Dubai Can: Free drinking water to be made available across city

A new initiative called Dubai Can has been launched to provide free drinking water at designated points across the emirate.

The initiative was launched on Tuesday by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai Crown Prince and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, and aims to encourage the use of refillable water bottles through the installation of drinking water stations across Dubai.

#DubaiCan – 30 water stations available across the city to encourage ‘refill culture’ pic.twitter.com/PMnCzGkjDn

— Dubai Media Office (@DXBMediaOffice) February 15, 2022

Drinking water fountains have already been installed in some parts of the city, including Kite Beach, Dubai World Trade Centre, Zabeel Park and Madinat Jumeirah.

Dubai Can will increase access to clean water by launching up to 50 new refilling stations across the emirate.

The majority of tap water and drinking water in Dubai is desalinated seawater from the Arabian Gulf. The rest of the city’s water supply comes from underground sources.

One Small Change, One Big Impact!#DubaiCan pic.twitter.com/VeLXfqt29O

— Hamdan bin Mohammed (@HamdanMohammed) February 15, 2022

There is a growing case to reduce the usage of plastic in Dubai. The average UAE resident reportedly uses around 450 plastic water bottles every year. Across the globe, more plastic waste has been created in the last 10 years than during the previous century combined. By 2050, current projections indicate there will be more plastic than fish in the oceans.

Dubai Crown Prince @HamdanMohammed launches ‘Dubai Can’ – an innovative citywide sustainability initiative. #DubaiCan will be implemented by Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism. https://t.co/PJqlvX5DQw

— Dubai Media Office (@DXBMediaOffice) February 15, 2022

Also, 40 per cent of all plastic waste in the UAE is single-use. Earlier this month, the Executive Council of Dubai decided to impose a tariff of 25 fils on single-use bags for carrying goods in the emirate starting July 1, 2022. The tariff will be implemented in all stores across Dubai including, retail, textile and electronic stores, as well as restaurants, pharmacies, and will be applicable on online and e-commerce deliveries too. The tariff of 25 fils is being introduced with the ultimate aim of completely banning the use of these plastic bags over the next two years.

Read: Dubai to impose tariff on single-use plastic bags from July 1