A different form of sustainable water treatment is coming to the UAE: Sharjah-based real estate developer Arada is partnering with Hungarian water tech firm Biopolus, Sharjah Research Technology and Innovation Park (SRTIP) and global water management solutions provider Metito for the construction and operation of a “state-of-the-art” water treatment plant in Sharjah, according to a statement.

The details: The plant will treat, recycle, and produce treated water for use as irrigation of landscapes in the Aljada development project and SRTIP using Biopolus Metabolic Network Reactor (MNR) technology. Construction of the first phase is currently underway, with the project set to be completed in April 2024. The first phase will have the capacity to recycle 5.5k cubic meters (cbm) of water daily, with two phases at a later stage holding the capacity to recycle 16.5k cbm per day.

Enter BioMakery: The plant — known as a Biomakery — will use the MNR technology, which copies natural processes by using microbial biofilms to clean water without the use of chemicals.

There’s also an R&D facility in the pipeline: Arada is also investing in a new research and development facility focused on sustainable water treatment with its partners, according to the statement. The facility aims to work on an upgraded version of the MNR technology and turn Sharjah into a “global hub for the process” in the long term.

And there’s more to come: The company aims to partner with others on various processes in the Sharjah plant including recycling, community functions and energy recovery technologies, according to the statement. Other plants similar to Sharjah’s biomakery are also being planned for Arada’s other projects, it added.