Dubai's daily peak demand for desalinated water reached 487 million imperial gallons (MIG) in 2025, up from 455 MIG in 2024. Against the 495 MIGD of capacity that DEWA reported in November 2024, that left a margin of 8 MIGD, or 1.6% of the peak.
Demand rising faster
DEWA's desalinated water demand grew 6.62% to 161.505 billion imperial gallons in 2025, after 5.0% growth in desalinated water production in 2024. Dubai's 2040 Urban Master Plan projects the resident population rising from 3.3 million in 2020 to 5.8 million in 2040.
Hassyan widens the gap
The margin widened in the first quarter of 2026. DEWA commissioned Block A of the Hassyan seawater reverse osmosis plant, adding 60 MIGD and taking installed capacity to 555 MIGD. Against the 2025 peak, that is a margin of 68 MIGD. DEWA expects a further 120 MIGD of reverse osmosis capacity during 2026, and says all phases of the 180 MIGD plant are scheduled for the first quarter of 2027.
On 28 October 2026, ACWA Power disclosed a 30-year water purchase agreement for an AED 1.76 billion, 60 MIGD expansion that takes the Hassyan complex to 240 MIGD. DEWA's target is 735 MIGD of desalination capacity by 2030.
Storage is the thinner layer
Dubai commissioned a 30 MIG reservoir in Hatta in December 2024 and targets 6 billion gallons of aquifer storage, enough for over 50 million gallons a day for 90 days in emergencies. Nationally, the Water Security Strategy 2036 sets a storage target of "up to 2 days" under normal conditions, which its Arabic edition says equals 16 days of supply in emergencies.
How groundwater, which meets 46% of national demand, is being drawn down, what Abu Dhabi expects its peak to reach by 2029, and which supply risks matter most are set out in the full brief. The full report, Water Security and Supply Outlook in United Arab Emirates, is available for USD 249. For a free overview, see United Arab Emirates Country Snapshot.