FOOD SECURITY-

Egypt’s Desert Research + Atomic Energy Authority to exchange knowledge in resource management: Egypt’s Desert Research Center has signed a scientific and research cooperation protocol with the Atomic Energy Authority to exchange knowledge on water quality assessment, wastewater treatment, soil quality evaluation, food processing, and advanced genetic engineering techniques for strategic crop cultivation using, according to a statement.

ALSO- Desert Research signed an agreement to implement renewables + water projects in Shalateen: The center also signed a cooperation protocol with Shalateen Mineral Resources Company to manage and implementing local development projects in the Halayeb and Shalateen regions, including solar-powered desalination plants, solar energy stations, water-efficient greenhouses, and livestock production models adapted to local conditions, according to a statement. Under the agreement, the two will also work on water resource utilization and the establishment of greenhouses for vegetable and fruit cultivation.

WATER TREATMENT-

We have a developer for KSA’s Al Haer sewage treatment plant: Saudi’s Power and UtilityCompany for Jubail and Yanbu (Marafiq) has joined a consortium with Saudi’s Miahona and Belgian construction developer Besix to develop the Al Haer independent sewage treatment plant project in Riyadh, according to a Tadawul filing. Marafiq will hold 35% of the SAR 1.5 bn project while Miahona will own 45%. The company expects to see the financial impact of the project in 1Q 2027.

This has been in the works: The Saudi Water Partnership Company signed 25-year concession agreements with the companies to develop the plant in March. The plant’s capacity will be 200k cubic meters per day, with commercial operations slated to start in 4Q 2026. The award was made under the BOOT (build, own, operate, and transfer) model.

EVs-

Taiwanese firm to manufacture EV buses in the UAE: Taiwanese electric bus manufacturers Tron Energy Technology Corporation (Tron-e) and MAP Tron-e have signed an MoU establishing a JV dedicated to producing electric buses in the UAE, according to Al Khaleej. The pair will be one of the first electric bus manufacturers in the UAE, and aim to expand into full-scale manufacturing and distribution across the Mena region once the project is tested and receives approvals for safety standards and efficiency. Initial testing is scheduled for the end of Q3 2024 while manufacturing is expected to begin in Q1 2025.

ALSO- Oman launches first electric bus: The Oman National Transport Company (Mwasalat) has officially launched its first electric public bus, Times of Oman reported. We caught wind of the initiative earlier this month when it received funding from Al Maha Petroleum and Sohar International Bank.

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