Masafi, which has a 50 per cent hold on the bottled water market in the UAE, believes the local industry is being hit by outside players because of the large consumption of water in the emirates.

The Fujairah-based company, which has been bottling water for more than 20 years, is finding that the level of competition is on the rise.

There are now "no less than 25 brands" vying for a slice of the UAE bottled water market, that is estimated to be almost 250 million litres a year, said Ashraf Abushady, general manager, sales, marketing and distribution, Masafi.

"There has been growth in the number of players in the market," Abushady added. "We have got them coming in from Saudi Arabia, Oman and Qatar. In the past five years there have been about six to eight new companies.

"Many of them are coming here because they are being squeezed out of their own markets."

Abushady also believes that the UAE is a target market for international water companies because it is ranked fifth in the world for bottled water consumption per capita. "Each person drinks about 214 litres a year."

As well as holding on to the largest share of the market, Masafi maintains its production levels continue to increase.

Currently, Masafi is exporting about 30 per cent of what it produces to other GCC countries, Africa and Asia - where it has started a new market in Japan.

The group's turnover increased by 10 per cent on last year's figures and this year it is projecting a further 7 per cent growth.

For the first time in the company's history it is offering a consumer and traders promotion.

The consumer promotion, Masafi Shopping Spree, starts on April 13. For six weeks, weekly prizes of Dh5,000 and Dh3,000 worth of gift vouchers will be offered to two winners from five areas across the UAE.

By the end, 60 shoppers will have one vouchers worth Dh240,000. Masafi has also launched a six-month trade promotion, Pure Rewards, to create greater awareness amongst traders of the brand.

Those taking part in the promotion, from April to September 30, can win gifts including televisions, music systems, and other electrical goods.