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Abu Dhabi Independent Sewage Treatment Plants – Al Wathba & Allahamah
Project overview
In the mid‑2000s, Abu Dhabi faced one of the world’s fastest population and economic growth rates. To keep pace, the Emirate needed to significantly upgrade its wastewater infrastructure. Against a backdrop of tight procurement timelines and the global financial crisis, the authorities sought a proven private partner to finance and deliver the scheme, while ensuring long‑term operational reliability. Through a strong BOOT concession with ADWEA and ADSSC, BESIX contributed to the creation of two state‑of‑the‑art treatment plants serving Abu Dhabi and Al Ain. These facilities play a vital role in treating wastewater, producing recycled water for irrigation, and supporting sustainable development.
Scope of works
BESIX provided a full end‑to‑end solution, covering financing, design, construction, commissioning, operations and maintenance over a 25‑year period. A tailored technical and financial model enabled the SPV to deliver a 300,000 m³/day plant in Al Wathba and a 130,000 m³/day plant in Allahamah, both built to stringent performance criteria. The team planned for fluctuating influent quality, optimised energy consumption, and ensured strict odour control. The project also incorporated biosolids production, providing clean material that can enrich the region’s naturally poor soils and contribute to broader sustainable land‑use strategies.
Key highlights
Total combined treatment capacity: 430,000 m³/day
300,000 m³/day capacity for Al Wathba
130,000 m³/day capacity for Allahamah
Plants designed and built in 2.5 years
25‑year O&M concession under a BOOT structure
Daily production of 33 tonnes of biosolids at Al Wathba
Successful refinancing achieved in 2016
Performance consistently exceeding energy and odour control targets
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