In July 2016, Water. Desalination + reuse (Faversham House) reported, citing The National, that Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) was inviting proposals for a feasibility study on geothermal desalination. The idea fitted Dubai's target of a 75 % clean share in power generation by 2050. Steve Griffiths, vice president of research at Masdar Institute, considered the approach competitive with reverse osmosis. Geothermal sources in the Emirates reached about 100 °C, too cool for power generation but sufficient for desalination.
The report showed Dubai examining renewable heat as an energy source for desalination. The step was a feasibility review, not a construction project, and linked water supply to the emirate's climate targets.