Since 1 January 2025, TAQA Distribution has charged UAE nationals in Abu Dhabi AED 2.09 per cubic metre of water, up to average daily use of 7,000 litres in a villa. Expatriate households pay AED 7.84 up to 5,000 litres a day. Above those thresholds the rates rise to AED 2.60 and AED 10.41.
A top band set to move
The 2025 tariff says the AED 10.41 rate "reflects actual cost of utilities, subject to change on an annual basis". A decade earlier, in 2015, Abu Dhabi raised the rate for expatriates in flats from Dh2.2 to Dh5.95 per 1,000 litres.
Four emirates, four schedules
Dubai's DEWA charges AED 7.70, 8.80 and 10.12 per cubic metre across three monthly bands, in one residential schedule on a page updated on 16 May 2026. On top come a fuel surcharge of AED 1.10 per cubic metre (September 2026) and 5% VAT. EtihadWE, which serves the Northern Emirates, charges citizens a single AED 3.3 per cubic metre and non-citizens AED 7.7 to 10.12. Sharjah's SEWA bills 3.5 to 4.6 fils per imperial gallon.
Support beyond nationality
Abu Dhabi's social-card tariff gives low-income households of any nationality free water up to 9,804 litres a day for nationals and 2,801 litres for expatriates (2025). Recycled water costs AED 1.7 per cubic metre for every customer.
The supply behind the bill
Each system draws on desalination: the 2023 entity table put installed capacity at 7.80 million cubic metres a day, of which Abu Dhabi held 4.74 million, but it omits the Naqa'a plant, operating since 2022. Abu Dhabi's second price control, which caps the network companies' revenue at AED 50 billion for 2023 to 2026, ends on 31 December 2026.
Who sets each tariff, how groundwater still meets 46% of national demand, and which desalination, sewerage and drainage projects are under way are set out in the full profile. The full report, United Arab Emirates Country Intelligence Profile, is available for USD 99. For a free overview, see United Arab Emirates Country Snapshot.