In April 2016, Water. Desalination + reuse (Faversham House) reported, citing the Khaleej Times, that Fewa, the Federal Electricity and Water Authority, intended to build four seawater desalination plants with a combined 600,000 m³/day within ten years, for around Dh 3.22 billion. Director general Mohammed Saleh expected demand of 1 million m³/day by 2030. Plans covered 180,000 m³/day in Umm Al Quwain, 120,000 m³/day each in Ajman and Ras Al Khaimah, plus a fourth of 180,000 m³/day at an open site. The first was due in 2020.
The report showed the Emirates planning in 2016 to meet growing water demand through a long-term, phased programme of several mid-sized seawater desalination plants across different emirates.