Dubai Electricity and Water Authority has appointed a group of companies to provide consultancy services on its seawater reverse osmosis plant in Hassyan.
Selected consultants on the desalination plant include Deloitte, WSP and Addleshaw Goddard, Dewa said on Sunday. The project will become operational in phases in 2025 and 2026, it said.
“We are building production plants based on reverse osmosis (RO) which requires less energy than that multi-stage flash distillation (MSF) based plants, making it a more sustainable choice for water desalination,” Saeed Al Tayer, Dewa's chief executive and managing director, said.
The authority is using clean solar energy to desalinate seawater using the latest RO technologies, he said.
The Hassyan plant, which will have a capacity of 120 million imperial gallons per day, is Dewa's first project to be built under the independent water producer (IWP) model.
Dubai's strategy is for 100 per cent of its desalinated water production in 2030 to come from a mix of clean energy that combines renewable energy sources and waste heat.
In addition, increasing the operational efficiency of separating the desalination process from electricity production will save about Dh13 billion until 2030, while reducing 44 million tonnes of carbon emissions, it said.
Advisory services provided by the companies on the Hassyan plant include tender document preparation, soliciting development and investment market interest as well as financial model development, Dewa said.
The consultancies will also undertake IWP developer tender submission management and evaluation, development of supplemental agreements, commercial negotiation, concluding a water purchase agreement and financial closure with the developer, the authority said.
The scope includes preparing a project marketing plan, participating in marketing activities and local and international roadshows, Dewa said.
The utility company made its debut on the Dubai Financial Market in April this year.
The listing of the Dubai utility was the largest in Europe and the Middle East since Saudi Aramco’s debut in 2019. Dewa raised Dh22.41bn ($6.1bn) from its initial public offering.
Dewa is the first of 10 state-owned companies that will eventually list on the DFM as Dubai seeks to increase the size of its financial market to Dh3 trillion.
The biog
Hobbies: Salsa dancing “It's in my blood” and listening to music in different languages
Favourite place to travel to: “Thailand, as it's gorgeous, food is delicious, their massages are to die for!”
Favourite food: “I'm a vegetarian, so I can't get enough of salad.”
Favourite film: “I love watching documentaries, and am fascinated by nature, animals, human anatomy. I love watching to learn!”
Best spot in the UAE: “I fell in love with Fujairah and anywhere outside the big cities, where I can get some peace and get a break from the busy lifestyle”
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Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
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Russia's Muslim Heartlands
Dominic Rubin, Oxford
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
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What are the influencer academy modules?
- Mastery of audio-visual content creation.
- Cinematography, shots and movement.
- All aspects of post-production.
- Emerging technologies and VFX with AI and CGI.
- Understanding of marketing objectives and audience engagement.
- Tourism industry knowledge.
- Professional ethics.
