A wealthy Gulf state is set to begin a multi-billion pound project that could transform a burgeoning city.
Dubai has become a global hub for tourism, retail and finance over the last two decades, financed by the discovery of vast oil deposits in the 1960s.
But increased development and thus a growing population has pushed the nation’s public services to capacity, creating the need for significant investment in its sewerage infrastructure.
The £5.6bn Dubai Strategic Sewerage Tunnel (DSST) project will be rolled out in three phases and divided into multiple packages, utilising a public-private partnership (PPP) model over more than seven years.
The project includes the construction of two deep wastewater tunnels, along with pump stations and link sewers.
Once completed, the new system will replace over 100 existing pump stations across Dubai, cutting wastewater treatment costs, reducing carbon emissions, lowering energy consumption, and preparing the city for future population growth.
The hope is that it will transform the current sewerage system into a gravity-fed, energy-efficient system that it hopes will last for the remainder of the century and beyond.
The project is set to be awarded to the successful contractor in 2025, with work beginning the following year.
It is one of a number of high-profile infrastructure projects currently being undertaken in an oil-rich country.
Already the home of the world’s tallest building, the nation looks set to possess the second-tallest as work continues on the construction of Burj Azizi.
The skyscraper, which is being developed by UAE private real estate developer Azizi Developments is expected to cost £1.2 billion and is due to be completed in the next four years, becoming an instant attraction for both tourists and locals.
According to Azizi Developments, the building will have the highest hotel lobby in the world on Level 11, the highest nightclub on Level 126, the highest restaurant in Dubai on Level 122, and the highest hotel room in Dubai on Level 118.
Mirwais Azizi, founder and chairman of Azizi Developments, said: “My vision for Burj Azizi is to create a lasting legacy, a tribute to Dubai as a destination of choice for both residents and visitors and a monumental achievement in engineering, setting new benchmarks for quality, luxury, and innovation.”