Sharjah Electricity and Water Authority will build a water desalination plant with a 60mn Imperial gallons per day (MIGD) capacity by 2022, as it looks to meet rising water demand in the emirate, according to a senior official. Sharjah, which desalination capacity of 115 MIGD presently, will tender the project in 2020. Sharjah will see its population rise to almost 2mn by 2020 making it the second most populous emirate and placing increasing stress on the utilities regulator to keep up with rising power and water demand. Its current population stands at 1.4mn and is overwhelmingly expatriate. Sharjah’s plans for desalination follow the recent announcement of a AED5.8bn scheme by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, UAE Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, for new energy and water projects to serve the northern emirates. New water dams will be built at a cost of AED2.4bn and a scheme is underway to create a federal water network linking the northern emirates to Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Plans are also in the works for the development of a AED1.2bn solar power station and a water desalination plant in Umm Al Quwain, with both schemes to be completed in the next two years.