Dewa opens Mai Dubai bottled drinking water plant

Mai Dubai among pillars to diversify utility’s revenue streams

Shaikh Hamdan, Shaikh Ahmed, Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer and other officials during the inauguration of the Mai Dubai bottled drinking water company and plant in Yalayis in Dubai on Monday. — KT photo by Juidin Bernarrd

Dubai — The Mai Dubai bottled drinking water company and factory — an independent limited liability company with 99 per cent of its shares owned by the Dubai Water and Electricity Authority, or Dewa — was opened on Monday, a quality-addition to the bottled drinking water industry in the UAE.

Shaikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai, UAE Minister of Finance and President of the Dewa, inaugurated Mai Dubai in Yalayis on Al Qudra Road in Dubai.

The ceremony was attended by Shaikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy, President of the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, Chairman of Emirates airline and Chief Executive of the Emirates Group; Matar Humaid Al Tayer, chairman of the Dewa; Saeed Al Kindi; Mohammed Khalifa Al Habtoor; Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, managing director and chief executive offficer of the Dewa; Majid Al Shamsi, first vice-chairman of the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Hussain Lootah, director-general of Dubai Municipality; Essa Al Maidoor, director-general of the Dubai Health Authority; Helal Saeed Almarri, director-general of the Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing; and Ahmed bin Humaidan, director-general of the Dubai Smart Government.

A number of government department directors, board members of the Dewa, board members, the CEO and management of Mai Dubai, and the media also attended the ceremony.

Mai Dubai adheres to the highest standards of quality. It uses the latest international technologies and the highest levels of quality according to the best local and international standards. Mai Dubai’s team is led by local and international industry veterans in the production and bottling of drinking water.

Shaikh Hamdan and dignitaries toured the different areas of the factory afterwards and listened to a detailed explanation about the operations of the company’s factory.

Shaikh Hamdan commended the Dewa’s efforts to meet the current and future demands of electricity and water according to the highest standards of reliability, efficiency and quality, and its commitment to enhance Dubai’s position as a role model in energy security, effectiveness, and efficiency to meet all development requirements in the emirate.

Al Tayer welcomed Shaikh Hamdan and the attendees and thanked them on behalf of the Dewa’s board members and staff. He expressed his gratitude to Shaikh Hamdan for honouring the ceremony to inaugurate Mai Dubai.

This is another accomplishment for the Dewa, and supports the directives of His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to make Dubai the happiest city on earth for residents and visitors, promote the well-being of people and strengthen the infrastructure to ensure progress.

“The Dewa’s installed capacity is 9,656MW of electricity and 470 MIGD of desalinated water. The peak load for electricity is 7,233MW of electricity and for desalinated water, it’s 316 MIGD,” said Al Tayer.

“The project is one of the main pillars of the Dewa’s plans to diversify revenue streams by investing in new ventures. The plant uses the latest technologies and best global practices and quality standards in sterilisation and purification in producing and bottling drinking water. The plant produces drinking water that has low sodium levels of and a balanced range of minerals. It has already become a popular brand in the UAE within a short time,” added Al Tayer.

Commercial production started in March 2014. The factory has received the FDA, HACCP, ISO:22000 and Emirates Quality Mark certifications. Mai Dubai plans to increase its production capacity by 400 per cent in the near future.

The production lines includes small- and medium-sized bottles of 1.5 litre, 500ml and 330ml capacity as well as five-gallon bottles. The cup line is available in 200ml and 100ml.

The unique red colour in the corporate identity of Mai Dubai symbolises vigour, vividness, happiness and prosperity. The design of its bottles was inspired by Dubai’s modern architecture.

— alvin@khaleejtimes.com