The National - News

QS Monitor in pact to supply water free of chemicals

- FAREED RAHMAN

QS Monitor, a company backed by Masdar and BP’s start-up accelerato­r, is joining forces with Israel’s Elgressy Engineerin­g Services to supply chemical-free water to the UAE’s industrial sector and food establishm­ents.

The partnershi­p will bring new technology to the UAE “where local water is a scarce resource and awareness is high of environmen­tal and safety practices”, said Gaby Elgressy, founder of the Israeli company, yesterday.

“We ... have innovated [and come up with] a safe solution that utilises advanced chemical and electrical engineerin­g techniques as a viable and much safer alternativ­e to chemical dosing.”

Both the UAE and Israel are heavily dependent on the desalinati­on of water to meet their domestic water needs. The UAE government establishe­d the Ministry of Food and Water Security in 2017 to achieve self-sufficienc­y.

QS Monitor, which is focused on delivering food and water-safety solutions to the industrial and farm sector, was set up in Masdar City free zone in 2019.

It received an initial investment of $250,000 from The Catalyst, the region’s first clean technology start-up accelerato­r, which is supported by Masdar and BP.

Elgressy Engineerin­g operates thousands of wastewater treatment plants around the world. The company’s clients include Volvo, Mercedes, Hilton and the UN.

The deal comes after the UAE and Israel normalised relations last year.

Since then, the two countries have been signed pacts to foster co-operation in sectors ranging from aviation to finance.

Trade between the UAE and Israel is expected to reach $4 billion a year, according to Etihad Credit Insurance, which recently signed a co-operation agreement with the Israel Foreign Trade Risks Insurance Corporatio­n to boost investment and trade between the two countries.

Masdar City is home to more than 900 organisati­ons – including internatio­nal companies, small and medium enterprise­s and start-ups – that are developing innovative technology in the areas of energy, water efficiency, mobility, space and artificial intelligen­ce.

 ??  ?? Abu Dhabi. The UAE relies on desalinati­on to meet its water needs
Abu Dhabi. The UAE relies on desalinati­on to meet its water needs

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