In the United Arab Emirates, there was a plan to tow an iceberg the size of a skyscraper from Antarctica to Dubai.
It all began in 2017 when Abdullah Alshehi, an Emirati businessman and writer, proposed an incredible solution to the region’s water shortage problem: towing an iceberg from Antarctica to the Persian Gulf. The plan sounded like something out of a sci-fi movie, but it was based on a very real issue.
The Emirates, with their limited natural freshwater resources and rapidly growing population, have long relied on energy-intensive desalination plants. Alshehi’s idea was to bring a massive, gigantic iceberg to Dubai, providing the residents with water that was 100,000 years old.
The project involved locating a huge iceberg near Antarctica, attaching it to a specially equipped tugboat, and towing it over 8,000 kilometers across the Indian Ocean. Upon arrival, the iceberg would be anchored near the shore, slowly melting under the desert sun. The meltwater would then be collected, filtered, and added to the national water supply.
This idea, however, was never realized. Marine scientists and engineers were among the first to express concerns. Towing something as large as a skyscraper through warm, turbulent waters posed enormous logistical challenges and dangers. Environmentalists also opposed the idea, and financial costs became a significant obstacle.
Nevertheless, the UAE did not go without some crystal-clear iceberg water. A startup in Greenland began collecting fragments of ancient glaciers that naturally broke off into the sea. Small batches of this ice were shipped to Dubai, where they were served in luxury bars and restaurants. While this practice is marketed as eco-friendly, it has faced criticism for commercializing a symbol of global warming.
