder of Al Dahra Holding Company, and Michael Mirilashvili, CEO and President of Watergen signing UAE-Israeli water security deal. WAM

Abu Dhabi-headquartered Al Dahra Agricultural Company and Israel’s Watergen have signed a strategic partnership in the field of water security.

The agreement was signed Friday in Abu Dhabi by Khadim Al Darei, Vice-Chairman and Co-founder of Al Dahra Holding Company, and Michael Mirilashvili, CEO and President of Watergen.

The deal aims to establish a strategic partnership between the two sides to produce water from the air, creating a renewable source of pure water for human and agricultural consumption, state news agency WAM reported.

The two sides agreed to establish a permanent center in Abu Dhabi for manufacturing and distributing drinking and irrigation water production equipment.

The agreement was concluded after the UAE company delegation visited Israel in October 2020, following the peace accord between the UAE and Israel, to encourage cooperation and strategic partnerships between the two countries, Al Darei said, noting that the company’s delegation met with representatives of Israeli companies operating in the sectors of agriculture, water and technology.

During the visit, Al Dahra signed a Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, with Watergen covering an advanced technology for producing water from the air, while will help provide large quantities of drinking water, as well as water used in the irrigation of farms, parks, reserves, ranches and remote areas, he added.

"Amidst the concern for environmental issues around the world, especially in the UAE, environmental indexes are now being prioritized by developed countries. Therefore, Al Dahra aims to find sustainable and comprehensive environmental solutions that will protect the environment and support sustainable development programs in the UAE," he stressed.

He explained that the technology will enable many sectors to benefit from a renewable water source and create promising economic solutions for providing environment-friendly water, instead of digging wells or water desalination.

"Our visit to Abu Dhabi is due to the long-awaited Abraham Accord, which was signed by the UAE and Israel to establish stability in the region and normalize the ties between the two countries," Mirilashvili said.

Watergen will showcase its technology in the UAE, to be promoted in the rest of the region, he added, stressing that Watergen’s products will reduce the use of plastics and directly affect the environments of the UAE and other countries.

Watergen, which was founded in 2009, is operates in many countries around the world and aims, through its collaboration with Al Dahra Holding Company, to advance its strategic project to increase productivity and decrease cost. The five-year collaborative project will developed and adjusted to accommodate the UAE desert environment.

Watergen has three main atmospheric water generators, AWGs, depending on the requirements of the situation. Each unit contains an internal water treatment system and can operate without any special infrastructure, which only require an electricity source except a source of electricity.

The large scale AWG is an industrial scale atmospheric water generator designed for towns, villages, factories, off-grid settlements and rural communities, which can produce up to 5,000 litres of water per day. They can also be installed on rooftops, helping to decentralize the supply of safe-drinking water in municipalities that have insufficient water infrastructure.

AWGs of up to 800 litres of water per day and 30 litres of water per day are used in households and offices respectively.

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Bahraini Transport Minister to Asharq Al-Awsat: Each Country to Finance Its Share of Gulf Railway Project

A conceptual rendering of the Gulf railway interconnection project. (X)
A conceptual rendering of the Gulf railway interconnection project. (X)
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Bahraini Transport Minister to Asharq Al-Awsat: Each Country to Finance Its Share of Gulf Railway Project

A conceptual rendering of the Gulf railway interconnection project. (X)
A conceptual rendering of the Gulf railway interconnection project. (X)

The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states took a new step toward completing the railway interconnection project by signing the project's general agreement in Bahrain on Sunday. This comes as part of efforts to establish an integrated transport network linking the six nations and boosting the movement of passengers, goods, and commercial trade among them.

Bahraini Minister of Transportation and Telecommunications Dr. Sheikh Abdulla bin Ahmed Al Khalifa told Asharq Al-Awsat that each country will fund and execute the portion of the project located within its territory.

Meanwhile, the costs, fees, and expenses associated with the shared interconnection components among member states will be determined collectively, he added.

He explained that the agreement establishes a joint framework for the project's execution and operation, while defining the obligations of member states and their coordination mechanisms.

He noted that the network, which extends some 2,117 kilometers, aims to transport 6 million passengers and 200 million tons of freight by 2030, with the figures projected to rise to more than 8 million passengers and 271 million tons of freight by 2045.

The project spans from Kuwait, passing through Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, and the UAE, all the way to Oman, with the goal of achieving full network operations by December 2030.

According to the minister, interconnection lines between adjacent countries can become operational as soon as their components are completed, without the need to wait for the entire Gulf network to be finalized.

National financing and potential partnerships

On private sector participation, Al Khalifa said that it remains one of the viable options for financing, executing, or operating certain components of the project, depending on the outcomes of economic and financial studies. He stressed that there is no unified public-private partnership model approved across the entire network.

There are currently no pre-existing agreements with specific international partners to finance or execute the project, he said. However, the expertise of global companies in the fields of design, engineering, technology, and operating systems could be utilized based on the project's needs and its various phases.

Bahraini Minister of Transportation and Telecommunications Dr. Sheikh Abdulla bin Ahmed Al Khalifa.

Concerning the project's announced completion rate, the minister explained that the 50 percent figure represents the average progress achieved across member states, and does not mean that half of the construction work for the entire Gulf network has been completed.

