Desalination accounted for 12% of the UAE's US$3.4 billion of water-sector contract awards in 2025, according to MEED's tally, down from 35% in 2022. Its share also fell to 25% in 2023 and 22% in 2024, leaving desalination awards at US$400 million in 2025.
Dubai's two giant programmes
The largest items now sit underground. Dubai Municipality named preferred bidders in June 2026 for two packages of the Dubai Strategic Sewerage Tunnels PPP, valued at AED 80 billion (US$22 billion) including long-term operating costs. Package W carries capex of about US$3 billion and Package J under US$2 billion. Formal awards had not been announced by October 2026, and bids for a third package are due on 19 November 2026.
Dubai's Tasreef stormwater programme is valued at AED 30 billion. Three award rounds, of AED 1.439 billion in April 2025, AED 2.5 billion in February 2026 and AED 3 billion on 25 October 2026, total about AED 6.94 billion.
Abu Dhabi's networks
In Abu Dhabi, the Mirfa–Liwa transmission scheme, originally estimated at US$775 million, was re-tendered in October 2026 as design-build-operate, with bids due on 5 January 2027. Abu Dhabi's second price control projected AED 16.2 billion of network investment for 2023 to 2026, including electricity, and ends on 31 December 2026.
Desalination still moving
Plants are still being built. Dubai's 180 MIGD Hassyan Phase 1 commissioned its first 60 MIGD block in Q1 2026, and ACWA Power disclosed an AED 1.76 billion, 60 MIGD expansion on 28 October 2026. Abu Dhabi's 70 MIGD Shuweihat 4 has passed its Q2 2026 target with no commercial operation announced.
Which packages are awarded and which are still in procurement, how each emirate finances plants and networks, and where schedules have slipped are set out in the full brief. The full report, Water Infrastructure Investment and Project Pipeline in United Arab Emirates, is available for USD 249. For a free overview, see United Arab Emirates Country Snapshot.