June 16, 2009 (WAM) - TechnoPark, the Science and Technology Park under Economic Zones World, today announced it will host the biannual International Desalination Association (IDA) World Congress this November under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai. The event will be held from 7 - 12 November at the Atlantis Resort - The Palm. Themed ?Desalination for a Better World', the conference is expected to gather over 1,800 industry professionals and leaders from the global desalination and water reuse industry.

Seventy companies from over 20 countries have confirmed their participation at the IDA Exhibition covering over 2,000 square meters. The Congress, which has grown exponentially year on year, involves the world's most prominent industry players, including end-users (utilities), manufacturers and suppliers, government officials, researchers, financiers and members of academia from over 80 countries.

Salma Hareb, Chief Executive Officer - Economic Zones World, said: "As an organization that leads the region in raising awareness and building infrastructure for sustainable initiatives, TechnoPark takes pride in bringing the IDA World Congress to Dubai for the first time. The conference will facilitate the exchange of global innovations and best practice in this highly important sector, and lay a foundation for Dubai to lead the region in research and awareness of sustainable water supplies.

"In the coming years, water sustainability will become as critical an issue as climate change. Only desalination and advanced water reuse offer hope of future supplies for a growing population on our planet. Since the UAE is the second-largest user of desalinated water in the world, provision of adequate water supply is one of the key challenges facing us, and the vision of His Highness in hosting the IDA World Congress highlights the urgency of the issues that need to be tackled in the region." Patricia Burke, Secretary General of the International Desalination Association, said: "Water sustainability is a global issue, and can only be addressed through exchange of information on an international level. The spirit of collaboration that Dubai has shown by hosting the 2009 IDA World Congress will significantly drive progress in achieving adequate water availability for future generations.

"We look forward to the exchange of ideas and collaboration on the critical issue of desalination and advanced water reuse. The industry is constantly evolving and innovating, and our mission is to ensure that desalination is implemented in the most responsible way, from the perspective of cost, energy and environmental considerations." Salma Hareb concurred, saying: "The gains from a gathering of top minds in the field will be tremendous, particularly for regional specialists. One of our main interests in hosting the IDA World Congress is the amount of research that is shared, making the congress valuable from a knowledge standpoint. The foundation of our activity at TechnoPark is scientific innovation, which evolves continuously. An event like the IDA World Congress allows that evolution to be equalized across all markets. We believe that this sharing of information and findings is key to a sustainable future as the UAE moves into the 21st century with a strong knowledge economy based on international best practice.

" Burke stated in conclusion: "It will be interesting for global specialists to attend the conference in a location that will rely on their future findings to address their most pressing concerns about sustainability. We understand that the Dubai leadership has embraced sustainability as a core element of its future vision, which is vital to maintaining the enormous growth that Dubai has already achieved. We look forward to November and welcome the new ties and collaboration to come out of the Congress." Over 350 papers were received for consideration in the technical programme of the IDA World Congress 2009. There will be 23 sessions on topics such as: Alternative Ideas, Innovative Solutions and Nuclear Technologies for Desalination; Chemicals, Scaling and Cleaning and Mineral Recovery; Energy Recovery: A Dramatic Reduction in Energy Consumption for Desalination; and Environmental Sustainability.

TechnoPark was established to lead innovation with a special focus in water and energy efficiency and is managed by Economic Zones World, the global developer and operator of economic, technology, logistics and industrial parks and part of Dubai World. The International Desalination Association (www.idadesal.org) is a non-profit organization comprising over 2,000 members from 60 countries, including scientists, end-users, engineers, consultants and researchers from governments, corporations and academia. IDA is associated with the United Nations as part of a growing international network of non-governmental organizations (NGOs).