UAE firm proposes towing icebergs home to help fight freshwater shortages

Coming over five weeks since April Fool’s Day, news reaches Splash of an Abu Dhabi firm that has come up with an incredible solution to fight persistent freshwater shortages in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The National Advisor Bureau Limited is proposing deploying a tug to take icebergs from Antarctica to the UAE to be used as drinking water.

The plan involves towing an iceberg from near Heard Island, one of a group Antarctic islands, up to the coast of Fujairah in the east of the UAE where it would then be turned into drinking water at a processing port.

The backers of the ambitious plan say the icebergs could also serve as a tourist draw card, not unlike Dubai’s ski resort housed in a shopping mall.

Up to 40% of the iceberg’s volume will be lost on the 10,000 km journey which is estimated to take one year.

A promotional video is carried below.