Business : UK eyes ME water sector

DUBAI ? British companies are bringing their water and wastewater expertise to the UAE for exploring business opportunities and further strengthening existing commercial partnerships between the two countries. A high-level delegation of companies from the United Kingdom water and wastewater sector recently visited Abu Dhabi and Dubai. The principal focus of the mission was water and wastewater treatment and the UK group represented a broad range of skills and technologies from project feasibility to implementation.

The delegates were part of a seminar organised by UK Trade & Investment, or UKTI, Dubai, at which they showcased their expertise and vision for the sector to a number of local companies and government organisations in the UAE.

“The target is to introduce companies in the UK water sector who are looking to trade internationally. Some of them have been here before and some first time and they are just looking to see whether there are opportunities for them here,” British Water international marketing executive Bridget Orr told Khaleej Times at the seminar in Dubai.

British Water is the lead organisation for the UK water and wastewater industry, representing just under 200 of the most active companies in the sector. For this reason British Water has been appointed by the UKTI to manage the organisation of this visit.

Some of the companies are established here and they want to build up their reputation or introduce new products or new services or new technologies, Orr said, adding: “Basically it’s to promote British business here in the Middle East.”

UK companies help countries across the globe develop integrated, sustainable approaches to water resource management. The UK’s traditional industrial expertise and scientific excellence combined with strong innovative approaches to technology, policy and regulation have ensured their global competitive advantage.

After the UAE, the delegation’s next stop will be in Saudi Arabia this week. “We have nine companies visiting the UAE and 16 companies visiting Saudi Arabia,” Orr said. “We have Atkins with us and they are the largest UK engineering company and they are the largest UK company working in the Middle East. They are very well established here and have done a lot of projects,” she said.

The delegation also has consultants and suppliers familiar with this market, she said, adding: “They are looking for different regions in the world and they think the Middle East may be having a good opportunity for them.”

“From British Water’s point of view we have 180 companies that are in the UK water industry and about 95 per cent of them are looking to trade internationally. So that’s the majority and most of our companies around 85 per cent are small to medium enterprises. So all the big companies already have international cooperation. And even our smaller companies are beginning to want to trade internationally,” she said.

“We look at different target markets,” Orr said, adding that target markets in Middle East are the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Qatar. In addition to the Middle East, India and China are other markets in Asia in focus, she added. “We also look at South America, Europe and Turkey as target markets.”

Imtech managing director Bruno Speed, one of the delegates, said that the company is looking for opportunities in whole region, but there are some key markets in focus. “Key ones for us are Qatar and Saudi Arabia.” Abu Dhabi is also an important market, but there are already some established players, he added.

Ian Gibbons, Deputy Consul General of the British Embassy Dubai, said: “This seminar will enable lasting relationships and business to be achieved between our two countries and I look forward to seeing the results in the coming months and years.”

The UKTI team in Dubai will look for further opportunities in this sector that are mutually beneficially to both sides, Gibbons added.

The UKTI is the arm of the UK government that supports overseas trade and inward investment, to encourage UK companies to do business in the UAE and to promote technological and commercial partnership.

Following the seminar an evening networking reception was held at the British Embassy hosted by Gibbons, where the water wastewater delegates met with senior representatives of the largest local companies and administrators specialising in the water sector.

The UK delegation also visited senior representatives at the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority, Federal Electricity and Water Authority and Drake & Scull where discussions were held about the UK water and wastewater capability.

— abdulbasit@khaleejtimes.com

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