Spanish firm Acciona’s water unit has announced it has signed a concession deal to build a desalination plant in the UAE, the first time it has won a contract in the country.

The contract was granted by Imdad LLC. Under contract terms, Acciona Agua will both build and operate the plant for 10 years in a joint deal with local partners. The reverse osmosis plant will have a capacity of 72,000 cu m per day and is being set up in Umm Al Quwain (UAQ), one of seven emirates of the UAE.  The value of the deal was not stated
UTE, a firm created by Acciona, will execute the project in association with Seqayah Water Technologies, Acciona said.
Imdad, set up last year, is equally owned by the Government of Umm Al Quwain and Riyadh-based Al Rajhi Investment Group.
It was created with an investment of Dh2 billion ($544 million) to produce, deliver and distribute water throughout Umm Al Quwain and in other emirates and later export the surplus.
Acciona is active in more than 30 countries on five continents in the fields of infrastructure, energy, water resources, urban and environmental services, logistics, transport and the management of hospitals.