The United Arab Emirates Department of Energy called the plans for a private company to transport icebergs from Antarctica to produce drinking water “just rumors.”
Last Monday, the UAE Ministry of Energy issued a statement regarding the project for transporting icebergs from Antarctica to the shores of the Emirate of Fujairah for the extraction of drinking water, announced earlier this month.
The ministry called on the public and social media users to avoid rumors and verify the accuracy of the information. All reports associated with earlier statements by Abdullah Muhammad Suleiman Al Shehi, managing director of National Advisor Bureau Limited, who reported that his company is involved in a project designated as UAE Icebergs Project, and is already carrying out a transportation simulation, were denied.
According to the plan, in 2018 the project should be implemented.
“As the body responsible for issues related to water resources, we would like to confirm that such news is just a rumor,” the ministry said.
One way or another, the position of the authorities does not stop the National Advisor Bureau. Already after the announcement of the position of the Ministry, the managing director said that the company was cooperating with the French engineer Georges Muugin to implement the plan.
“We are at the second stage of the plan and are optimistic that it will be approved by the UAE government before the end of the year,” said Abdullah Muhammad Suleiman Al Shehi.
He said that the company will be able to transport icebergs drifting in international waters, that is, not belonging to a particular state.
“The iceberg contains about 20 billion gallons of fresh water and the whole country will benefit from its presence in the UAE. We will have drinking water, and irrigation water will make the country greener, ”says Al Shehi.
The UAE Icebergs Project is part of the Rub 'El Amer global initiative to turn the Emirates deserts into gardens, including the project of connecting Pakistan's rivers with the UAE via underwater channels.
