UAE innovator’s start-up makes fresh water naturally in Abu Dhabi

UAE innovator’s start-up makes fresh water naturally in Abu Dhabi

Technology allows evaporated water to be trapped from open water surfaces through a simple but effective device.

Published: Sat 12 Mar 2022, 4:31 PM

Manhat, a local deep tech start-up, has seen initial success in sustainably producing fresh water out of sea and remains on track to realise its ambition of creating floating farms.

By deploying the natural water distillation technology, Emirati innovator and founder of Manhat, Dr Saeed Alhassan has been able to trap evaporated water from open water surfaces through a simple but effective device. The vapour will condense when the temperature drops at night and fresh water gets collected in a can.

All this is done without the need for electricity and no carbon emissions or by-products like brine.

Explaining a prototype standing on acrylic and currently installed at a canal on Reem Island, Dr Alhassan noted the floating solution will offer a sustainable lifeline to counter the grave issue of water scarcity. He clarified that the collected fresh water is not fit for consumption but can be used for irrigation purposes.

“There are lots of trees around the coastline. They are irrigated with water produced hundreds of kilometres away. The idea is to use this technology to produce water naturally to irrigate