The project's cost estimates are currently undergoing review and updates in light of economic shifts, rising prices for materials and services, construction costs, and inflation, he revealed without specifying an updated total cost at the present time.

Returns beyond passenger and freight transport

Al Khalifa said that the economic impact of the project is not limited to facilitating passenger movement and freight transport, but extends to improving supply chain efficiency, boosting trade among GCC countries, and linking industrial centers, economic zones, and logistical hubs, as well as supporting employment and investment opportunities.

He added that determining the project's exact contribution to the gross domestic product (GDP) or estimating expected savings in time and costs remains premature, given that returns vary depending on transport routes, the nature of the cargo, and the points of origin and destination.

In light of the challenges facing maritime navigation in the region, the minister stressed that the Gulf railway network is not intended to serve as a substitute for maritime transport. Instead, it acts as a complementary route that boosts transport options and connectivity among GCC nations, increasing the resilience of supply chains against disruptions that could affect various modes of transportation.

He noted that integration between ports, roads, railways, and airports will strengthen the flexibility of the Gulf transport system, while connecting to broader international logistical corridors remains a future possibility contingent on completing studies, understandings, and coordination with the relevant countries and entities.

King Hamad Bridge to link Bahrain and Saudi Arabia

Regarding the connection between Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, Al Khalifa explained that the King Hamad Bridge project includes road lanes and railway lines, enabling the international passenger station in Bahrain to connect with the Saudi railway network and forming one of the essential components for completing the Gulf interconnection.

He added that work is underway on the privatization procedures for the King Fahd Causeway Authority, alongside completing the necessary studies and procedures to transition to the execution of the new bridge project.

Achieving the connection between Bahrain and Saudi Arabia is a fundamental requirement for operating the railway line between the two countries within the project's targeted timeframe in December 2030,e he said.

Business

Egypt Seeks Faster Progress on Libya Gas, Refining and Power Projects

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty speaks during a press conference with Minister of Information Diaa Rashwan (not pictured) in Cairo, Egypt, March 25, 2026. (Reuters)
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty speaks during a press conference with Minister of Information Diaa Rashwan (not pictured) in Cairo, Egypt, March 25, 2026. (Reuters)
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Egypt Seeks Faster Progress on Libya Gas, Refining and Power Projects

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty speaks during a press conference with Minister of Information Diaa Rashwan (not pictured) in Cairo, Egypt, March 25, 2026. (Reuters)
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty speaks during a press conference with Minister of Information Diaa Rashwan (not pictured) in Cairo, Egypt, March 25, 2026. (Reuters)

Egypt aims to accelerate energy projects with Libya, including gas pipeline links, refining of Libyan crude in Egypt and an electricity interconnection, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said late on Saturday.

Abdelatty's comments were in ‌a ministry ‌statement after a meeting ‌with ⁠Libya’s acting oil ⁠and gas minister Khalifa Abdulsadek in Tripoli.

Abdelatty also ‌called for cooperation on petroleum products and the completion of projects to refine Libyan ‌oil in Egypt and re-export it, the statement said, ⁠adding ⁠that Abdulsadek had said that Libya would continue implementing existing projects and would visit Cairo soon to continue technical talks with Egypt’s petroleum and electricity ministers.

The statement did not provide details on costs or the status of the projects.

Business

GCC: Railway Agreement Sets Joint Framework for Project Implementation and Operation

GCC transport ministers pose for a group photo following the 27th committee meeting in Kuwait. (GCC Railway Authority)
GCC transport ministers pose for a group photo following the 27th committee meeting in Kuwait. (GCC Railway Authority)
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GCC: Railway Agreement Sets Joint Framework for Project Implementation and Operation

GCC transport ministers pose for a group photo following the 27th committee meeting in Kuwait. (GCC Railway Authority)
GCC transport ministers pose for a group photo following the 27th committee meeting in Kuwait. (GCC Railway Authority)

Jasem Albudaiwi, secretary-general of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), said on Sunday that the signing of the General Agreement on the GCC Railway Project marked an important step toward establishing an integrated regional transport network.

He said the network would facilitate the movement of citizens and residents, ease freight transport, boost intra-GCC trade efficiency and strengthen member states’ economic competitiveness and the region’s position in regional and international trade.

Albudaiwi's remarks came at the signing ceremony in the Bahraini capital, Manama, on Sunday, held under the patronage and in the presence of Bahrain’s Crown Prince and Prime Minister Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa.

He said the project reflected the GCC’s shared ambition to connect member states and improve mobility and trade by linking their economic and industrial hubs, ports and logistics centers.

He added that the project would create opportunities for safe, reliable, affordable and environmentally friendly transport services that meet development needs, serve the aspirations of future generations and strengthen economic integration among GCC states.

Albudaiwi said the agreement sets a common framework for member states to implement and operate the project in coordination with their national railway networks, while establishing mechanisms and a timetable to accelerate its completion.

Albudaiwi praised GCC leaders and transport ministers for their support of strategic regional projects, thanking Bahrain’s crown prince and prime minister for hosting the signing ceremony and officials for advancing the railway project.