UAE’s Utico to expand workforce

DUBAI: Utico, the Middle East’s leading full-service utility and the only private water and power company in the UAE said it will be hiring 100 new employees this year with a new AED 750 million desalination facility coming on stream in 2020.

In a statement, Utico said that most of the jobs will be in senior and mid-level management in the UAE and for its operations in new markets of Saudi Arabia, Oman and Singapore. The company said it has set a target of maximum hire in the next six months.

“We see an exciting 12 months ahead with capacity expansions, forays into new markets in the region and beyond, and new projects, including significant developments in renewables supporting the environment and cyclical economy,” said Richard Menezes, CEO of Utico.

The new desalination facility at Al Hamra in Ras Al Khaimah within the proximity of the company’s existing operations will make available 30 million gallons of water more every day to consumers of RAK, Umm Al Quwain, Ajman and Sharjah in the Northern Emirates.

On commissioning of the new facility, the total output of Utico will be 70 million gallons per day. Water will be supplied from RAK through Utico’s trans-emirates pipeline which it developed last year at an investment of US$100 million.

“The high-quality drinking water will be available to 2.5 million customers in RAK, Umm Al Quwain, Ajman and Sharjah,” Menezes said.

At 100 Imperial gallons per day per person, which is the highest per capita consumption in the world, the total requirement is about 250 million gallons per day in the four emirates. Of this, currently, Sharjah produces 8590 million gallons, FEWA 3540 million gallons, Utico 30-40, Abu Dhabi 25-35 and rest from open and bore wells.

Menezes said that a great amount of water was lost through leakages and other losses termed Non Revenue Water (NRW)in these four emirates. This amounts to about 9-30% in some cases (about 20 to 30 million gallons per day) which is a waste of energy and does not support climate change mitigation, apart from the loss of capital daily. He said these high per capita consumption and losses in networks particularly has great significance.

Utico’s NRW is only about 2% which is the best in the Middle East.