QS Monitor, a company backed by Masdar and BP’s start-up accelerator, is joining forces with Israel’s Elgressy Engineering Services to supply chemical-free water to the UAE’s industrial sector and food establishments. The partnership will bring new technology to the UAE “where local water is a scarce resource and awareness is high of environmental and safety practices”, said Gaby Elgressy, founder of the Israeli company, yesterday. “We ... have innovated [and come up with] a safe solution that utilises advanced chemical and electrical engineering techniques as a viable and much safer alternative to chemical dosing.” Both the UAE and Israel are heavily dependent on the desalination of water to meet their domestic water needs. The UAE government established the Ministry of Food and Water Security in 2017 to achieve self-sufficiency. QS Monitor, which is focused on delivering food and water-safety solutions to the industrial and farm sector, was set up in Masdar City free zone in 2019. It received an initial investment of $100,000 from The Catalyst, the region’s first clean technology start-up accelerator, which is supported by Masdar and BP. Elgressy Engineering operates thousands of wastewater treatment plants around the world. The company’s clients include Volvo, Mercedes, Hilton and the UN. The deal comes after the UAE and Israel normalised relations last year. Since then, the two countries have been signed pacts to foster co-operation in sectors ranging from aviation to finance. Trade between the UAE and Israel is expected to reach $4 billion a year, according to Etihad Credit Insurance, which recently signed a co-operation agreement with the Israel Foreign Trade Risks Insurance Corporation to boost investment and trade between the two countries. Masdar City is home to more than 900 organisations – including international companies, small and medium enterprises and start-ups – that are developing innovative technology in the areas of energy, water efficiency, mobility, space and artificial intelligence.
