French multinational Veolia has entered into a partnership with the United Arab Emirates’ national oil company, Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc), to optimize water management at its industrial facilities. The agreement was signed during a meeting of the France-United Arab Emirates Business Council, an economic forum bringing together key decision-makers from both countries.
A strategic approach to water resource management
This collaboration focuses on several key areas, including analyzing and implementing water management strategies, conducting a comprehensive evaluation of the water cycle, and enhancing flow monitoring systems. The primary objective is to optimize water consumption across Adnoc’s oil and gas infrastructure, which requires significant volumes of water for its industrial processes.
According to Veolia, the tools deployed in this initiative could lead to a 5% to 15% reduction in water consumption. However, the specific targets of the program have not been disclosed.
An expanding market for Veolia
The Middle East is a key region for Veolia, where the company has been operating for over 50 years. In 2023, it generated €1.1 billion in revenue from this region, with a significant share coming from water management technologies.
The France-United Arab Emirates Business Council meeting, where this agreement was formalized, was attended by leading industry figures, including Patrick Pouyanné, CEO of TotalEnergies, and Sultan al-Jaber, UAE Minister of Industry and CEO of Adnoc.
Opportunities for the oil industry
As a major oil sector player, Adnoc is adopting a more efficient approach to its water consumption. The implementation of recycling solutions and digital monitoring could open new avenues for optimization across the industry.
Meanwhile, Veolia continues to strengthen its presence in this fast-growing market, where the demand for technological resource management solutions continues to rise.