Providing sewage treatment for more than half of Dubai’s 2.1 million population, the Jebel Ali Sewage Treatment Plant was expanded to meet the emirate’s ambitious growth plans.

Phase 2 forms part of a determined vision by the client, Dubai Municipality, to build an ultimate treatment facility with a daily capacity of 1,050,000 cubic meters, serving the Jebel Ali industrial area and Dubai South, which includes the Dubai Expo 2020 site. Our scope included the design and construction supervision of wastewater treatments, civil structures, and mechanical and electrical components.

The project also involved the integration of several systems for physical and biological liquid processes including inlet works (screening with fine screens), aerated grit removal, activated sludge reactors, effluent disinfection and UV treatment.

To accelerate delivery and elevate industry standards, a new slip-form construction technique was used to build the anaerobic digesters. The method allowed a continuous pouring of concrete to construct six, 22.5-meter-high concrete digester tanks, each measuring 7,500 cubic meters, in only five days each. This was the first time this method had been used in the UAE for water retaining structures.

Completed in May 2019, the average daily plant capacity has improved from 300,000 cubic meters to 675,000 cubic meters. This additional daily capacity is equivalent to the wastewater generated by 1.35 million people.

Phase 2 has also improved water conservation. The plant now allows for a reduction in costly desalinated seawater for non-potable use by up to 700 million liters per day through several reuse techniques.