Leading UAE developer Arada has announced that is investing in a major new research and development (R&D) facility in Sharjah aimed at bringing a new form of sustainable water treatment to the UAE, and the wider Middle East, for the first time. 

 

Arada has inked a joint venture agreement with Biopolus, a leading water technology firm based in Hungary, Metito, a leading global provider of water management solutions, and Sharjah Research Technology and Innovation Park (SRTIP) in this regard.

 

The new R&D unit is designed to develop and implement upgraded versions of the existing Biopolus technology, allowing them to be patented, tested and integrated within projects in Sharjah. 

 

In addition to this, the JV agreement will also result in the construction and operation of a water treatment plant that will treat, recycle and produce treated water to use for the irrigation of landscapes in both Aljada and SRTIP. 

 

The plant will use the Biopolus Metabolic Network Reactor (MNR) technology, a biological engineering process that mimics natural processes by using artificial root structures containing microbial biofilms to clean water rapidly, efficiently, sustainably and without the use of chemicals, it added. 

 

According to Arada, the R&D unit is being designed as a living, learning laboratory that can serve as an inspiring and innovative space for students and researchers to study ecological engineering and circular economy principles in a practical and hands-on manner. 

 

The long-term goal for the facility will be to create an improved ‘Biopolus 2.0’ version of the technology, while also turning Sharjah into a global hub for the process, it stated.

 

Group CEO Ahmed Alkhoshaibi said: "With COP28 being held in the UAE later on this year, we believe it’s important that private-sector companies commit to supporting the government by introducing greener and more sustainable technologies and processes wherever possible."

 

"This partnership is in line with one of Arada’s key goals: to be a leader in the field of sustainable development. Trees and green landscaping play a central role in all of Arada’s communities, and it’s vital that these areas can be nourished in a sustainable and environmentally friendly manner," he added.

 

SRTIP CEO Hussein Al Mahmoudi expressed delight at Sharjah becoming a global hub for a technology that has huge potential to conserve this precious resource. 

 

"Effective water reuse is of primary importance, especially in a part of the world where water scarcity is such a critical issue," he stated. 

 

Metito Managing Director Fady Juez said: "We see huge potential for this technology and its applications, not just for Sharjah but for the entire region."

 

"We must collaborate in advancing water solutions to meet the growing demands and the global supply challenges and this project takes us a step closer to creating a positive, lasting impact to our ecosystem," he added.  

 

Biopolus Founder and CTO Istvan Kenyeres said: "As a biotechnologist and ecological engineer I have learnt how to design thriving and beautiful living systems to recycle our precious water, combining nature’s forces and human intelligence."

 

"The new facilities that we are building in Sharjah will not just demonstrate the full potential of this technology in a challenging climate but providing more: create the infrastructure and the partnership ecosystem for a significant impact on a global scale," stated Kenyeres.

 

"We are also excited to work with our partners in the UAE to test new and exemplary ways of water-based urban circularity technologies and solutions," he added.-TradeArabia News Service