‘President’s Initiatives’ approves water dams, canal projects

Abu Dhabi: The Executive Committee of the Initiatives of His Highness the President of the UAE has approved a package of dams and water canals in various areas of the country.

The move follows the directives of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and is under the follow-up of Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Presidential Court.

The new projects aim to enhance the UAE’s strategic water infrastructure, aligning with the objectives of the UAE Water Security Strategy 2036 by boosting the capacity of water installations, Wam reported on Friday.

Nine water dams

The committee announced plans to construct nine new water dams, expand two existing ones, and build a number of embankment barriers. These measures will strengthen infrastructure to cope with climate change and increase water reserves by collecting rainwater and floodwaters, with a storage capacity of up to 8 million cubic metres.

The projects will be completed within 19 months, along with the construction of nine water canals, approximately 9 kilometres in length, to mitigate the impact of water flow from rainfall in certain residential areas.

The committee stated that the projects will be carried out in 13 residential areas, including Shis and Khor Fakkan in the Emirate of Sharjah, Masfout in the Emirate of Ajman, Sha’am and Al Fahleen in the Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah, as well as Mohamed bin Zayed City and the areas of Hail, Qidfa, Murbeh, Dadna, Al Seeji and Ghazimri in the Emirate of Fujairah.