Reverse osmosis produced 549 million m3 of Abu Dhabi's contracted desalinated water in 2025, 45% of the total, according to the Emirates Water and Electricity Company (EWEC). In 2014 the technology supplied 6%. Thermal desalination still produced 665 million m3 in 2025, but its share has fallen from 94% to 55%.
A decade of change in supply, not demand
The switch happened while demand barely moved. EWEC's Abu Dhabi Demand for desalinated water was 1,113.85 million m3 in 2025, against 1,129.78 million m3 in 2016. Total production across EWEC-contracted plants was 1,213.85 million m3 in 2025, close to the 1,229.60 million m3 of 2016. The system now delivers similar volumes from a very different fleet.
The plants behind the shift
Taweelah RO, listed at 909,218 m3 a day on EWEC's Summer 2025 network map, is the largest. Mirfa 2 adds 545,531 m3 a day, although ENGIE lists it as operational while EWEC's own page still shows it under construction. Shuweihat S4, at 318,226 m3 a day, was planned for commercial operation in 2026; public sources had not confirmed that by October 2026.
More to come
EWEC's 2023 capacity statement recommended a further 0.8 million m3 a day by 2031, bringing reverse osmosis capacity to over 3.5 million m3 a day and serving over 92% of projected demand. EWEC's planned Future RO plant, of up to 273,000 m3 a day, has a target operation date of 2027. The pressure is rising: EWEC forecasts the emirate's system peak growing from 3.41 million m3 a day in 2025 to 4.03 million m3 a day in 2033.
How these plants sit within the emirate's institutions, how the regulator sets network allowances, and what the end of the current price control in December 2026 means for networks are covered in the full report. The full report, Water Systems Overview: Department of Energy, Abu Dhabi Emirate, is available for USD 499 at https://ourfuturewaterintelligence.com/reports/water-systems-overview-department-of-energy-abu-dhabi-emirate. For a free overview, read the Department of Energy, Abu Dhabi Emirate Utility Snapshot at https://ourfuturewaterintelligence.com/utilities/department-of-energy-abu-dhabi-emirate.