(DEWA): Dubai to Host Largest International Congress on Water Desalination

Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) announced that Dubai will host the International Desalination Association's 2019 World Congress on water Desalination. Previously, the congress was held in Dubai in 2009. This global event is the world's largest and the most prominent conference on water desalination specialty areas. It will be attended by leaders, senior officials, experts, and academics, as well as 2,000 participants from 60 countries. The event was announced at a press conference at the Burj Al Arab hotel in Dubai, in the presence of HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of DEWA, and HE Helal Saeed Al Marri, Director General of the Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing, and Ms. Patricia Burke, Secretary General of the International Desalination Association (IDA).

Al Tayer expressed his pride in the UAE's success in hosting the World Congress on Water Desalination 2019, which was the culmination of a series of major international events successfully hosted by the UAE. Dubai's success in hosting this important conference came as a result of the fruitful cooperation between DEWA, and the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing in the preparation of the proposal to host the event. Dubai was selected by the IDA after careful review of its profile, which surpassing international cities, such as Barcelona in Spain, Busan in South Korea, and Muscat in Oman. The IDA has received nominations from eight countries, including Canada, South Africa, India, and Malta, in addition to the above-mentioned countries.

The conference will be held in 2019, coinciding with the 21st Water, Energy, Technology and Environment Exhibition (WETEX), which will be held under the directives of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and under the patronage of HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai, Minister of Finance and President of DEWA.

The IDA, the organiser of the conference, is based in Topsfield, Massachusetts, USA. It is a non-profit organisation within the United Nations NGO Network, comprising of scientists, engineers, consultants, and researchers from the public and private sectors, as well as academic institutions. IDA World Congress 2017 will be in São Paulo, Brazil, from 15 to 20 October 2017.